What is your favourite photo editing software?

[SignalHillHiker]

Your Favourite Photo Editing Software

I apologize if this thread already exists - I searched but couldn't find one.

I imagine we can limit this to those of us too poor to buy or too scared to pirate Adobe Photoshop, ha!

I generally use Windows Live Photo Gallery to stitch together panoramas and straighten photos.

Beyond that, almost all of the edits I make to my photos are intended to minimize the natural effects of long-distance shots. Sometimes they're too bright, too dark, too blue, etc.

And, for me, the best program I've ever found is Sagelight.

To give you an idea... before on the right, after on the left:



So, I'm curious, what do you use? Any tips for the rest of us?

[volguus zildrohar]

I'm still using the same PS 7.0 that I've been using for...several years now in addition to the Canon Digital Photo Professional (RAW) software that came with my camera. There's no way that I can justify spending the money on Lightroom right now so I make do.

[Kevin_foster]

Picasa for minor adjustments.
Gimp for composition or modifications.

[diskojoe]

photoshop. If you want to be cheap Lightroom. These are the basics. If you get into more specialized stuff there are lots of other programs. But photoshop is the major workhorse.

[Surrealplaces]

Paint Shop Pro and Lightroom.

[Witty Nickname]

Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3.

Autopano Giga for all my panoramas.

[ItsConanOBrien]

I used Photoshop Elements for several years and "upgraded" to Lightroom 4 last year when it was on sale for $54 around Thanksgiving. I find Lightroom to be optimal for editing raw files.

[Illithid Dude]

Aperture like the Apple-loving cultist that I am. But seriously, since I believe in minimal photo editing, Aperture suits my needs just fine.

[flar]

UFRaw + GIMP + Hugin + enblend/enfuse

I like free software

[bulliver]

RawTherapee + Digikam + gimp (sometimes) + hugin

I also like free software

[The Chemist]

I mostly use Picasa. I don't shoot RAW and I don't do a lot of post-processing because I'm entirely happy with the straight-out-of-the-camera look of most of my photos. Pretty much all I need to do is crop or add a bit of fill light or adjust the colour/contrast, which Picasa does a good job of. I use Windows Live Photo Gallery to make panoramas, as I find it does an excellent job.

[verttoit]

Photoshop. I've been using that software since the late 90's and worked for a digital photographer for years. Photoshop has all those little tricks and tweaks you could ever want to do with a photo. I can't work with the free software's because of the lack of options.

[RyanD]

I use the Canon Digital Photo Professional for a lot of the basic raw editing / mass batching because it has great 'auto' settings that you would use on your camera if you are shooting JPEG. Then I have it send the photo(s) to Photoshop CS6 to do some final touches and tone adjustments if needed. Sometimes I just do auto tone / contrast to remove the 'haze' and call it a day.

[Doady]

I just use Photoshop CS2. I think when GIMP implements 16 bit colour it will be acceptable for photo editing, and I'll just get Lightroom and use them together.

It's too bad Photoshop Elements doesn't have Curves, otherwise it would be good enough for photo post-processing by itself.

[initiald]

For basic stuff I use PS Elements 8. For work with layers I use CS4. I'm lazy so I usually just shoot in jpg.

For panos and such I use Autostitch.