New to DSLR's, what editing and work flow software should I start with?

I am a brand newbie and need to purchase software to edit and organize my photos. I am an organization and detail freak and want to get started right. A program that will give me lots of room to learn and grow and not break the bank. I like to have my cake and eat it too if possible. : )

Thanks for any help and ideas.

If you want the very best, you have to go with what the pros use: Adobe Photoshop and/or Lightroom. Unfortunately, these are both disqualified from the "not breaking the bank" category. To answer your next question: yes, they are definitely worth it. There is also room to learn and grow here. I've been using Photoshop for over 15 years and still haven't mastered it.

Give GIMP a try, it's free. While not as powerful as Photoshop, it's about the best low-cost alternative out there. It's actually better than a lot of programs that you have to pay for.

KenG said:

I am a brand newbie and need to purchase software to edit and organize my photos. I am an organization and detail freak and want to get started right. A program that will give me lots of room to learn and grow and not break the bank. I like to have my cake and eat it too if possible. : )

Thanks for any help and ideas.

Click to expand...

Sometimes it gets a little daunting just thinking of all the options. Some of the software you hear talked about here and other places like PhotoShop seem to skim over how complicated and expensive such programs are. I have been teaching a small group and just recently faced this very same dilemma. First, I am not a believer in software that organizes your photos. I hate it when software takes over anything I am trying to do. I encourage folks to learn how to organize themselves. Create a folder on your Hard Drive called Pictures. Just right click start, scroll to Explore, highlight c: by a left click, goto file -> New and select folder. Once you have the Picture folder created and you are ready to download from your camera, same thing right click start, explore, now instead of highlighting c: you highlight Pictures, do the same create a new folder under pictures for your download (ie birthday birds or whatever).

There are several FREE software editing programs to start with, once you've mastered them you will be in better position to know what you want to buy. First, download and install either Paint.net or Photoscape I suspect there are many copies of the more complicated software sitting on shelves unused due to complexity of use.

I create another folder under the one where I download to as a location to save my edited work to so you can preserve your originals. It will look something like this when you get going:

c: (your Hard drive)

Pictures (Folder)

Jimmy's Birthday (sub folder)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5 etc

Jimmy's Birthday Edited (Sub Sub folder)
#1 edited
#2 edited
#3 edited
#4 edited
#5 edited etc

Once you start using the right click start and making your own folders it becomes second nature and almost automatic. Just remeber to make your folder 1st before you download your camera and you'll stay organized. Nothing worst that pictures all over your hard drive and you can't find them. Also, makes for easy back up of your data. Sorry this is so wordy.

I didn't see any information in your Profile about the kind of photo equipment or computer equipment you have. If you shoot primarily in Jpeg and print mostly 4x6 for friends and family then Adobe Photoshop and/or Lightroom or Aperture 3 will be way more programing than you need. Adobe Photoshop is designed for both the photographer and for the graphic designer, is very difficult to use and learn, is not a very good photo manager/organizer, and is very expensive. If you are a PC person and want to do more than take photos for family and friends then I would recommend using Adobe's Lightroom 3 for your photo management and organizer. I'm an Apple user and have Aperture 3. Of all the photo management programs I find, IMHO, Aperture to be far easier to use and learn and to be the very best. Both Lightroom 3 and Aperture 3 will have most all of the adjustments you will need as a photographer. Inexpensive plugins will provide any others. If you want to get into the graphic designer aspect of photography then you will need something like Photoshop. If you want "the very best" you need to evaluate the kind of photography you do and what you plan to do in the future, how many photos you plan on having in your management program and then find the programs that fit your needs.

Forgot to mention that when you right click start, explore, scroll down and you should see your camera, and the pics on it. It is just a matter of highlighting the pics you want and right click copy and paste them into the folder you created for them. Makes it easier to copy multiple shoots to multiple folders you have already created. Every shoot a different folder.

Thanks for all the help everyone, if there are anymore, keep them coming.


Thanks again

I use Adobe Lightroom for all my RAW file processing. It works for me. Just my humble opinion.

I tried Microsmurf 'Paint', tried Gimp, tried a couple other freebies.
If you want to start editing jpegs only, they might work for you.
Get your feet wet, grind your teeth, pull some hair out...you know...
Not enough leeway for what I wanted to be able to do.

For nef/raw edits, you'll most likely want something a bit beefier.
After many hours of forum(s) searching, I opted for Adobe Elements 6; upgraded to E7, then tried E8.
(Went back to E7)

It's a mid-level editing pgm.
There are a couple versions; I got the 'photo-only' box.
No need for video editing the 'extra special' Elements offer!

Doesn't have alllllll the bells and whistles the higher end ($$$) programs have.
It does the job I need it to do.

New in-store ran about $85-90; I got E8 for $50 off craigslist.

Learning curve was pretty steep for me; once I got it figured out enough, works just fine.
My gallery/Flickr pics are all Elements edited.

Yibel gives a good example of workflow set-up.
I keep my originals in one folder on a back-up drive; copy the ones I want to work on onto my hard drive, run the edits and then place the edits in ANOTHER sub-folder on the back up drive...

Try and think it through before you go knocking out a bunch of folders.
I sometimes can't remember "which folder where" when I go off looking for 'that shot I took...'