Best Post Processing Software

[PhotoInParadise]

this question has been beat to death, I know but I thought I would state my specific case and see if its worth changing.from Affinity Photo photo editing software.

i have a Canon 70D and a 5D Mark III. I am still in the intermediate stages of learning photography. I mostly take photographs of my two Shih Tzu. Some inside, some outside. Occassionally landscape type photos. I have a nifty fifty lens, a 24-70 f/4 and a 70-200 f/2.8.  Unfortunately one of my Shih tzu is solid black and in long coat. Beautiful but very difficult to capture much detail.  Oh and I always shoot Raw.

I sometimes manage to get everything right in camera so much post processing is not needed. But when I dont get it right and he is a dark blob, I feel that my PP, Affinity Photo does not help me at all.  And just fyi...I have a Mac (El Capitan). I am wondering if other editing software is better for pulling more detail out of dark subjects in post processing than Affinity Photo?

Also there are no tutorials for Affinity Photo and that would help. I know there is a ton for Adobe but I would sure like to avoid monthly fees and I see a stand alone version of Lightroom would not have updates.  I also dont know if it plays good with El Capitan. So please let me know if you have suggestions for PP software that does a good job pulling dark detail out of raw photos.  If your answer is, just get better with your camera, please be kind.

[ebiggs1]

You asked what is the "best" post editor?  That answer is Photoshop.  Period it has no peer.  But is it the "best" for you?  Now that is a totally different question.  My answer is, no.  I don't think so.  BTW, I hate the monthly rental plan from Adobe, too.  So I quit at CS6.  I am standing firm there.  You can still find it for sale from time to time. But ...........

"I see a stand alone version of Lightroom would not have updates."

Lightroom 6 still updates!  Mine does, I just got one. It is up to LR 6.5.1.  It would probably do all you want. But Photoshop Elements will do everything you could ever want.  It is a baby PS.  Does almost as much as the real deal PS does.

PSE allows you to make catalogs so you can find that 'one' photo years from now.  Plus it posst to the web where most share their work. It emails, etc.  And it does edits that most others don't.

Now whether it plays well with a Mac?  I can't say.  I know lots of people have issues with a Mac and printing from post editors. But I think the software runs well for edits.

Give Elements a try. You can try it free for 30 days.

[kvbarkley]

Second that. PSE contains Adobe Camera RAW. If that can't get what you want out of the RAW file, nothing can.

[ebiggs1]

You nailed it to the wall.

[PhotoInParadise]

Thank you all for replying.  I will read about PE. I guess since that is what you recommend, it goes without saying, it will help pull the details out of black fur? Attached is a recent and I know he is in the shade but it seems as if PP should be able to help his detail a little better than this.

[ebiggs1]

If PSE or LR can't help, nothing else will either.  They are the best.

[PhotoInParadise]

I was not clear. I was asking, PE compared to Lightroom, if PE was thought to be as good as Lightroom for pulling out the black detail.  I went on the internet and read a little and see that PE is definitely for beginners and has limited capabilities. That's ok if it will do that one thing, help improve the lback fur detail in most of my raw photos.  I also have a light cream colored shih tzu and her raw photos almost never need any processing other that a small crop maybe  Thanks much for your advice, I appreciate your taking the time to answer

[ebiggs1]

Check out my PM to you.

[kvbarkley]

And remember, this is not CSI. If there is no detail there, there is no detail there.

[Waddizzle]

Thank you all for replying.  I will read about PE. I guess since that is what you recommend, it goes without saying, it will help pull the details out of black fur? Attached is a recent and I know he is in the shade but it seems as if PP should be able to help his detail a little better than this.

My Gear: 70D, 24-70mm f/4L, 70-200 f/2.8L, 430 EX III RT Speedlight

--------------------------------------

That shot really could have used a little help from your onboard flash, or your speedlight.  Flashes are good for use on a bright sunny day when you are photographing something in the shade.

As far as post-processing goes, I could serously cheat with that shot, and manufacture an HDR shot out of it.  I would copy the entire shot to a new layer, mask out everything except the dog, brighten up the exposure on the dog, recombine the layers, and then export the JPEG.