So who keeps it super simple?

[George Collier]

I disagree. When I signed up to rent LightRoom and PhotoShop Classic I checked and verified that PhotoShop Classic did not use the cloud and would not allow Abode to touch my negatives outside my computer.
You've got my curiosity. I've never heard of Photoshop Classic, so I googled it - what I found is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic, which seems to be a subscription program.
The bottom line, though - if you can find copy of Photoshop CS6 (It's not subscription - it is the last version before Cloud versions.) it should run on an older mac (OS Sierra or earlier, like mine). It would be on a DVD and likely still available, but not from Adobe.

 

[P1505]

I am still trying to perfect my 60 second edit, harder for B&W than colour but I’m getting there.

I have a custom preset in DXO for M10 and Q2 files, and a base preset in Silver Efex for the conversion.

I never go too far, probably not far enough, with my colour editing. Mainly recovering some shadows.

With B&W I’ll add gradients and control points etc, and that takes time. I need to learn what my “look” is, I don’t have one just yet.

I’ve gone so far with chasing the 60 second edit I’ve tried and moved on over 20 cameras in the last three years. Settled on Leica, and colour film. Haven’t yet tried Hasselblad digital though.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I know Photoshop quite well from my college years + web stuff, image editing for the web, etc. I am familiar with various core options such as levels, sharpening, masking, etc. I am now using Capture One v23, which compared to photoshop feels next generation. The workflow on these new gen tools in dizzyingly fast and you don't feel like you need 10yrs to get your head around it.

I am not one to spend hours editing an image. I try to get the capture pretty dang close, then fall to some essential core techniques in Capture one to finish it off (levels, exposure adjustments, and maybe 4-5 other options). I have a 1080p 24" ProArt display that seems to get the color accuracy on point. Now that I know what works for my taste in Capture One, I can get a result I am happy with in about 10mins if the image capture is solid, 20-30min if it needs major surgery, but beyond that, I feel the capture is less true to itself and a bit of a failure if it takes THAT much tweaking with an advanced tool.

Some may balk at the speed of this work, in comparison it could take me an entire day to get a solid print in my darkroom. But on the other hand, when you are short on time like me, being able to keep it simple and get results you are happy with is a win.

I seem ok with color work, but B&W digital looks to be a huge rabbit hole to go down and difficult to compete with traditional work. For now, due to being so time poor, I will stick to color.

I'm curious about others' digital workflows. Are you a fast worker, or do you spend hours or days per image?

I'm about equally adapt to B&W work in the darkroom and PS, although the darkroom work feels simpler but more time-consuming. I'm a perfectionist and that takes time;10% for the first 90% and another 90% for every percent after that.'Perfect' is the biggest enemy of 'good enough'.

 

[George Collier]

'Perfect' is the biggest enemy of 'good enough'.
And "good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

 

[P1505]

'Perfect' is the biggest enemy of 'good enough'.
And "good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

But some peoples good enough is another persons excellent. You cannot put a measurable score on “excellent” but you can put one on completing and shipping work. Which, over time, will likely improve your output.

 

[MattKing]

'Perfect' is the biggest enemy of 'good enough'.
And "good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

Excellence can certainly be your "good enough" standard, even if it falls marginally short of perfection.

 

[Pieter12]

I disagree. When I signed up to rent LightRoom and PhotoShop Classic I checked and verified that PhotoShop Classic did not use the cloud and would not allow Abode to touch my negatives outside my computer.
You've got my curiosity. I've never heard of Photoshop Classic, so I googled it - what I found is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic, which seems to be a subscription program.
The bottom line, though - if you can find copy of Photoshop CS6 (It's not subscription - it is the last version before Cloud versions.) it should run on an older mac (OS Sierra or earlier, like mine). It would be on a DVD and likely still available, but not from Adobe.

I'm pretty sure CS6 applications still need to be authenticated online, at least initially. So if you were to locate a copy somewhere, make sure the serial number has been deactivated by the previous owner/user. And the current CS applications do not necessarily store anything on the cloud, all can be local.

 

[George Collier]

I agree - likely you would have to register upon first launch.

 

[P1505]

Interestingly, you prioritize speed over extensive editing. Do you find that your images still maintain the quality you're looking for? Sometimes, a little extra time can yield significant improvements.

I think it’s the balance. 10 second shot with an hours time on the computer defeats the purpose for many, myself included.

Speaking for myself I chase the 60 second edit because time in front of the screen is less enjoyable. And I intend to re edit several times in my life as my tastes mature.

 

[BradS]

I'm pretty new to digital photography. I bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Z5, in July 2022. It's complicated. It has complex hierarchical menus. It has its own ideas about where, when and how to focus. There's been so much to learn. It's been invigorating, and kinda frustrating and a little humbling. I've looked at a handful of the files in Nikon's (free) NX Studio software and poked around a little bit but the reality is that I haven't really done any editing at all. I take photos, periodically copy the files from the memory card to a couple of USB attached external SSDs, have some printed, maybe upload a few to flickr and pretty much that's it. Sometimes, I'll transfer a few to the iPhone to share with friends and family via txt message.

I've just recently started making video. I want to learn how to edit video - if only to be able to splice clips together and cut out segments of boring stuff. Looks like this can be done in NX Studio too but I need a bigger, faster computer.

 

[P1505]

I'm pretty new to digital photography. I bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Z5, in July 2022. It's complicated. It has complex hierarchical menus. It has its own ideas about where, when and how to focus. There's been so much to learn. It's been invigorating, and kinda frustrating and a little humbling. I've looked at a handful of the files in Nikon's (free) NX Studio software and poked around a little bit but the reality is that I haven't really done any editing at all. I take photos, periodically copy the files from the memory card to a couple of USB attached external SSDs, have some printed, maybe upload a few to flickr and pretty much that's it. Sometimes, I'll transfer a few to the iPhone to share with friends and family via txt message.

I've just recently started making video. I want to learn how to edit video - if only to be able to splice clips together and cut out segments of boring stuff. Looks like this can be done in NX Studio too but I need a bigger, faster computer.

Davinci has a free version and is very capable.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Davinci has a free version and is very capable.

How does it compare to Adobe Light Room and PhotoShop Classic.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'm pretty new to digital photography. I bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Z5, in July 2022. It's complicated. It has complex hierarchical menus. It has its own ideas about where, when and how to focus. There's been so much to learn. It's been invigorating, and kinda frustrating and a little humbling. I've looked at a handful of the files in Nikon's (free) NX Studio software and poked around a little bit but the reality is that I haven't really done any editing at all. I take photos, periodically copy the files from the memory card to a couple of USB attached external SSDs, have some printed, maybe upload a few to flickr and pretty much that's it. Sometimes, I'll transfer a few to the iPhone to share with friends and family via txt message.

I've just recently started making video. I want to learn how to edit video - if only to be able to splice clips together and cut out segments of boring stuff. Looks like this can be done in NX Studio too but I need a bigger, faster computer.

I bought my Nikon Z7ii earlier this year and used it for one trip so that I could become familiar with it and its menus. I have poked around with Light Room and PhotoShop Classic, but I have not moved along the learning curves very far for the Z7ii, Light Room and PhotoShop Classic.

 

[P1505]

How does it compare to Adobe Light Room and PhotoShop Classic.

Davinci is for editing video. I was suggesting it as a better alternative to the bundled software BradS is using.

 

[BradS]

Davinci has a free version and is very capable.

Thanks for the hint. I guess you mean this? https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

It looks fantastically complex and a bit overwhelming. I think I'll start a separate thread so as not to derail this one.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Davinci is for editing video. I was suggesting it as a better alternative to the bundled software BradS is using.

Thank you. I am nowhere near shooting scripted videos as I did when I shot Super 8 for a starting family. As I posted, I am just starting the digital post processing learning curve.

 

[Pieter12]

I don't know if it the same DaVinci, but that used to be a very high-end, expensive professional colorgrading software for motion pictures.

 

[BradS]

For me, right now, if I can’t do it in camera or in the apple photos app on the iPhone, and if it takes more that about 15 seconds, I’m just not gonna do it.

My camera is setup to generate both jpeg and raw files. I’m happy with jpegs but save the raw files just in case I ever get that itch. I’ve also discovered that one can do some interesting but simple edits right in camera. I’ve created monochrome jpegs from the raw files, for example.