Is there a forum of photo editing?

[Brajesh]

Hi,

Is there a forum for photo editing?

I couldn't find one.

I like doing portrait photography.

So far I've been focused on my technique but not its time to get familiar with editing. I use the magic wand in Apple photos and it seems to do a pretty good job!

But I'd like to learn more about editing.

I've seed advertisement of AI editors, that enhance the picture with just one pass.

Are the AI editors getting better than the standard editors?

Of course by standard editors I mean photoshop and lightroom which almost everyone seems to use.

Should I learn photoshop/lightroom?

How can I find out more about editing?

thank you

 

[Mark S Abeln]

Is there a forum for photo editing?

The Retouching forum:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/1006

I couldn't find one.

Yeah, they tried renaming it, but it didn’t help.

I like doing portrait photography.

So far I've been focused on my technique but not its time to get familiar with editing. I use the magic wand in Apple photos and it seems to do a pretty good job!

But I'd like to learn more about editing.

I've seed advertisement of AI editors, that enhance the picture with just one pass.

Are the AI editors getting better than the standard editors?

The ones I tried do work—or they don’t—but the result are very limited. So I would say they can be better for some highly restricted circumstances, but aren’t general purpose tools.

Of course by standard editors I mean photoshop and lightroom which almost everyone seems to use.

Should I learn photoshop/lightroom?

Sure, but there are others which are far less expensive.

How can I find out more about editing?

Here is a good one page summary:

Loading…

www.rei.com

 

[bleirer]

Lightroom and Photoshop are the gold standard to which all others compare themselves. The photography plan is $9.95 a month and well worth it at least until you develop your own opinions. I believe there is a trial period but after that you commit to at least a year. You don't lose your edits if you decide not to continue. There are tons of free videos and online resources, but it can seem a little daunting at first. Better to learn Lightroom first then dive into Photoshop. Some folks go 100% Lightroom.

 

[Mark S Abeln]

Lightroom and Photoshop are the gold standard to which all others compare themselves. The photography plan is $9.95 a month and well worth it at least until you develop your own opinions.

That’s what I use, but I know that some don’t like the extra cost.

I believe there is a trial period but after that you commit to at least a year. You don't lose your edits if you decide not to continue. There are tons of free videos and online resources, but it can seem a little daunting at first.

Yes, great support.

Better to learn Lightroom first then dive into Photoshop. Some folks go 100% Lightroom.

I only use Lightroom for organizing. Photoshop for everything else.

 

[Brajesh]

thanks everyone for your helpful answers

 

[Bobthearch]

Hi,

Is there a forum for photo editing?

I couldn't find one.

I like doing portrait photography.

So far I've been focused on my technique but not its time to get familiar with editing. I use the magic wand in Apple photos and it seems to do a pretty good job!

But I'd like to learn more about editing.

I've seed advertisement of AI editors, that enhance the picture with just one pass.

Are the AI editors getting better than the standard editors?

Yes, they are getting better as far as correcting color, contrast, exposures, etc.

But they're not good as developing an image the way you want.

Of course by standard editors I mean photoshop and lightroom which almost everyone seems to use.

Should I learn photoshop/lightroom?

If you want to, sure. But I suggest starting with the software that your camera manufacturer provides, then go from there.

Outside of professionals and very particular enthusiasts, most photographers can get by just fine without paying hundreds of dollars every year for software, committing to perpetual subscriptions, or getting sucked into Lightroom's system of databases and catalogs.

How can I find out more about editing?

Get a little more experience, then ask specific questions. A lot of it is trial-and-error and learn-as-you-go as your photography needs and personal preferences develop.

If you're still set on Photoshop, may I suggest Photoshop Elements. It's reasonable priced and no subscription. It'll get you started without committing.

I'd also point out that PaintShop Pro does nearly everything that Photoshop can, at a fraction of the price. Paintshop Pro combined with your camera maker's RAW developing software would be a complete solution.

--
Personal non-commercial websites with no ads or tracking:
Local photography: http://ratonphotos.com/
Travel and photography: http://placesandpics.com/
Special-interest photos: http://ghosttowns.placesandpics.com/

 

[Aberaeron]

Hi,

Is there a forum for photo editing?

I couldn't find one.

I like doing portrait photography.

So far I've been focused on my technique but not its time to get familiar with editing. I use the magic wand in Apple photos and it seems to do a pretty good job!

But I'd like to learn more about editing.

I've seed advertisement of AI editors, that enhance the picture with just one pass.

Are the AI editors getting better than the standard editors?

Of course by standard editors I mean photoshop and lightroom which almost everyone seems to use.

Should I learn photoshop/lightroom?

How can I find out more about editing?

thank you

You can start by using the editor that is included with Apple Photos if you are using a Mac of some sort. It is more sophisticated than many think. You can buy additional editors that work with Photos, such as Luminar Neo, which has a great range of additional features. You can edit jpeg photos just as effectively as raw files with certain limitations which may not be important to you.

 

[Klaus dk]

A former colleague once told me that "freedom is to have as few fixed expenses as possible".

I would not get stuck in the Lightroom/Photoshop ecosystem. IMHO, USD 120 per year is a steep price to pay for something you can get for a fraction of the money elsewhere. Unless you're a professional and need to use the industry standard and subcontract outside retouchers to do your retouching, I think it's overkill. YMMV.

For portrait retouch, I use Serif Affinity Photo. A brand new version 2 is on offer for something around USD 50 at the moment, and until December 14. It gets free updates until version 3 is announced, but IME, years go by between versions. I haven't missed anything yet.

For less advanced editing, like brightness, saturation, contrast, WB, crops, straightening horisons, and small repairs with cloning, I use DPP which is free with Canon cameras.

I use the Windows file system to organise my photos. I have a folder for each year, and subfolders for each shooting day [YYYY-MM-DD Description of subject or circumstances]. This has proven adequate for my needs.

Good luck and good light.

 

[MikeAVC]

I am looking for the same to learn Photo editing. if someone has any sources please share.

 

[Klaus dk]

I am looking for the same to learn Photo editing. if someone has any sources please share.

You might read the answers to the OP then

 

[Alban Jhon]

Great question! I also started with simple tools like Apple Photos but later realized that learning a full-fledged editor like Photoshop or Lightroom is really worth it. AI editors have come a long way, especially tools like Luminar Neo and ON1 Photo RAW, which can do advanced retouching in one click. But if you want complete control over your editing, Photoshop & Lightroom are still the best.

If you're looking for an easy way to edit text on photos (like adding stylish typography for social media or branding), I found PixelLab to be a great tool! It has a lot of customization options. If you're interested, you can check out more details here: pixellabzone.com – it helped me a lot in my projects.