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CashIT

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Hi All,

I'm just getting started with photography and post processing and wanted to ask if you could recommend a good software to use for post processing, retouching and small modifications, that is super easy to use.

I have a normal windows PC, if that helps.

Have seen some times ago a video of the Affinity Photo software in action and it seemed pretty easy to use, but it only works on Mac I understand.

Thanks for the help
 
Windows Photo Gallery has all the basics and the few tools it does have, are more powerful then you would expect from a program of this type. Highlight and shadow control work real well. Noise/Detail control is simple and also works very well.

The following link should allow you to select and install just "Photo Gallery" and "Movie Maker" rather then the whole suite, during the install process. I have not tried the other "Essentials" programs included in this suite.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17779/download-windows-essentials

Here is some old examples laying around in my Gallery. These are from various cameras and I only performed simple jpg editing using only "Photo Gallery".



























 
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Affinity Photo will become available for Windows as well. Affinity was bought by Serif, on their website they state that Affinity Photo will become available for Windows in a couple of weeks.
 
If I'm just shooting JPEGs, I use the Windows Photos program that comes with Windows 8/10. Simple interface that works both with a mouse and on a touch screen, and the highlight/shadow tools do a really good job without distorting the tone at the other end of the image. The only tool missing I'd like to have is a sharpen, for web-resized images.
 
Question about Windows Photo Gallery: Does the program still overwrite your original file without warning and save the edited photo as a much smaller file size like it used to? Not to mention automatically straightening photos that didn't need to be straightened?

I tried it some years back and and liked some of the options, but not these others. Plus back then you had to download ALL the Windows Live garbage and I didn't want the rest of it.

Just wondering if they improved it. Thanks.

J
 
CashIT said:
Hi All,

I'm just getting started with photography and post processing and wanted to ask if you could recommend a good software to use for post processing, retouching and small modifications, that is super easy to use.

I have a normal windows PC, if that helps.

Have seen some times ago a video of the Affinity Photo software in action and it seemed pretty easy to use, but it only works on Mac I understand.

Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Picasa is still the most simple program to use and makes most photos look remarkably better. I think Google has removed the download from their site (dumb of them) but you should still be able to find it on Filehippo or one of those sites. Just remember to go into Options and uncheck auto updates and also delete the Google Update program if you don't want it running all the time.

FastStone is good. Some people love Photoscape, too. All free though you can donate to FastStone.

J
 
SnowshoeLane said:
Question about Windows Photo Gallery: Does the program still overwrite your original file without warning and save the edited photo as a much smaller file size like it used to? Not to mention automatically straightening photos that didn't need to be straightened?

I tried it some years back and and liked some of the options, but not these others. Plus back then you had to download ALL the Windows Live garbage and I didn't want the rest of it.

Just wondering if they improved it. Thanks.

J
Click to expand...
My experience with Photo Gallery has me say no, to all three questions.
 
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What sort of camera? The reason I ask, the camera manufacturers normally include software either in the box or as a free download. Those are usually decent programs to begin with, especially if shooting RAW.

Hint: You can even download software from different camera companies without actually buying or owning one of their cameras. :)
 
Bobthearch said:
What sort of camera? The reason I ask, the camera manufacturers normally include software either in the box or as a free download. Those are usually decent programs to begin with, especially if shooting RAW.

Hint: You can even download software from different camera companies without actually buying or owning one of their cameras. :)
Click to expand...
 
Canon requires a serial number from the applicable camera.
 
SnowshoeLane said:
Bobthearch said:
What sort of camera? The reason I ask, the camera manufacturers normally include software either in the box or as a free download. Those are usually decent programs to begin with, especially if shooting RAW.

Hint: You can even download software from different camera companies without actually buying or owning one of their cameras. :)
Click to expand...
It used to be you could not do that--some of them wouldn;t even let download a user manual!

Is it as easy as going to the site--or is there a trick to it?

Thanks.

J
Click to expand...
You don't have to jump through any hoops at Nikon.

Unfortunately we may never learn what sort of camera the OP has.
 
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