What software is a necessity?

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

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Editing ranges from making a few adjustments to the colour balance and exposure and making straightening and cropping to the image to major manipulations of the image taking possibly hours to do.

I suggest that you start off with something free and simple like Picasa and see how you get on. There is lots of other free or very cheap software that you can move on to if you find Picasa to be too restricting.

mmdphotography said:

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

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Buy some good quality photo paper for your home printer and see how that goes to start with. Use an on-line printing service or a lab if you are unhappy with the quality, want higher volumes or need larger prints.

IMHO high quality home printing only really becomes cost effective if you want to make large prints, e.g. 19"x13", in reasonably high quantities.

Don't rush into getting a dedicated photo printer.

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Click to expand...

Photoshop is harder to learn and expensive.

I would go with programs like

Lightroom,

photoninja,

Capture one

DxO optics

There are even more examples but just focus on a raw editor first.

mmdphotography said:

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

Labs can do much more these days then what we can achieve with a cheap printer.

In some cases cheaper too.

The only absolutely essential program is Irfanview, which is free.

However, if you shoot raw files, you will need at least the camera manufacturer's program for converting them.

I've been using standalone CS6 for decades, but since Adobe messed everything up with their CC subscription, I may switch over to Lightroom when CS6 is no longer ideal for future cameras/lenses. I'll probably give DPP a stab, too, since I'm a Canon user.

The upshot is, if you are starting from scratch, I suggest Lightroom.

--
photojournalist
http://craighartley.zenfolio.com/

Difficult to answer if you don't tell us which camera you're using and whether or not you're shooting raw.
--
Mark

I personally like ACDSee Ultimate 8. But it is right for you? I don't know, and no one else knows what is right for you either. You will need to experiment a bit.

My advice is to use the software that came with your camera to start off. If you no longer have the cd, you can usually download it from the Camera's support site. That software is usually pretty good when it comes to raw development and jpg editing, though, depending on the camera brand, it might be slow and have a weird user interface.

BUT! It will get you started without spending any money, and 1) give you an idea of what you like and dislike in that sort of software, and 2) give you the words to describe that like/dislike.

Once you have 6 months to a year of experience under your belt, you will be in a much better position and more knowledgeable as to how to look for more permanent software.

Printing? I don't print much any more, so much of the amateur photographer's social interaction with other photographers is online nowadays. But I do occasionally print photos, and I find it cheaper to just send my stuff out to a commercial printer. They do excellent work, are responsible for getting it RIGHT, and I don't have the hassle of do-overs to get it perfect (I tend to obsess) nor do I have the costs associated with waste. (printers are cheap, supplies are dear!)

Based on my experience, most inkjet printers are good enough for making casual prints for grannie, even the cheap ones. For more serious prints, commercial printers are the way to go!

--
I look good fat, I'm gonna look good old. . .
http://glenbarrington.blogspot.com/
http://glenbarringtonphotos.blogspot.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130525321@N05/

As others said, start with free software. When it doesn't meet your needs you'll know better what things are missing and can better evaluate how much of a solution you need.

For printers - unless you're printing high volume, your cost per print will be MUCH higher using your own printer. The problem is - once those ink packages are opened by the printer the ink will start to dry up.

Having your own printer is only beneficial for instant gratification. I use online labs for quality prints and choice of product - mostly because I no longer need a print same-day. The problem with lots of local labs is that the printer is configured to auto correct colors. Great for the common family snapshooter but if you spend time getting the color/exposure the way you want it the local Walgreens/Walmart etc can end up changing it. Whereas printing with a quality lab or at home you can guarantee your prints turn out just as you want - provided, and this is a BIG provided - you have a decent, calibrated monitor.

In either event, printing your own photos isn't cost effective unless you do a lot of volume. You can get as good or better results using a lab, provided you can wait for your prints (in my case I use Bay Photo and I get my prints in 2 days and that's good enough for me).

If you have Canon, I wouldn't even bother to install their RAW software. Lightroom is exponentially better.

You can do the $9.99 a month to get Lightroom and Photoshop. You'll want to use PS later as you advance.

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

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Your camera came with software bundled in the box. For basic editing that's really all you need. By basic editing I mean cropping, straightening, making modest adjustments to colours, saturation or brightness. Try using that before looking any further.

mmdphotography said:

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Click to expand...

If you find the bundled software inadequate the first question is "why?" It might be lack of sophistication, awkward interface, slow performance. Or it may just be that the instructions are poor.

As already mentioned, there are plenty of free programs available. I tried every one I could find a few years ago and liked none of them (for the reasons I listed above, although most were poor in only one or two of the parameters). I've also tried a few paid-for systems: generally better than the free ones. But ...

... the only system I actually like is Adobe CS CC in its Photoshop version. CC also includes Lightroom but I don't like it for photo editing. And there's a big problem for the answer to your question: I originally learned the basics of PS from my son; he still uses PS a bit but mostly he uses LR because he loves it. In other words, a lot of it comes down to what suits you.

I said "it may just be that the instructions are poor". I suggest that before you start spending money on software you find out where to find good instructions. I know that Adobe has good training videos and there are many other guides to their products. But you could probably find guidance for other programs too.

mmdphotography said:

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

I'd start with a lab. Calibrating colours for a printer can make learning photo editing seem like child's play.

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

start with free software (Canon DPP, GIMP, picasa, etc.) and then look at Lightroom and Photoshop features and decide if you're need them (layers, filters, etc.)

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

Get Lightroom from the start. Soon you will have too many images to manage. Lightroom also gives you the opportunity to process your files, though it's best for RAW files.

You can save you images in folders by date and add keywords so that finding files can be done easily. There are other ways to do this, but Lightroom makes it easier.

More Keepers said:

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

Get Lightroom from the start. Soon you will have too many images to manage. Lightroom also gives you the opportunity to process your files, though it's best for RAW files.

You can save you images in folders by date and add keywords so that finding files can be done easily. There are other ways to do this, but Lightroom makes it easier.

Click to expand...

This is not bad advice but a lot of DPR users would disagree with it http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56338867

Quite a number of people prefer to use other software not Lightroom precisely because they dislike LR's file management feature. And some people including me prefer the raw conversion results of other raw converter software such as DXO Optics Pro, Capture One, Rawtherapee and others. The nice thing about all these software is not only that some are free, but even the paid ones offer 30 day trial versions for free. Since satisfaction with software is very much subject to personal preferences, I would suggest that you try as many of the trail versions of software that you have time or interest to do so before paying for one. You simply go to their manufacturer's websites and hit the download free trial software button.

fedway said:

More Keepers said:

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

Get Lightroom from the start. Soon you will have too many images to manage. Lightroom also gives you the opportunity to process your files, though it's best for RAW files.

You can save you images in folders by date and add keywords so that finding files can be done easily. There are other ways to do this, but Lightroom makes it easier.

Click to expand...

This is not bad advice but a lot of DPR users would disagree with it http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56338867

Click to expand...

DPR users disagree with most anything that's put up on the forum.

fedway said:

Quite a number of people prefer to use other software not Lightroom precisely because they dislike LR's file management feature. And some people including me prefer the raw conversion results of other raw converter software such as DXO Optics Pro, Capture One, Rawtherapee and others. The nice thing about all these software is not only that some are free, but even the paid ones offer 30 day trial versions for free. Since satisfaction with software is very much subject to personal preferences, I would suggest that you try as many of the trail versions of software that you have time or interest to do so before paying for one. You simply go to their manufacturer's websites and hit the download free trial software button.

Click to expand...

DXO Optics Pro works well with Lightroom. That's what I use for raw conversion.

Thanks so much for your advice. I appreciate it.

Thanks!

Thanks!

mmdphotography said:

I'm a new photographer - well I used to do more and am now re-entering this world - but I'm starting to get some photos that I'm happy with and now I'm interested in the world of editing them. For a newbie photographer, what software is a necessity for photo editing and what is just a nice to have or an investment for later on?

I'm spinning in a world of photoshop, lightroom, etc and just wanted to real world advice.

Also, is it better to invest in a photo printer or just get prints from a lab to start with?

Click to expand...

Technically software isn't necessary, especially if you're shooting JPEG, which is processed and finished in camera. Cameras have been known to discard as much as 80% of the original image data when recording to JPEG vs. raw.

I'd first recommend investing more in learning how to create better captures in camera and then sending them to a photo lab, such as Mpix. With good captures and correct settings in camera (exposure, white balance , sRGB color space), you can get a good print direct from camera. Choose the color corrected option from the lab so they'll individually adjust the print using their best judgement.

If you were to invest in a printer, I would make it only a small printer, like a 4x6 or 5x7, and leave the big prints to a lab. Big prints require more ink and more paper, which adds up quickly, especially if you're doing tests to get accurate color.

The other benefit to using a lab is easy mounting and framing. You can make a beautiful large print at home, but then what, spend $300 for custom mounting and framing? Mpix can send you a canvas ready to hang for $100 and give you a nice frame and mat for much less than a custom shop.

If you're going to edit, you need a calibrated monitor, which means you need to use a calibration device, which costs more. If you don't calibrate, you have no way of knowing if what the monitor is showing is true to the file until you waste ink and paper on a print.

As for software, Photoshop is the biggest gun out there, and to leverage its powers of layers and pixel manipulation you should invest in education. However, with the Creative Cloud, it's now possible to pay for PS and Lightroom for just $9.99 monthly instead of a $750 one-time purchase. So you could test it relatively cheaply.

For all but the heaviest editing, I'd recommend Lightroom, which is a bit brainy to set up for the first time, but once you understand the structure and the benefits, you can make basic edits at lightning speed to hundreds of images.

You could also play around with Nik from Google. They have some cool filters that are easy to use. I don't keep up with "consumer" software so I couldn't say much about programs like Elements or whatever minor titles are out there.

It's also true that you can do quite a bit of editing on jpeg files and I find that sufficient in many cases when I am spot on with my exposure and the light conditions simply do not need high DR. I almost always shoot raw but for many cases jpeg is just fine and not just SOOC jpeg but edited jpeg. There are plenty of of free software that can do jpeg editing including Windows and Mac OS, and online ones like google photos and google plus, plus free Android and iOS apps like snapseed.

Start with the software that comes with your camera. We can tell you what we like, and you will get a different answer from each of us.