digital editing software

[clicker]

Any recommendations for digital imaging software that can adjust colors to specific areas of an digital photos that is both powerful yet not overly complicated. I now use Elements and find it not broad based enough for my needs.
Thanks😱

 

[RedLion]

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is THE standard for photographers now..

Along with Lightroom I use Gavin's Retro-Passion Presets which work with Lightroom. http://www.photoeffects.biz/preset.html

I'm also using the Snapseed App for adding some "Grunge" effects to my photos as well. http://www.snapseed.com/

To use Snapseed with Lightroom is kind of clumsy as you have to export your lightroom adjusted photo as a jpeg, then work on it with Snapseed, save it, and then import the result back into Lightroom if you want to do some more adjustments on the result.

Here's an example of an image I just made using this workflow:

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Joe

 

[rinzlerb]

What about Apeture? Anyone use it? I think Lightroom is used by many more professionals, but I am a mid-level enthusiast, to flatter myself. My whole family spends a lot of time cruising through our iPhoto collection and making books. I think the upgrade path from iPhoto and usability of Apeture might be easier for the whole family, and Apeture features would probably be adequate. Am I right? Or should we bite the bullet and go to Lightroom? Lightroom just added book-making features. Am concernd it will be more feature-rich but difficult.

 

[NickTrop]

It's really not the application - any of the standards including the non-Adobe stuff and the open source stuff will give you the capabilities you are seeking. Pick one. The key is in getting the appropriate training to learn how to use the tools, which are all similar.

 

[Peter S]

Depends a bit on what you exactly need. Lightroom latest version is a very versatile piece of software and the price is quite reasonable. It is relatively easy to use and has replaced most of my Photoshop work for color. For Black and white I prefer photoshop in combination with Silverefex. Nick is right though that the more time you spend getting to know your tools the better your results will be. Maybe have a look at The Gimp ?

 

[Keith]

ADC Pro is the most intuative piece of PP software I've used. It lacks some of the whistles and bells of Lightroom but it it really is very good and I've never felt the need to use anything else.

 

[willie_901]

Making photos on Lightroom available to iPhoto is very easy.

Setup an export preset in Lightroom. You only have to do this once.

Export from LR.

When the exports completes, the folder will automatically open and appear in the Finder.

Drag the photos to iPhoto in the dock and iPhoto will open and start the import.

 

[Richard G]

I never quite came to grips with Aperture. Lightroom came with my most recent camera and I like it. The other worry with the Apple programs is the location of the individual files. I don't like not knowing where individual files are. The LR catalog is potentially concerning but it is regularly backed up. Willie alludes to the deficiency of LR for getting photos to Mac devices like iPad and iPhone but his method works and isn't too much of a drag.

 

[Doug]

... The other worry with the Apple programs is the location of the individual files. I don't like not knowing where individual files are. The LR catalog is potentially concerning but it is regularly backed up...

iPhoto, Aperture, CaptureOne, and Lightroom all use your Pictures folder as a default location. That's inside your Users folder. I have used the Pentax SilkyPix software, and it's ok but not on the level of Aperture, CaptureOne, and Lightroom. I have transitioned from CaptureOne to Lightroom. With CaptureOne you don't "import" anything, rather you put your pics wherever you want and show C1 where they are. I do the same with Lightroom, not using LR to copy/move photos from the camera or SD card. Using a card reader I copy the folder(s) from the card to where I store originals, organize them the way I want, then show LR where they are during the "Import" process. I'm comfortable having that control. The Lightroom catalog contains only thumbnails and processing data, not the actual photos. If you let it store your originals in the Pictures folder, they're not hard to find and back up.