Secondary image processing software suggestions

[sweet_willliam]

Do folks recommend other photo tools. I used to use Adobe photo shop in the 1990s when making web pages that would fit through the old 28.8 and 56 kb modems (think reduction reduction reduction).

I now want to become a real photographer and am looking for what tools to use now. Photoshop is prohibitively expensive now that I am not using professionally (business paying for it). Do folks like Corel  PaintShop Pro? Other recommendations?

I will still enjoy playing with some of my images t produce art projects.

[Waddizzle]

---

@sweet_willliam wrote:

Do folks recommend other photo tools. I used to use Adobe photo shop in the 1990s when making web pages that would fit through the old 28.8 and 56 kb modems (think reduction reduction reduction).

I now want to become a real photographer and am looking for what tools to use now. Photoshop is prohibitively expensive now that I am not using professionally (business paying for it). Do folks like Corel  PaintShop Pro? Other recommendations?

I will still enjoy playing with some of my images t produce art projects.

---

What sort of editing are yo looking to do?  What is your computer platform?  

Photoshop Elements is okay, but GIMP is free and it can all of the same stuff.

[sweet_willliam]

I have two goals

1) to produce excellent photgraphs using the camera as the instrument, I want/hope to be able to capture the world in an artistic way as a photographer. I am learning to take great photographs without having to rely on secondary processing to make up for my mistakes.

2) from my days doing web site design and using photoshop as a tool to edit/alter/enhance images for display, I found that I really enjoyed doing some manipulation, altering photographs with digital tools for artistic expression. 

I went into the mac world for awhile when I went back to school, now I am getting tired of Apples &*^% attitude  towards it's customers (I think they take us for granted and are becoming of sad reflection of the company they once were) and am getting back into the PC world.  currently on a Dell inspiron gamer level laptop using windows 10.

[ebiggs1]

Of course you know there is PS and then there is all the rest.  PS is the best bar none.  That is why all the others compare themselves to PS. Saying things like almost as good or just as good but in reality they are not and true pros know it.

"..Photoshop is prohibitively expensive now ..."  The Photography package Adobe offers is $9.99 per month.  Yes, I already know all the grips about the subscription model so save it as I am on board with you.  I hate it too. However, in Adobe's defense it is no more expensive then it ever was if you upgrade each time they offered one.  Now the upgrades are automatically d/l into you copy which is included in the $9.99 agreement.

I am not trying to talk you into anything but these are the facts.  You either want PS or you don't.  You want the best or you don't. And, unfortunately the only way to get it is $9.99.  Barring finding a used copy of CS6 somewhere and Adobe won't make it easy to get it working for you.

"I am getting tired of Apples ... and am getting back into the PC world."  I personally don't care or give a hoot which machine I am using, when the software is up and running there is little difference.  I use a PC for two reasons. One it is more than half less costly for the exact same machine.  Plus Mac's are becoming less and less upgradeable.  Second, the OS from Apple is so flaky and finicky every time they upgrade it, it is a mess. I beta test for a large software company and I can confidently say 75% of all the issues come from the Apple side mostly because of the OS incompatibility.  In fairness I will say the latest version of Win 10 upgrade has not played nicely either.

I don't like to but it is the only solution, bite the bullett and get the Photographer package from Adobe for $9.99.  You know you also get Lightroom included along with Bridge, too.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@sweet_willliam wrote:

I have two goals

1) to produce excellent photgraphs using the camera as the instrument, I want/hope to be able to capture the world in an artistic way as a photographer. I am learning to take great photographs without having to rely on secondary processing to make up for my mistakes.

2) from my days doing web site design and using photoshop as a tool to edit/alter/enhance images for display, I found that I really enjoyed doing some manipulation, altering photographs with digital tools for artistic expression. 

I went into the mac world for awhile when I went back to school, now I am getting tired of Apples &*^% attitude  towards it's customers (I think they take us for granted and are becoming of sad reflection of the company they once were) and am getting back into the PC world.  currently on a Dell inspiron gamer level laptop using windows 10.

---

Start with Canon's editor, Digital Photo Professional Version 4. It can be frustratingly slow, but it does a good job. And it's free to Canon customers.

It's a waste of money to use Photoshop for routine editing, but you'll need it if you get into moving objects around or trying to salvage horribly bad exposures. If you need your editor to incorporate a cataloguing system, look into Lightroom.

And I think I'd add Irfanview to Rick's list of 3rd-party options.

[ebiggs1]

"It's a waste of money to use Photoshop for routine editing,..."

What if your "routine editing" is simply lens correction on a third party lens? Constantly trying to find something PS is not the best at, will only frustrate you, Robert.

[mangurian]

I have been very happy with PaintShopPro 2018 (Ultimate).

I also have a Photoshop client, but I find myself using it less and less.

There is also an on-line group that will assign you with a PaintShop mentor who will lead you through a course that delves into every capability of PaintShop (some of which Photoshop doesn't have).

I also use Paintshop to start my RAW shots off (sometimes I use DPP 4.8) it has lens corrections for my EOS-M.

[ebiggs1]

"...a course that delves into every capability of PaintShop (some of which Photoshop doesn't have).''

This really perked up my curiosity!  What capability does Paintshop have that PS does not? 

[mangurian]

Mostly having to do with graphics and painting.  The core program allow creation of great graphics with such things as 3D cutouts, custom materials, picture tubes, etc.  It also comes with Corel's Painter Essentials,  a dedicated 3D titler, KPT (Kai's Power Tools), and some other good plug-ins.  

On the photo side, I find the scratch, blemish, and object removers easier to use and customize than PS.  When working with portraits, the skin smoother, teeth whitener, and a few other tools work surprisingly well.  All of these tools are highly customizable.   

I started with the  30 day trial and decided it was definitely worth the money.

(it also handle my camera RAW files, which my PS CS does not without first converting each photo to a dng file.)

It is easy to hype a program, so the real test is to use the trial version a lot and make up your own mind.

I sometime feel that asking PS users to try something else is like asking an iPhone junky to try Android.

[ebiggs1]

"I sometime feel that asking PS users to try something else is like asking an iPhone junky to try Android."

  I hear ya there!  But, ignoring price PS will do all those things if you get the right package. And, of course you know those things you mentioned are customizable in PS, too. To each his own, use what works for ya.