Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snaps)

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Jay w
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Jay w »

-If you don't have any software, I believe that LIghtroom is a great program
-If you already have Photoshop, the main advantage Lightroom offers is organization. (My uninformed decision.) If you're "into photography," I believe the organization is worth the price. (Don't they sell Lightroom anymore?)
-For scrolling through Photos and simple editing (contrast, light/dark, cropping) Picasa is very simple and free
-NIK software (which is more intended as a Plug-in (addition) for Photoshop), is also free. https://www.google.com/nikcollection/
-NIK has heavy handed effects, which for certain photos, the look very cool. Is also offers basic editing.

I have a love/hate relationship with Photoshop. I love it's abilities: in short being able to select an area in a photo, e.g. the sky, feather the edge of the selection, darken it. Then select the darkest areas, feather and lighten them. Then I'll use curves to increase the contrast of the midtone (that's what tends to make a photo look good) and finally adjust and the black and white points (which increases contrast very specifically). Add a bit of sharpening (not to the sky), and I'm usually about done. I don't know of another program that does that (maybe Photoshop Elements or Lightroom) so easily. It seems lilke some other software would do this. Also, the layers and masks I was talking about take this adjustment of lightening/darkening to a whole 'nother level of speed and control. The thing I hate is renting software. There are months, like 6 months, that go by where I never open Photoshop. Renting it would bother the hell out me.

In Minneapolis, there is a 'photo coop' where for $375 a year (or something like that) you can go in and use their beautiful computers, printers, darkroom, etc. Great idea.

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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Jay w »

Oh, monitors. Without knowing your needs or details, I'd suggest taking your laptop to a store with a 25" monitor and plugging it into your laptop. (I'm assuming you have a port, at least an VGA). I have a feeling that would go a long way to solving your monitor problem. I bought a 23 or 25" monitor for my computer in the garage for $10. Looks great. If you buy new, maybe $150. When I want to work on my laptop in the livingroom, I've grabbed a monitor, threw it on a table next to the chair, and plugged into the VGA. Works well.

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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by NDjason »

I'm a fan of Lightroom as well. Although I've been using an old version that I bought several years ago - so no subscription. Same with Photoshop (I'm using CS6, I think?). Is everything subscription based these days? If so, you may still be able to find an old single license copy on eBay of either if you really don't want to pay a subscription?

One other thing that I found. Cheap monitors and laptops do a terrible job of representing true colors. Many times I would think an image looked great, print it and find that it came out looking tinted or the color temp was much warmer than it appeared on my much cooler monitor. I tried using a monitor calibration kit, which certainly helped, but ultimately my monitor and my video card just weren't designed to be used for real photo/image editing. While I'm by no means an Apple fanboy, I will hand it to Apple on this - they do a much better job of color management, which is why you see a lot of serious graphic designers and photographers working on Macs.
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by PeteE »

Thanks Jay. Good idea to split this topic off and start anew.
I'll spend time learning to use Photoshop. I began with Photoshop 11 and updated it(whatever that accomplished) last year.

As for monitors and computers. Not buying anything.
All my images are on a 2Tbyte portable hard drive. I'll plug that into my work station computer HP Compaq 6000 Elite.
My laptop's integrated graphics suck really bad. We all know that.

My work station has a better graphics board--1920X1080, more system memory 8G vs 6G in the laptop. Faster 3g vs 2g.
Images do look better coming from the work station. However who knows if they are correct colors?

I'm not going to have an expensive print done until I'm satisfied that what I'm looking at on my monitor is as
good as I can get, and the color is as true as possible.

I can download Sony's Play memories Home again--it's free. I need it to download images from my camera.

One issue I don't know about is "moving" my Photoshop program from my laptop to my work station.
Is that doable? Or will I have to buy it again?

Again, I appreciate everyone's help.

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Carol Lynn »

Pete,

I can understand that you are a bit overwhelmed at this point, so good decision to take a breather and think things through. I would just like to clarify one thing for anyone who may be reading this topic.

For those people like Jay (and my brother and others I'm sure) who do not like the idea of a subscription (renting) plan, you can still buy a box copy of Lightroom 6 which does not require a Creative Cloud (CC) subscription. I haven't heard any rumblings that Adobe plans to discontinue this. Photoshop, however, is now only available through a CC subscription plan.
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Carol Lynn »

Pete,

I just read your post above my last post.

Do you have Photoshop Elements 11? There is no Photoshop 11.

I'm pretty sure Jay and others (like me) have been talking about Photoshop - not Photoshop Elements. They are hugely different with Photoshop Elements being much more basic.

So now I'm sure you're even more confused :roll:
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Jay w »

I'm sure ND has a point about color on monitors. When I had an active printer, I was doing B&W and an occasional color, so I never thought about that.

IF you have Photoshop. You get installation on two machines. You also have to activate the software (over the net). To move that software to another machine, you have to deactivate (uninstallation is optional) and then install on the new machine. I believe you can have the software on more than two machines, but I think it will only work when it's activated (two machine max).

I've had a laptop die, and with the old Photoshop that not currently supported, it's a PITA to get it deactivated so you can load it again. It's possible, but it takes some research and contacting the right people at Adobe so they can tickle the right keys. Once you know who to contact via email, it was quick. This was a couple years ago, so it might be harder now. I believe this is the same deal for a number of Adobe products. It's their way of preventing pirating, but you don't want a machine stolen or have it lock up. Also, don't uninstall before deactivating.

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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by PeteE »

Carol Lynn wrote:Pete,

I just read your post above my last post.

Do you have Photoshop Elements 11? There is no Photoshop 11.

I'm pretty sure Jay and others (like me) have been talking about Photoshop - not Photoshop Elements. They are hugely different with Photoshop Elements being much more basic.

So now I'm sure you're even more confused :roll:
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Geez Marie!! What a dork I am! :oops:

I'm sorry Jay, Carol, DJ, everyone!!
Yeah I have Photoshop Elements 11, updated etc.
I'm clueless. I didn't realize there was a difference :oops:
What that tells me is that I want no part of the real Photoshop. 8)

I dunno about Lightroom. I can see from reading it has some really good organization capability.
So maybe Lightroom would be worth it[ for me]. I'm sure it will organize my stuff far better than what I do now.

Photoshop Elements 11 in the so-called "expert" mode has a lot of stuff one can do.
Honestly, 99% of what you see that I post, usually, has nothing more than shadows lightened up, sometimes highlights emphasized, brightness and contrast tweeks.
I don't fool with increasing saturation much anymore with the A77II. And that's it.

Most aren't cropped at all. My Dad told me to frame the shot when you shoot it---if you can---and I try to do that.
Just a thing I've had forever.
That doesn't mean cropping wouldn't have made them better; it may well have. Sloth 8)

So maybe when I get my editing moved to the work station which has better graphics--Images viewed with Windows Media Player
look pretty good on the Samsung monitor.

I had a long day at work so I rode out to Lake McDonald to unwind.
It's hard to soar like an eagle when flying with turkeys. Ya know? 8)
I might have some pics posted over on the other thread later tonight or in the AM.

pete :wink:

PS

SouthernGuy
No, you don't need all this fancy software.
Long story short...I'm just trying to get the very best image I can with my new camera.
And if I were to accidentally get a really good image 8)
I want to be able to print it in the best way I can afford.
I may not end up printing it, but I want to know it'll be good if I do choose to do so down the line.
Ego? Damn right. 8)
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by calicotraveler »

I checked and I have Photoshop Elements 11 also. Guess I'm sort of clueless too.
However, the software does meet my needs, so I'm happy with it.
I have a really nice photo I took years ago (Wild Goose Island) and enlarged to poster size, and printed on metallic paper that I really like. :D
The mountains are calling and I must go.
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by PeteE »

I just looked at Lightroom, the subscription version.
Don't want it. WAY too much going on and too complicated for me. I don't want to spend the time learning a system like that.
I'd rather go out and take snapshots.
Lightroom would be wasted on me, even if it was free.

That, and I'm not much on all this "cloud stuff" anyway.
I'll stay with Elements. It'll do the basic adjustments I need, and a lot more things I have never used.
I could make an argument that, "If I need more than the capability of Elements, my image probably sucked anyway."

KISS
is probably good advice for me on image editing. 8)

pete :wink:
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by calicotraveler »

Ditto! I agree with you 100%. :!:
The mountains are calling and I must go.
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by Supersonic_Blimp »

Hey Pete (I think you wanted it here?)-- for those dust spots, I'm not 100% sure what it elements as I'm using full photoshop, but anything from the healing brush, to a simple clone stamp should take care of them without much trouble. If brute forcing it with the clone stamp, I generally set the brush to be very soft and lower opacity and just make multiple passes to make it blend. As long as you set the "copy from" point to the right spot in the sky, they pretty much completely disappear.\

Eventually though, probably time to get your sensor cleaned (though hopefully lens, but always has been sensor for me with those) before you get too sick of fixing all those images. :-/
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by PeteE »

Supersonic_Blimp wrote:Hey Pete (I think you wanted it here?)-- for those dust spots, I'm not 100% sure what it elements as I'm using full photoshop, but anything from the healing brush, to a simple clone stamp should take care of them without much trouble. If brute forcing it with the clone stamp, I generally set the brush to be very soft and lower opacity and just make multiple passes to make it blend. As long as you set the "copy from" point to the right spot in the sky, they pretty much completely disappear.\

Eventually though, probably time to get your sensor cleaned (though hopefully lens, but always has been sensor for me with those) before you get too sick of fixing all those images. :-/
Thanks! Gonna go try it now. I think Elements has the same or similar tool.
I'll let you know!!
pete :wink:
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by ND »

Yup, Elements has those tools. I usually use Clone tool. I'm surprised you already have dust spots. Doesn't your camera have a cleaning mode option, sort of like vibrating the dust away? Or maybe the dust is on the outside of your lens. Then never mind! :oops:

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/24070 ... l?page=200
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Re: Photo editing software (split off from Pete's 2017 snap

Post by PeteE »

Supersonic_Blimp

I found out you were right. The spots are on the mirror. I was able to brush/blow one off. The other one resists.
Odd though. The remaining spot doesn't show when I use my 35mm lens. Only with 16MM.
I'll use my 35mm until I can get that mirror looked at by someone competent to do it.
I don't want to risk messing up that mirror.
Thanks for the help. I can now go and fix the images that need it.
The spots show worst against a uniform background like sky.

pete :wink:

Original with spots.
Image

Same pic after "fixing". Not the best fix but I can see that I can deal with the spots.
Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

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