digital photography software for beginners

sevencrossing

thanks S&P - corrected

henrik1963

Thanks for the feedback. I like the fact that LR makes a copy of the file when you use PS as an external editor. That way you don't ruin your file when you make mistakes - very handy for someone like me trying to learn

sevencrossing

NB the copy option is set by default by LR
Most if not all LR defaults can be changed, if you want

Tradewind35

Interesting thread for me as an acknowledged numpty on digital photography. Having recently bought a Df I have been attempting to gain traction on the slippery upward slopes of dslr learning. Having used prints/slides with a scanner for many years I have some experience with Adobe Elements as editing and organizing software and I always found it to intuitive and straightforward to use. The Nikon View NX2 which came with the camera is quite a good programme but to go with the new Df digibox I splashed out on Adobe Lightroom. With all due respect to the creators of Lightroom, and having due regard to the expertise of all those who strongly endorse it here, I must say that Lightroom is the most unspeakably obtuse software programme I have ever used, Grossly unintuitive - they seem to have gone out of their way to complicate the most simple of functions. I doubt if any novice could for example import a file, crop it and then print it without ploughing through the Tutorials for hours - why on earth does the "Help" function not tell you that there is no such thing in Lightroom language as "Save" or "save as". So no doubt LR is the most wonderful bit of software in this field, but any beginner coming to it had better prepare for some serious mountaineering to reach the sunny uplands of Lightroom competence.

sevencrossing

I agree LR is not intuitive
You have got to read a book, or follow one of the many online tutorials
Once mastered LR is a quick, easy to use , brilliant program
If you intend to stay a beginner, then stick to one of the many PP apps available
If you any intention of mastering digital photography, I honestly believe LR is the way to go

Richardflack

@manhattenboy So you are using LR to convert the RAW image? Ive seen comments elsewhere that its not as good at that as the Nikon software (but LR is superior in most other regards).

sevencrossing

@ Richardflack you get a 30 day free trail of LR and other adobe products

http://www.adobe.com/uk/downloads/.html
comparing one post production software with another, will always be subjective
and to a some extent, dependant on the size and quality, of original RAW file

manhattanboy

@manhattenboy So you are using LR to convert the RAW image? Ive seen comments elsewhere that its not as good at that as the Nikon software (but LR is superior in most other regards).

I use DXO over LR now.
If you know LR learning DXO is easy. The exporting from RAW to jpeg is slow as molasses though in DXO.