If you are a photographer

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
UfRaw
The GIMP
Irfanview

All free software. Unless you are a pro, you are just wasting money.

:thumbsup:

I only bought Photoshop because we use it at work and it's really easy to go back and forth and learn the commands. Been using it since version 4!

I use Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP 3.0.2, as of today) and really enjoy it. Lightroom is nice, but it's pretty slow. With DPP, I just adjust a few sliders, if need be, and I view hundreds of photos at a time. Copying and pasting recipes (photo adjustments) from one photo to another is a breeze.

I enjoy manually organizing all of my photos by folders. I have no need to use custom filenames. The Canon 30D files start with IMG, 300D starts with CRW, and the MK2N starts with 1DM2. I have the folders sorted by photography type, then by name and date, then by the dumped RAW folders and then a single PRINT folder that goes on disc to the client. Voila!

 

[ThePresence]

All I use is Photoshop and the Canon software.
I'm a graphic designer, so PS is like half my life.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
UfRaw
The GIMP
Irfanview

All free software. Unless you are a pro, you are just wasting money.

i disagree about wasting money
if you already know how to use photoshop (and are good and efficient with it), the GIMP is really weird to use

 

[Bullhonkie]

Lightroom for RAW processing
Photoshop CS2 for final edits and tweaks
Neat Image as a Photoshop plugin
Picasa/Hello for sharing pics (either directly with people or with web albums)

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Please post your FREE PhotoShop plugin links if you can!

I got PS plugins from the Adobe Photoshop magazine

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Rottie

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Please post your FREE PhotoShop plugin links if you can!

I got PS plugins from the Adobe Photoshop magazine

Where are the links?

 

[Jawo]

How well do noise reducers work? I was looking around and they seem to be ~$100. Is it worth it? I have a Canon XTi and I don't crop images too much, its mostly for the low light images that I try to brighten.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Jawo
How well do noise reducers work? I was looking around and they seem to be ~$100. Is it worth it? I have a Canon XTi and I don't crop images too much, its mostly for the low light images that I try to brighten.

If you are using the latest Canon Digital Photo Professional (free) to edit RAW and JPEG files, the best way to to remove noise is through reducing the Chrominance Noise Reduction. This effect basically removes the RGB random pixels that appear in the image, particularly in dark areas and bokeh. This way, you don't lessen the sharpness of the image and you retail all the original detail.

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Jawo
How well do noise reducers work? I was looking around and they seem to be ~$100. Is it worth it? I have a Canon XTi and I don't crop images too much, its mostly for the low light images that I try to brighten.

If you are using the latest Canon Digital Photo Professional (free) to edit RAW and JPEG files, the best way to to remove noise is through reducing the Chrominance Noise Reduction. This effect basically removes the RGB random pixels that appear in the image, particularly in dark areas and bokeh. This way, you don't lessen the sharpness of the image and you retail all the original detail.

That sounds sweet! I don't seem to find any info about it on Canon's site or DPReview...and don't see it in DPP 2.2.0.1

 

[yhelothar]

Windows Vista file browser,
Photoshop CS3

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Jawo

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Jawo
How well do noise reducers work? I was looking around and they seem to be ~$100. Is it worth it? I have a Canon XTi and I don't crop images too much, its mostly for the low light images that I try to brighten.

If you are using the latest Canon Digital Photo Professional (free) to edit RAW and JPEG files, the best way to to remove noise is through reducing the Chrominance Noise Reduction. This effect basically removes the RGB random pixels that appear in the image, particularly in dark areas and bokeh. This way, you don't lessen the sharpness of the image and you retail all the original detail.

That sounds sweet! I don't seem to find any info about it on Canon's site or DPReview...and don't see it in DPP 2.2.0.1

Upgrade to the latest. Instructions are on that page. Be sure to disable your popup viewer when on Canon's website. I believe when you click the Drivers/Software link under the Drivers & Downloads tab, it opens a new window. DPP 3.0.2 is buried in there, so keep an eye out for it on the list.

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Rottie

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Please post your FREE PhotoShop plugin links if you can!

I got PS plugins from the Adobe Photoshop magazine

Where are the links?

Computer Arts

3D World

 

[BriGy86]

Does anyone know of a program similar to Canon's CameraWindow program but allows saving to a network drive?

 

[GoingUp]

CS3, Lightroom 2 and Noise Ninja

 

[jpeyton]

Lightroom 2.3, PS CS4, Noise Ninja, Capture One Pro 4.7, Capture NX 2, Photomatix Pro 3.1

 

[BriGy86]

I'll look into those. Are any of them free? The main feature I'm looking for is the remote shoot feature to work with a canon camera. The only problem with camerawindow is that it only supports saving to a local drive.

thanks for the suggestions I'll check them out.

 

[skulkingghost]

Photoshop CS4 64 Bit
Adobe Lightroom
Photomatix

 

[foghorn67]

Photoshop CS4, with tons of plugins. Mostly Nik Software.

Lightroom 2.3, with a few free presets.

Canon DPP 3.5.

Starting to paint, so I got ArtRage. Full version is 25 bucks, wahoo.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: corkyg
The program I use most of the time is freewarer - Irfanview. I also use Corel Photo Album 6, PSP XI, and Photoshop Elements 5.

Good photography requires very little computer manipulation of a post shot nature.

using cs4 now
with photoshop raw instead of nikon capture

 

[randomlinh]

wow, talk about old thread. I moved from Apeture to LR, photoshop for when i need it

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
wow, talk about old thread. I moved from Apeture to LR, photoshop for when i need it

Sorry it's my fault

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
I'll look into those. Are any of them free? The main feature I'm looking for is the remote shoot feature to work with a canon camera. The only problem with camerawindow is that it only supports saving to a local drive.

thanks for the suggestions I'll check them out.

Look for tfinch's post way early in this thread for free. The big free one is gimp.

 

[dnuggett]

LR, CS4, and some plug ins

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Lightroom 2 + Enfuse Plugin for automated HDR/exposure blending + PTLens linked as external program for fixing perspectives in architecture shots.

CS4 for random stuff

Autopano Pro for stitches

 

[potoba]

sigma pro for converting x3f files to jpeg. (yeah, SD14 is one of my favorites)
CS4 for everything else.
that's about it.