Any recommendation on Post Processing Software ?

Hi,

I was not sure, if I had to post it in 'Retouching' forum or 'Beginner' forum and finaly posting it here. Apologies, if it is not right place for this.

I recently got my Olympus PMD E-M1 and will be using 12-40mm. My next step is to decide on post processing tool. I was never a RAW guy, but learning is always good and interesting. Most of the time, I take landscapes, nature and small family gathering. Lightroom and Photoshop are highly praised and I can easily get many tutorial on internet if I need help anytime, which I am considering one of the option. Other than that, I read a lot about Perfect Photo Suite 8 as well. Apart from there are so many like Coral, Phase One Capture One and others. I am confused, which will be easy to apply with strong effects. Can somebody suggest on it ?

Thanks in advance.

abhisheks77 said:

Hi,

I was not sure, if I had to post it in 'Retouching' forum or 'Beginner' forum and finaly posting it here. Apologies, it it is not right place for this.

I recently got my Olympus PMD E-M1 and will be using 12-40mm. My next step is to decide on post processing tool. I was never a RAW guy, but learning is always good and interesting. Most of the time, I take landscapes, nature and small family gathering. Lightroom and Photoshop are highly praised and I can easily get many tutorial on internet if I need help anytime, which I am considering one of the option. Other than that, I read a lot about Perfect Photo Suite 8 as well. Apart from there are so many like Coral, Phase One Capture One and others. I am confused, which will be easy to apply with strong effects. Can somebody suggest on it ?

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

I always recommend that you download the free trials once you have narrowed down to 2 or 3 candidates. Nothing will tell you more about how well a package suits you than actually using it. And NO package is suitable for everyone.

I would suggest that you seriously consider ACDSee Pro 8. I've been using Pro 7 for the last year or so and prior to that, I was using Lightroom. An explanation of why I moved away from Lightroom is here: http://glenbarrington.blogspot.com/2014_01_01_archive.html

I write a lot about ACDSee Pro, you might want to look at some of the other articles I wrote as well.

Just this week I have upgraded to Pro 8. Why do I think you should test ACDSee Pro? It can handle just about anything you might need to do. It offers photo management and cataloging, if offers really first rate raw development (I particularly like how it handles orf files.) Plus, it also offers a a rather decent Bit mapped editor.

You can do masking (brush) adjustments. Pixel targeting, add watermarks, and text to images, along with frames, create slide shows, web pages and print to pretty exacting standards. One of my favorite tools is the lighting equalizer which takes a photo and divides it up into 3 to 9 different exposure zones and adjust the exposure for each separately. It really makes getting the right tonal adjustments easy to get just right.

When we say that different software serve different purpose, on what basis should I decide or narrow down ?

abhisheks77 said:

Hi,

I was not sure, if I had to post it in 'Retouching' forum or 'Beginner' forum and finaly posting it here. Apologies, if it is not right place for this.

I recently got my Olympus PMD E-M1 and will be using 12-40mm. My next step is to decide on post processing tool. I was never a RAW guy, but learning is always good and interesting. Most of the time, I take landscapes, nature and small family gathering. Lightroom and Photoshop are highly praised and I can easily get many tutorial on internet if I need help anytime, which I am considering one of the option. Other than that, I read a lot about Perfect Photo Suite 8 as well. Apart from there are so many like Coral, Phase One Capture One and others. I am confused, which will be easy to apply with strong effects. Can somebody suggest on it ?

abhisheks77 wrote:

When we say that different software serve different purpose, on what basis should I decide or narrow down ?Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Hi,

Software for images 'CAN' have the following attributes:

- cataloguing by library, with which you can import and store in catalogues and 'rate' images per your preferences and use keywords for search etc

- basic exposure adjustments. i.e. exposure lighten and darken, contrast adjustments, saturation, highlight and shadows adjustments

- more extensive exposure adjustments - local adjustments for those listed above, by local, we mean that one can use what are termed 'brushes' which are basically just points of varying sizes, using the cursor to put the relevant adjustment in place 'brush on'.

- basic edits - edits may involve more such as basic cropping, which is the cutting off of sides, top or bottom or all, Edits also may involve brushes and simple color saturation and hue adjustments.

- extensive edits - these may involve adjustments to color but more advanced. Edits may nvolve layers, which is basically like placing a sheet of tracing paper on another original photo, the tracing paper may block out or let through the image from the photo, depending what you do with the layer, how it is 'blended'.

And extensive edits may do much more.

Differences in various software:

- Lightroom, Capture One, ACDsee Pro 8 are very similar. They each have cataloguing funtions, simple edits, somewhat intermediate edits and very good output functions such as saving in various formats (JPEG, TIFF, printing). Each of these are generally also known as main RAW Converters, meaning they can import your camera RAW and work with it.

- Photoshop, Corel Paintshop Pro, Photoshop Elements are very similar in that they can each import a RAW as well, but also have very extensive adjustment tools such as layers etc (in addition to all the rest local adjustments such as brighten exposure, contrast etc).

Photoshop is known as the top of them all. But Corel Paintshop Pro in my opinion is more than adequate for beginner editing and even advanced photo editing (used along with a RAW converter such as Capture One or ACDsee Pro or Lightroom.)

Also, Corel Paintshop Pro and Elements (the 'baby' Photoshop -never used it, but many do), are each available for less than USD 100 at this point in time, for perpetual license (bought one time).

- Differences RAW Converters/ End Editors-

Photo RAW converters and basic (using the term loosely, but really, they do a LOT), such as Capture One and Lightroom and ACDsee, generally have the best RAW conversions, though YOU have to learn to use the tools to get best output.

Photo editors, such as Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, have okay RAW converters (except Photoshop has the same as Lightroom, just with a different User Interface (UI)), but I prefer output from the main RAW converters mentioned.

Many use both a Cataloging and Basic Converter such as ACDsee, Lightroom and Capture One Pro, for finished porudct or if more work is needed, export to such as Photoshop or Painshop Pro.

This can be done by exporting as TIFF (large files that are subsequently deleted but are great intermediate files, because they keep most of the data while processing), saving to an intermediate folder, THEN opening via the 'end' editor (Photoshop / Paintshop Pro) for editing such as layers, frames etc).

Then, after such processing, can be another, alternate final output point, when the image may be saved as a JPEG to your final folder.

That is JUST ONE type of workflow.

-Other Considerations re potential software purchase -

There are also FREE RAW converters and editors, such as RAW Therapee and GIMP.

They are very powerful and really, very good, but the issue is knowing what you want form them , as well as in some cases, the user interface may be quite overwhelming for a beginner.

Hence, I recommend for a beginner, using a simple commercial product, not expensive.

Other commercial products-

There are other commercial products, such as PhotoNinja, Serif Photoplus, OnOne software. However, the above mentioned are the most commonly used and should be able to give good results with learning

Color Monitor Calibration

I strongly recommend that the FIRST thing, along with buying you relevant software, is to CALIBRATE your monitor. This is using a piece of hardware to read your monitor output, after installing the relevant software.

I use an X Rite product to do this. The reason is so that when you make adjustments on screen, you are actually getting what you see. If you don't, you are basically , throwing dice re your color output.

http://www.amazon.com/X-Rite-EODIS3...d=1412153734&sr=8-2&keywords=x+rite+i+display

There is also a cheaper one, but I prefer the first I linked.

http://www.amazon.com/X-Rite-CMUNDI...1412153790&sr=8-1&keywords=x+rite+color+munki

If you want to do your own printing, I don't.

http://www.amazon.com/X-Rite-CMUNPH...8&qid=1412153831&sr=8-2&keywords=x+rite+photo

For explanations and ideas on calibration see this link. Pictus and Sailor Blue are the monitor calibration gurus on the Retuching forum, if you have a question, ask them... ;-)

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54383202

User Interface and trial versions

One very important thing with software is how much is the User Interface (UI) suited to YOU.

Do you find it intuitive, easy to use?

Thus, downloading trial versions, which most of the above offer, and using it for the allowed 30 days or whatever, enable you to assess the UI, for YOU use.

Summary-

To clarify, I am ONLY an amateur, I am FAR FROM an expert, but the above are my humble thoughts, from the last two years of being back taking photos.

Personally, I recommend either Capture One Pro, Lightroom or ACDsee Pro, to start together with Painstshop Pro as your 'end' editor.

The two (RAW Converter + end editor), can be purchased for less than USD 200 for both, about USD 100 each. But Capture One Pro may be more expensive, so you may be left with either Lightroom or ACDsee Pro.

Learning Resources

You will find a load of learning resources mostly for Adobe products, such as Lightroom, online. But, much learning on software, can be intuitive or generic, depending.

Here is one good explanation of post processing that is a lot of reading, but gives a lot of understanding.

Read the Index and go to Editing / Photoshop.

Good Luck

--
Wishing You Good Light.

You've gotten good advice from the post processing experts. I fully agree with them that try-before-you-buy is a good idea. I'll respond mainly as an Olympus EM1 user. You asked for advice, and this is mine (and mine alone).

A good place to start is the the Olympus software that came bundled with your camera. Be sure to check for new versions as soon as you install it, because it underwent a major upgrade recently. This is a very reasonable way to learn something about how to either develop your raw files or make adjustments in your jpegs or both.

BUT it is not likely to serve you well as a long range choice. What it will do is introduce you to adjustment tools.

My typical recommendation to folks new to photography is Lightroom. Why?

1.It is a mature program. It is integrated into a larger suite of programs so that as your skills grow you can easily add a pixel level editor like Photoshop, plug ins like NIK or Topaz suites, or other layering and editing programs like On One Photo Suite. Many excellent base programs do not integrate with some of these options.

2.Properly used, it keeps up with our pictures and the edits we make of them, lets us make photo books, email, print, export files for posting on websites like this. It also does things I seldom need like make slide shows, build websites, and geotag.

3. It is a darned good editor that does not allow you to ruin a photo. Your original remains safe in whatever location you downloaded it to, and Lightroom just keeps up with the changes you made in its appearance.

4. The cost is reasonable and it works equally well on either mac or pc platform (not all programs do that).

Lightroom does a good job with the Olympus images, both jpeg and raw. The 3 basic presets available in the Olympus software are built into Lightroom so it's easy to get a "quickie" developed image if you don't want to do the slider-adjustments yourself. Or you can make your own develop preset so that all your raw photos have a set of basic edits of your choice, as soon as you import them. Or, you can play any way you want with any of those sliders, secure that you're not really "doing" anything to your base image.

Welcome to the creative world of post processing. It is almost as much fun as taking photos.

+1 for Lightroom for the reasons given. It also has exactly the same controls whether the original images is RAW, jpeg, TIFF, PSD, or whatever, so there is only one interface to learn.

Dave

A most excellent post! It's a great shame that DPR does not have stickies so that it could be permanently accessible. Thanks,

Dave

Depending upon whether you use a Mac, Windows or Linux...

I am familiar with several Mac options:

1. Corel AfterShot Pro 2- Works with all three OS's A program which is well laid out, fast and offers many options in both PP and DAM. For speed work this is my main program.

2. ACDSee Pro 3 Mac- Don't have any experience with the Windows version. The Pro 3 Mac version has some nice features but is not as full featured as ASP2. It is missing some options, such as spot removal, etc, which really is needed. Also, the current version has some speed issues, although the recently updated Maverick's OS seems to have helped a little. ACDSee is apparently working on an update to this version but no time table has been established.

3. Dark Table- a free Mac & Linux program which offers many PP options but does require some study and usage to get to used to it. It does both PP and tagging, etc. For a free program, it is very powerful and reliable. Has one of the best spot removals I have encountered. For me this program is slow (not speed wise) but for my workflow. It takes me much longer to get through images but once I do I am pleased with the outcome. Patience is needed, at least for me.

4. LightZone- This is another free PP program which offers a unique processing style. It is based upon the zone system and works quite differently from the other three programs I have listed. Not a program for DAM and cataloging. You can get some good images out of this program but I would not use it as my main PP software by any means. For me, it is good for those special images, especially those images you want to convert to black and white. Works on both Windows and Mac's.

That is my take for programs I have used and am familiar. Hope it helps.

As others have mentioned, download the free trials and try them out. You will quickly learn which ones you prefer.

GR

Omitted the link I intended to post re post processing articles.


I do not know the gentleman, but his articles are very valuable, I think.

Cheers

Dave Stott said:

A most excellent post! It's a great shame that DPR does not have stickies so that it could be permanently accessible. Thanks,

Dave

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Thanks for being so kind. Have a great day,

;-)

Kudos, sir! I've been taking photos as an amateur for more than 40 years but have only been doing post processing of raws over the last few months. I have been looking for a succinct explanation and categorization of the different software out there and you just provided it. I have copy, pasted your post on a notepad document in my hard drive that will serve as a reference. Thanks again!

Thanks. It was really a great explanation in so much detail.

If I choose to go with Photoshop Lightroom, I can see two different option :-

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Student/Teacher's Edition (Academic verification is required by publisher after purchase) is 86$

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 - 147$

Does first option really need a proof that I am using it for academic version ? I am not student or associated with any academy.

"....Does first option really need a proof that I am using it for academic version ?"

Probably - Adobe are quite strict on this

abhisheks77 said:

Thanks. It was really a great explanation in so much detail.

If I choose to go with Photoshop Lightroom, I can see two different option :-

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Student/Teacher's Edition (Academic verification is required by publisher after purchase) is 86$

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 - 147$

Does first option really need a proof that I am using it for academic version ? I am not student or associated with any academy.

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I would not go there.

As for the USD147 on version 5, I saw reference somewhere that Version 6 may be released soon, so IF you can wait a wee bit, you may get Version 5 significantly reduced or Version 6 newly released for same price.

Not 100% sure on Version 6 release though.

Good Luck.

Another +1 for Lightroom. I am an amateur that shoots mainly landscapes. I just had a discussion with a wedding photographer that will help you understand why there are so many different software programs. They tend to serve different niches of photographers. He prefers Capture One because it allows him to process his wedding photos a lot faster than using Lightroom.

That is a nice roundup by ImageAmateur.

I only disagree with you on TIFFs. I Export TIFFs from LR to Photoshop where I take care of things I can't do in LR. I work non-destructively in PS and always save the TIFF with all layers intact. This makes it possible to go back and modify the file anytime in the future just like I can with my RAW files. Storage is cheap, labor is expensive.

JPGs on the other hand are an end product for specific purposes and I discard them after using them.

I'll stress a couple of points.

If you only take a few hundred photos a year then go with a program like Adobe Photoshop Elements or PaintShop Pro. They provide all the image post processing power most photographers need.

If you take thousands of images a year or if you have thousands of disorganized images then you want a Database Management program. Of these my choice is Photoshop Lightroom.

The problem with Lightroom, or any of the other programs with image databases, is that you have to organize both your hard disk file storage system and the way you keep track of the images inside the program (cataloging scheme). If you don't work out good storage and cataloging schemes and stick to them you won't like any image database program.

LR forces you to use the database portion of the program and you need to know how to do this and work out your hard disk storage scheme and image cataloging scheme BEFORE you start the free trial. A lack of understanding and preparation for the database is almost always the reason photographers who use the free trial of Lightroom have trouble and wind up not liking it. On the other hand once you get used to the idea of using an image database you quickly discover just how handy they are.

For most people I recommend one of two options.

If you are just getting started and don't have a lot of images you don't need a database so Photoshop Elements is a good choice for you. You can use the Adobe Camera Raw add-on for RAW conversion and for almost all your post processing. For many images you won't need anything except ACR. When you do need more then send the image as a TIFF to PSE for further work. PSE is for extensive retouching, layers and masks, extractions & compositing, etc.

If you become a more serious photographer and start taking thousands of images a year then add Lightroom. LR's Develop module is the same as the Adobe Camera Raw portion of PSE but with more capabilities and a more friendly user interface. You would still use PSE for more extensive retouching, layers and masks, and some other things you just can't do in LR. The combination of LR and PSE is sufficient for almost all photographers.

If you are a very serious amateur or a professional then don't buy LR or PSE, subscribe to the Photoshop Cloud. For less than the price of continuing upgrades to LR and PSE you will get both LR and the full blown Photoshop CC as well as continuous updates.

I am a professional and not planning to store and manage images via any tool. I am happy in saving them in my hard disk with planin format.

If I leave 'storage management' capability aside, Photoshop Elements should be preferred over Lightroom ?

try picas it's free, based on how much u spent on camera and quality of it and the lens.

next try the free bee stuff tons of it out there. read the replys above.

but u have to learn it !!

then maybe spend a few $ get lr -

Then after all of that and total confusion, if u can'nt figure out software stick with jpg's and picas.

If for some reason u can get the hang of the software - get back into lr and stay with it.

Your estimated learning curve based on your post about 2 years.

My learning curve is still going - ps user since 1991.

good luck

Software i use since version 1

ps,lr,coreldraw,autocad,protools,cubase,kontack,native instrument, all nik, all topaz, all nikon,canon sony, sigma, acdsee, yes even picas- just to menchin a few.

abhisheks77 said:

I am a professional and not planning to store and manage images via any tool. I am happy in saving them in my hard disk with planin format.

If I leave 'storage management' capability aside, Photoshop Elements should be preferred over Lightroom ?

Click to expand...

It's still a personal choice.

For me, Lightroom's simpler and more accessible interface, plus the non-destructive editing, would out weigh Photoshop Elements' greater functionality. My interests are mainly wildlife and landscapes, and I just don't have a great need for layers and sophisticated masking.

Your situation may be quite different.

In practice, my Lightroom "database" simply mirrors my hard disk storage structure, but it is an essential component of Lightroom itself. Although you may not need it to organise your images, being able to "tag" images with keywords, like the name or names of family members, or anything else you choose, can be a real help in finding images.

There really isn't a right answer, there are satisfied users of both products. Trialling both is really the best way (but be prepared to put some serious effort in), but if you went with either and stuck with it I am sure you would do just fine.

Dave