Photo Editing Software Choices

[cblurton]

Just got off the phone with a friend who mentioned that the list didn't include Paintshop Pro X.

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...=1047025487586

[Greg Miller]

Aperture & Lightroom should not be part of your list. They are primarily pre-editing applications (for sorting, selecting, ...) that would fit into the workflow prior to the main image editing software (i.e. Photoshop).

[Ted Chambers]

Aperture & Lightroom should not be part of your list.

Probably true for now. But the code base for PS has to be getting awfully long in the tooth after so many years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Adobe try to migrate a lot of PS photo-related functionality into Lightroom over time. Just a guess.

[Michael Heald]

Hello! I received an E-Mail from the Folks at Light Zone. He confirmed that all processing is 16 bit. I was afraid that the 16 bit processing statement on their web site might have been like claims for previous versions for PS or Elements (if I remember correctly) that stated they had 16 bit processing, but on closer examination, some actions were still performed in 8 bit, but not obviously described as such so that a newbie like me could understand. Best regards.

Mike

[cblurton]

Aperture has some image editing capabilities (see below).

Aperture Web site http://www.apple.com/aperture/process/

All the tools you need

When it comes to image editing, Aperture provides a powerful suite of non-destructive adjustment tools. Using them, you can easily:

* Tweak RAW Decode settings using RAW Fine Tuning controls to adjust: contrast, sharpening, chroma blur, and noise reduction
* Use Color Meter to sample pixel values in RGB, CMYK or LAB anywhere in an image
* Fine-tune exposure
* Adjust levels (using a histogram with midtone and quadtone controls; includes Auto levels and Auto contrast settings)
* Set White Balance (includes an eyedropper for easy white point setting)
* Crop
* Modify highlights and shadow
* Mix RGB channels for perfect black-and-white conversions
* Reduce noise
* Correct red-eye
* Sharpen images (using Unsharp Mask or Sharpen Luminance tools)
* Straighten images and horizons
* Desaturate color levels
* Change a color image to Sepia (with controls to set the degree of Sepia coloration)

Aperture also includes tools for addressing one of the most common annoyances of digital photography. Dust. With its Spot tool, Aperture provides one-click, nondestructive removal of spots, dust, and blemishes. For more serious anomalies, Aperture packs a Patch tool. It can easily clone pixels from one area to another, and it offers precise controls (for softness, radius, opacity, and angle), letting you create perfect, seamless blends.

[cblurton]

Probably true for now. But the code base for PS has to be getting awfully long in the tooth after so many years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Adobe try to migrate a lot of PS photo-related functionality into Lightroom over time. Just a guess.

Lightroom has some photo editing features:

http://photoshopnews.com/2006/01/09/...dobe-lightroom

The next module is Develop (shown with the left panel of small preview and Presets Browser hidden). The Develop module allows for a wide array of image controls over tone and color as well as additional controls (ala Camera Raw) for sharpening, noise and lens corrections. All edits are “metadata edits” meaning the original files are preserved and only previewed with the adjustments made. Adjustments are not actually applied until images are rendered upon Export. The controls are a superset of Camera Raw controls with very interesting additional controls added.

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/01...look/index.php

Adobe promotes Lightroom as “the efficient new way for professional photographers to import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images.” Unlike Photoshop—Adobe’s image-editing application that must serve many masters, including graphic artists and Web designs—Lightroom is aimed squarely at photographers. That said, Photoshop complements Lightroom when there’s a heavy image-editing task to handle. And Lightroom makes it easy to open a picture in Photoshop. Generally speaking, though, the tools in Photoshop that photographers need most of the time exist right within Lightroom.

[Ted Harris]

Craig, you have probably spent enough tme reading. You can download fully functioning free trials of some of thr programs (e.g. LightZone) and buy older versions of others for verey small dollars on eBay. Get a few and start working .... this is the only way you will be able to make a decision. A version of Photoshop prior to CS should be very cheap and it will ahve most of the functions.

[Greg Miller]

Craig,

Your opening post said your building for "4x5 film to inkjet printer workflow".

The Lightroom features you list are for RAW images. From your link: "a robust front-end and back-end for Camera Raw".

Same goes for Aperture.

You will not be capturing RAW if shooting 4x5 film.

[cblurton]

Craig,

Your opening post said your building for "4x5 film to inkjet printer workflow".

The Lightroom features you list are for RAW images. From your link: "a robust front-end and back-end for Camera Raw".

Same goes for Aperture.

You will not be capturing RAW if shooting 4x5 film.

Hi Greg:

I left a few steps out of that description. What I am trying to create is a situation in which I shoot 4x5 film, which is then developed and scanned by a local custom lab, after which I import the scan into an image processing package on my Mac, do the necessary work, then print the end product.

I wouldn't mind doing my own BW developing but I live in a very small, one room serviced apartment in the Central District of Hong Kong with my wife so a darkroom isn't possible. No room when in use and no storage when not in use.

Best wishes,

Craig

[cblurton]

Craig, you have probably spent enough time reading.

Hi Ted:

You have no idea! I've spent more hours than I can tally reading through posts in this forum.

As I said in a post elsewhere, I am returning to photography after a 30 year absence and am just getting started with LF. All of this is because of a potential book deal which is on hold at the moment. The short version of the reason it is on hold is that there is another book due out in a couple of months on the same topic, but from a different viewpoint. Publisher wants to wait until that book is launched before starting another. This delay is a good thing since I have so much to learn and so little gray matter to learn it with.

I agree I should just pick one software package and get started. But since these packages all have a learning curve, I wanted to make sure I was being wise in my choice before I made the investment. Hearing from the people in this forum, in my view, is the best possible source of excellent advice available anywhere in any medium.

Having listened carefully, and given my budget, I've decided to start with PS Elements and Adobe Lightroom.

Best wishes,

Craig