Recommendations for photo/video editing software?

[p_rod]

Good afternoon!

In about 8 days, I will be going to my local Apple store to pick up a brand new iMac. I ordered it two days ago but the store didn't have any machines set up the way I wanted it so the waiting game is ON but I have time to find some answers in the meantime.

First of all, this is going to be a working machine. I have no intentions to connect it to the internet at all (obviously once in a blue moon to check for updates, etc). ;-) My main focus is to use this machine to edit photographs (taken digitally, using RAW files). Currently I use the free of charge Nikon Software (Nikon Transfer; Nikon ViewNX-i, Nikon Capture, and Picture Control Utility). I have been told by 'professionals' that I need to 'upgrade' to Lightroom. [My wife used Photoshop at her workplace for many years but even though the company would send her out for a weeks' refreshing training almost every year, she thinks it is still a very difficult program to master and recommends against me getting it-I guess she knows me too well ;-)] So do any of you agree that Lightroom is the way to go for photo editing? I do NOT do this professionally (at least not yet0. ;-)

I also occasionally shoot videos from many different venues.... fishing kayaks, motorcycles, drones, RC blimps, etc) and I would like to also have a program for video editing. On my old iMac (the one I am using to ask all of this) I have Adobe Premier but I doubt I can transfer it to the new machine and would probably have to buy an updated version anyway. I did get fairly competent with it but it's prolly 4 years old now.

So that's it for now, folks. I am curious as to what you think I should do concerning photo and video editing software. I am also hoping that I can use my old 2009 27" monitor hooked up to the new 27'' too...but that's another situation I'll keep for another day!

Cheers!

Pat

 

[badshoehabit]

A lot depends on what you want to do with your images but you should try out Photos, the pre-installed app before reaching out for anything else. It is a library system as well as having a range of edit functions. Preview also includes editing features.

 

[RadDave]

A lot depends on what you want to do with your images but you should try out Photos, the pre-installed app before reaching out for anything else. It is a library system as well as having a range of edit functions. Preview also includes editing features.

Hi Pat - first, I'd have to agree w/ Sue, Photos & Preview might serve your needs for basic photo editing (I use the latter probably for 90% of my 'amateur' purposes). Second, if you want a more powerful photo editing app (similar to PhotoShop), the two programs usually recommended here are: 1) Pixelmator; and 2) Affinity Photo - I have both on my Mac computers, but not really enough experience to suggest one over the other - check the links and pricing - Affinity Photo seems to be getting more 'thumbs up' recently - good luck and post away, as needed. Dave

P.S. Sorry but I don't do video editing, so no input - others will reply.
.

.

 

[p_rod]

Hey Dave!

Thanks for the recommendations! (And thanks too go to badshoehabit).

I've never been a fan of either iPhoto or Photos.... and it seemed with every software upgrade Apple would do something to the program that would change it and to me, a lot of the time, the changes went backwards.

I only shoot RAW photos now, and I will need to be able to really make major to minor adjustments to the photographs and the last time I played around with Photos, it didn't come close to what I needed to do. But I will take a closer look at it today since my photo editing skills have grown considerably since I last used Photos. Plus, I don't care for its' way of 'organizing' things like faces, etc.

The countdown to the new iMac is now five days, but there's always hope it'll come in a little early I will let you know what I decide on the programs you suggested. I will look at both of them closely later today.

Cheers!

Pat

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Just a suggestion for something completely different....


Funtastic Photos ($30)
http://ohanaware.com/funtasticphotos/
Really easy to use photo editing software that's quite powerful. I'm always surprised that this product isn't more well known.


Need to do everything that a professional does, but don't want to spend a fortune? Have a look at:

Corel AfterShot ($55)
AfterShot Pro 3 | Get Your Free Trial

 

[p_rod]

Hi, Randy!

Thank you for the recommendations.....I will look into both of them. I didn't realize there were so many other types of programs like these out there.

Cheers!

Pat

 

[grahamnt]

I currently use a PhotoViewerPro for photo editing and image management. If you aren't familiar about it, you may check their amazing photo tools.

 

[Jason Samuelson]

What I use are the following:

1. VSCO - it's free for basic needs. I use it to lighten photos, make them more contrast, you know, this basic set. Filters they offer for free is enough for me. Have bought several filters set and happy to have them But, as I said, even free account is enough.

2. Fotor (online version) to make collages or add stickers/text.

 

[IWT]

I don't think anyone has mentioned video editing as yet.

Before lashing out on expensive apps, you might to experiment with iMovie which comes free with your iMac and is native to Apple.

People either love it or hate it, but I suggest you give it a go before moving on.

Ian

 

[marryanderson]

Editing software for mac

I have been using lightroom on mac for almost 2 years and it works well. If you need some more information https://damagedphotorestoration.com/blog/trends-and-ideas/edit-photos-on-macbook.html visit this link (not spam) then scroll to the bottom of the page. there will be a review on different editing apps for macbook. good luck

 

[IWT]

@marryanderson

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums. And thank you for your post.

We had received all sorts of suggestions for photo editing, but none for other part of the OP's question. So I kind of moved the discussion towards video.

As far as I know, Lightroom is a photo editor and not a video editor. I was suggesting iMovie (free and native to Macs) as a start before spending money on other video editors.

Now that you've found us, do please visit frequently. We are here to help.

Ian

 

[marryanderson]

@marryanderson

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums. And thank you for your post.

We had received all sorts of suggestions for photo editing, but none for other part of the OP's question. So I kind of moved the discussion towards video.

As far as I know, Lightroom is a photo editor and not a video editor. I was suggesting iMovie (free and native to Macs) as a start before spending money on other video editors.

Now that you've found us, do please visit frequently. We are here to help.

Ian

Okay

 

[lori5060]

editing images.

hi there
i too would like to edit some photos. Photos and Preview will not do what I would like. have read about Lightroom4 app which i have downloaded and not yet tried. Affinity must buy. Pixelmatr, have read about that but have not looked into to see if it is FREE. I would prefer a FREE app as I do not do this kind of editing often.

attached is an image. i would like to erase the parents and baby birds and replace with a small images of the parents and baby. plus enter names under each of room.

does anyone know if Lightroom4 will allow me to do that.
any other suggestions??

thanks

 

[Randy B. Singer]

hi there

any other suggestions??

PhotoEraser ($2)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-eraser-remove-unwanted-objects-from-pictures/id618611834?mt=8

SuperEraserPro ($1)
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1192683670

 

[nickyr]

Hi lori560

I don't think LR4 will achieve what you want. LR is more of a program to edit exposure, contrast, colours, etc (very powerfully) but it does not extend (in my experience anyway) to deleting chunks of an image and replacing with something else. That's more of a Photoshop job.

 

[RadDave]

hi there
i too would like to edit some photos. Photos and Preview will not do what I would like. have read about Lightroom4 app which i have downloaded and not yet tried. Affinity must buy. Pixelmatr, have read about that but have not looked into to see if it is FREE. I would prefer a FREE app as I do not do this kind of editing often.

attached is an image. i would like to erase the parents and baby birds and replace with a small images of the parents and baby. plus enter names under each of room............

I don't think LR4 will achieve what you want. LR is more of a program to edit exposure, contrast, colours, etc (very powerfully) but it does not extend (in my experience anyway) to deleting chunks of an image and replacing with something else. That's more of a Photoshop job.

Hi Lori.... - believe that we've exchanged some posts previously about photo editing - The image that you posted could be easily edited or not depending on its format and the presence or likely absence of 'layers' which could be manipulated in more advanced imaging apps (look HERE for comments on a number already mentioned programs, including the two that I own) - if your image is in say JPEG format, then there are no layers and you would need to do pixel removal of the unwanted material, then clone the wood background to match, and finally add your 'new' information - quite a pain. SO, let us know what that image format may be and some further comments can be made. Dave

 

[RadDave]

Hi again Lori.... - I was just curious as to what Preview could do w/ your card image - in the first two pics below, I brought the image into the app and used the 'Lasso Selection' to draw around and delete each bird - now this altered image could be opened in a more sophisticated editor, such as Pixelmator or Affinity Photo and cloning tools used to add the wood pattern background in the white spaces; people photos could be added.

Another option in Preview is to simply draw a box (may take 2 or 3) w/ a solid color fill of choice and no outline selected - pic #3 is an example. Finally, by using the rectangular and/or elliptical selector, a portion of the wood background can be selected, copied (CMD-C), then pasted (CMD-V) over the birds directly (to save a few steps) or the white areas - pic #4 is my effort which required multiple pastes and is not perfect, but not too bad; the photos of the parents & baby could then be added, to either of the last two pics. SO, a crude but maybe acceptable attempt can be made using Preview - Dave

.

 

[Slydude]

Nice job there Dave. When I looked at this thread yesterday I didn't think of going at things that way. I'm always amazed at what Preview can do.

 

[RadDave]

Nice job there Dave. When I looked at this thread yesterday I didn't think of going at things that way. I'm always amazed at what Preview can do.

Thanks Sly - I use Preview mainly for cropping, resizing, text additions, and some color/B&W manipulations - have not explored some of its other features like the copy & paste done above (and probably could do a better match w/ that wood grain) - last year, I purchased the book below on the app as a $15 Kindle edition (published in mid-2016) covering both the Image & PDF features - because I read so many books at once, I've gone through just a third of this one - SO, should return and learn some more - Preview indeed is a powerful app w/ many of its features ignored by us users. Dave

.

 

[Slydude]

That's a good choice Dave. I don't have that particular Take Control book but I do have several others and they are excellent. It seems that, no matter how long I use a Mac, the better boos such as these are filled with some tidbits that I didn't know.