# What are your favorite free photo editing programs?



## johnhotkins (Jun 20, 2016)

I recently came across this article  about some of the top free photo editors out there. I agree with maybe 4 out of these 5 (I'm not a huge fan of Photoscape). What's your favorite one to use? I'm a pretty big fan of GIMP myself.


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## john.margetts (Jun 21, 2016)

I use Gimp nearly all the time. I use UFRaw for RAW conversions which offers four demosaicing algorithms and is 16 bit. It takes the photo straight into Gimp when it has finished.

Never been bothered about Gimp being only 8 bit as the main adjustments have been done in UFRaw and only very slight adjustments are required in Gimp.


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## jcdeboever (Jun 21, 2016)

GIMP for me.


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## Didereaux (Jun 21, 2016)

If you shoot Canons then there DPP editor is as good as LR for processing  RAWs.  Unlike Nikon the Canon software is free.   It will also do the other formats TIF jpg etc.  But it shines with RAW.


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## john.margetts (Jun 21, 2016)

Didereaux said:


> If you shoot Canons then there DPP editor is as good as LR for processing  RAWs.  Unlike Nikon the Canon software is free.   It will also do the other formats TIF jpg etc.  But it shines with RAW.


Unfortunately, it doesn't work with Linux.


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## KmH (Jun 21, 2016)

It's hard to ignore the Adobe Photography subscription @ only $9.95 a month.
The $9.95 a month gets us 2 _professional grade_ applications - _Lightroom CC 2015_, an image database manager and parametric Raw converter - and _Photoshop CC 2015_, the industry leading raster/bitmap image editing application that also has some vector graphics capabilities.

Nikon includes a *free* Raw converter/editing application- View NX2 - _with every DSLR Nikon sells_.


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## john.margetts (Jun 21, 2016)

The Adobe suit is very expensive, though. Had I took that out when I first got interested in digital photography it would have cost me £1,200 by now.  UFRaw and Gimp have still cost me nothing.


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## ronlane (Jun 21, 2016)

john.margetts said:


> The Adobe suit is very expensive, though. Had I took that out when I first got interested in digital photography it would have cost me £1,200 by now.  UFRaw and Gimp have still cost me nothing.



As Keith posted just above you, it's $9.00 a month and you get Photoshop and Lightroom. I understand that the OP said free but for the power these two have $120 a year is practically free.

(I was going to say that LR was my favorite free software. Because I pay for Photoshop CC and and get LR for free, lol)


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## john.margetts (Jun 21, 2016)

ronlane said:


> As Keith posted just above you, it's $9.00 a month and you get Photoshop and Lightroom. I understand that the OP said free but for the power these two have $120 a year is practically free.
> 
> (I was going to say that LR was my favorite free software. Because I pay for Photoshop CC and and get LR for free, lol)


That is nowhere near free unless you are extremely rich. And you pay that year after year after year . . .


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## ronlane (Jun 21, 2016)

Considering what PS used to cost (what $600+ USD) and you get all the updates during that time. That is six years for one copy of PS with all the updates (that you wouldn't have gotten the old way) plus you get LR as well and it was something like $149 per version.

Heck of a deal to me.


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## Didereaux (Jun 21, 2016)

KmH said:


> It's hard to ignore the Adobe Photography subscription @ only $9.95 a month.
> The $9.95 a month gets us 2 _professional grade_ applications - _Lightroom CC 2015_, an image database manager and parametric Raw converter - and _Photoshop CC 2015_, the industry leading raster/bitmap image editing application that also has some vector graphics capabilities.
> 
> Nikon includes a *free* Raw converter/editing application- View NX2 - _with every DSLR Nikon sells_.




try using that expensive crap out in the boondocks!!!!    I do quite a bit of wildlife and nature shooting, and always have a my laptop along.  In the evening, or during breaks etc I like to have closer looks at the shots, as well as backing them up.   Damn few places in the world have wifi in their national parks, and wildlife refuges.   Adobe's monthly thing is for companies, yuppies and a few professionals.    Also what big fans of it ignore and don't speak of is the fact that Adobe can shut that service down anytime they want to.   Yeah, that's a bargain alright, you get the use plus the entertainment value of guessing when you won't be able to access it anymore.  People who think $10/mo is nothing are people destined to eventually wind up in the poorhouse.....or they inherited a bunch.

I OWN a copy of LR6 , and an older copy of PS  CS3   they do me fine, and don't cost me a dime.


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## ronlane (Jun 21, 2016)

That's funny. I use LR and PS all the time at my parents house "in the boondocks" with no internet or wifi. You only have to connect to the internet like once a month or something like that.

Yes they can stop anytime they want to but as a company model, a subscription based income stream seems more steady than people buying off the shelf copies.

What works for one person may not for another. 

As for you owning the LR6, I believe you are mistaken there as well. You have rights to use it, the same as the cc person does. And as for it and CS3, you are just waiting for the time when those are no longer supported by adobe.


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## table1349 (Jun 21, 2016)

Not free but Photoshops rival.  Affinity Photo.  Well if your a Mac that is.


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## Didereaux (Jun 21, 2016)

[QUOTE="ronlane, post: 3644352, member: 129851"

Yes they can stop anytime they want to but as a company model, a subscription based income stream seems more steady than people buying off the shelf copies.
.[/QUOTE]

I believe most people would put there needs, and security above the monetary success of some company.    And as for no longer supporting CS3  who cares it runs, I have backup copies, I can reinstall anytime I need to.  Same for LR.     One thing has been proved a certainty in technology the last 30 years and that is NOTHING is permanent, hardware, software, or companies.   So the individual has to take what steps they can to ensure they can operate for the longest period possible with the least chance of loss of data and lowest cost.

USing PS/LR on a monthly basis is exactly the same thing as renting your home on a month to month basis on an owners discretion contract.


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## table1349 (Jun 21, 2016)

Actually owner discretion provisions are for the building of a property, not the sale of a property.  Monthly subscriptions are the same thing as your water utility, electrical utility and gas utility.  You pay, you use, you don't pay, they turn off you utility.


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## JacaRanda (Jun 21, 2016)

ronlane said:


> That's funny. I use LR and PS all the time at my parents house "in the boondocks" with no internet or wifi. You only have to connect to the internet like once a month or something like that.
> 
> Yes they can stop anytime they want to but as a company model, a subscription based income stream seems more steady than people buying off the shelf copies.
> 
> ...



Here is one of those few professionals opinion/thoughts.  My Take on Adobe's Creative Cloud Deal for Photographers - Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider


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## table1349 (Jun 21, 2016)

Frankly if you like Photoshop and Lightroom it is a good deal. They are obviously top notch programs. I still have PS6 and LR 5 but these days they rarely get opened.  

For my DAM and basic corrections I much prefer Capture One Pro.  As I said before Affinity Photo is pretty much an equal to Photoshop.  I was curious about it and picked it up for an introductory price of $25.00 I believe.  Even at $49.99 it is a good value and unbelievably their rendering engines smoke Adobe's.   Love the speed when working on very large files and complicated renderings.


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## table1349 (Jun 21, 2016)

Interesting that the whole Adobe topic crept in.  This is now what you get for you 9.99 a month.  Lightroom and Photoshop | Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan

Just came in my email today.


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