Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => Ctrl-Alt-Del => Topic started by: chrisbainbridge on 24 February, 2021, 02:30:31 pm

Title: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: chrisbainbridge on 24 February, 2021, 02:30:31 pm
Please feel free to point me to what I have missed.

I have adobe cc which I do not use very much because I do less photography, cannot remember keystrokes, etc.  But I know I have a few things planned this year which will result in a lot of photographs needing collating, slight tweaking, colour temp correction, etc.

I would like to cancel my Adobe contract and buy something which will be slightly simpler and which I can learn to use reasonably well. I do not need all the bells and whistles of photoshop and generally found 95% of my editing was done in lightroom.  it also has to be available on Mac.

Availability of teaching materials videos, etc would also be appreciated as I increasingly hope to have time available to learn new things!!!
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: Zingano on 24 February, 2021, 02:51:39 pm
I use Luminar when I get the proper camera out, which isn't as often since we got a dog. I'm on version 3, think it's moved on a bit since.

https://skylum.com/luminar-ai-b

I got fed up with Adobe and the expensive sub.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: Jaded on 24 February, 2021, 02:57:13 pm
As a replacement for Photoshop, it has to be Affinity Photo.

Unfortunately it doesn't do asset management, and there are a variety of programs that do, each with their problems! I use Capture One, but i don't like it enough to recommend it.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: fuaran on 24 February, 2021, 03:02:01 pm
Darktable is free, kind of equivalent to Lightroom.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: tonycollinet on 24 February, 2021, 04:57:30 pm
I'm currently using photos for asset management - and for a lot of routine (exposure/contrast/colour balance) type adjustments. I also use iCloud to sync my library across my devices (Desktop, laptop, phone, ipad). This works very well.

I have luminar 4 and Affinity photos for stuff that Apple photos can't do. Affinity is pretty much photoshop for much less money.


Affinity are running a 50% off offer at the moment across all their apps. I'm thinking of getting the Ipad version as a result.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: slope on 24 February, 2021, 05:12:08 pm
^ Me the same.

I like Affinity Photo (deffo good value) on both iMac and iPad and as Photoshop, it's still more than I need/use.

(I seem to spend much time trying to NOT make images look like the latest hi-res picture perfect Instagram thang = curmudgeonly contrary)

Also use Photos for real simple stuff, convenience and laziness.

Affinity also do a proper book, which they discount regularly - it's an in depth manual tome. I prefer learning from a book rather than online tutorials, cos I'm old fashioned/mentally challenged/and some online accents and presentations make me unable to follow much without grinding my teeth down ::-)

Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: tonycollinet on 24 February, 2021, 10:15:59 pm
....and some online accents and presentations make me unable to follow much without grinding my teeth down ::-)

You mean the lovely Ally Anderson on the Affinity Revolution youtube channel, don't you.  ;D ;D
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: Beardy on 25 February, 2021, 03:29:00 pm
I’ve just had a look at affinity photo and for a little more than a monthly sub to CC I can get a sub free copy of their app. That’s good value, and using Photos for asset management might actually improve my workflow because I’ve currently got photos in three different places what with Lightroom and uploading photos to my ipad when I’m out and about.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: ian on 25 February, 2021, 05:16:41 pm
You can also make Affinity Photo the default editor for Photos.
Title: Re: alternative to Lightroom/photoshop on Mac
Post by: chrisbainbridge on 26 February, 2021, 09:19:24 am
I have cancelled my adobe and will buy affinity later today.  The ability to make it the default editor was important and also Beardy's comment about continuing to use photos as the asset management tool brought home to me one of my annoyances with adobe Lightroom of having to set up an "extra" asset management system that was never intuitive. 

Also today pacific time was my next payment so the timing was perfect as I have immediately saved the monthly cost of renewing!!