Looking for a simple, free photo editing program

[pontiac1940]

Hi all, 
This upcoming Saturday. August 21, I am conducting an outdoor photography workshop at the summer place. We will hold ground school in the morning and cover composition, light and technical stuff like apertures, speeds, ISO, WB etc. 

If the weather is clement in the afternoon we are going for a photo tour so everyone can take photos. However, it is possible we might have to stay inside if we get showers...the forecast keeps changing. 

I asked the attendees if they were interested in basic photo editing and the response was good. So for Plan B (photo editing) I'd like to test a simple and free program to demonstrate the basics: levels, contrast, saturation, sharpening (?), etc. One or two attendees would be prepared to purchase PSE, but most will not be interested. They might be interested in a simple (?) freebie. 

Can you recommend a simple, free basic editing program? (One I can learn in 3 days!  ) 

Thank you
Clive



  
 

[Tpgettys]

The one that immediately comes to mind is Gimp, as it has been out there for many years now and spoken of highly.

The primary problem with Gimp is that it is free (oh, wait, that is a good thing!), but on the other hand it is very well supported by a global community of users (oh wait! that is a great thing!)  Seriously though, the learning curve may be too steep for your needs, but I think that may be simply because it is so full-featured.  Just like Elements, you don't have to use it all to get the basic hang of it.

Here is a list that I just found that you may wish to scan: best free photo editors

[Peterj]

If this were my decision I'd stick with the one that has a free trial basis (PSE for instance) because I'd be more effective with introducing the basics.

[Tpgettys]

Excellent point!

[BuckSkin]

Aug 18, 2021 2:53:58 GMT pontiac1940 said:

Hi all, 
This upcoming Saturday. August 21, I am conducting an outdoor photography workshop at the summer place. We will hold ground school in the morning and cover composition, light and technical stuff like apertures, speeds, ISO, WB etc. 

If the weather is clement in the afternoon we are going for a photo tour so everyone can take photos. However, it is possible we might have to stay inside if we get showers...the forecast keeps changing. 

I asked the attendees if they were interested in basic photo editing and the response was good. So for Plan B (photo editing) I'd like to test a simple and free program to demonstrate the basics: levels, contrast, saturation, sharpening (?), etc. One or two attendees would be prepared to purchase PSE, but most will not be interested. They might be interested in a simple (?) freebie. 

Can you recommend a simple, free basic editing program? (One I can learn in 3 days!  ) 

Thank you
Clive



  
 

FastStone that we are always discussing includes a very simple, easy to understand, but very good photo editor.

It is definitely FREE and I recommend it all the time.

I also recommend Picture Window Pro; it is super easy and very good and FREE.

www.dl-c.com/Downloads.html

www.dl-c.com/forums/index.php

FREE version 7 --- get all the other free stuff on this page as it is all good.

www.dl-c.com/site/downloads/

[Sepiana]

Aug 18, 2021 2:53:58 GMT pontiac1940 said:

Can you recommend a simple, free basic editing program? (One I can learn in 3 days!  ) 

Aug 18, 2021 5:54:06 GMT Peterj said:

If this were my decision I'd stick with the one that has a free trial basis (PSE for instance) because I'd be more effective with introducing the basics.

I'm of the same opinion -- stick with PSE with its free trial. You already know how to use it; it will be safe territory. You can "expose" the attendees to basic photo editing using, for example, the Enhance menu (with its Auto features) or Guided Edit (Basics).

[PeteB]

I think you should stay with PSE. Since your demonstration is about the basics, you will be explaining and showing things like cropping, sharpening, color correction, etc. It doesn’t matter what editing software is used, all should be able to do the basics. And, of course, not all editing software is available in both Windows and Mac. Good luck Clive and be prepared for the first question, "what about raw"?

[BuckSkin]

For the immediate purpose, I have to respectively disagree with free trials of pay-for editors, regardless of brand.

Most only offer 30 days; 90 days even disappears pretty quick; if they are like me, when the time comes to ante up or drop out, most will probably drop it; whereas, if they have an always free editor installed, they have all the time in the world to get their foot in the photo editing world.

The Mac or Windows situation that PeteB brought up is a good point; I would poll the prospective attendees and see if any use a Mac and have an alternative always-free solution for them.

My suggestion for RAW = have them to learn with jpegs, but to for certain keep the original RAW files to be revisited later when they are ready to tackle them; I know that I have many jpeg files that I now wish I had the RAW version.

[pontiac1940]

Thanks to you all.

I did download GIMP, but it's not familiar territory for me and it will just be a demonstration...if we do a demo at all. The forecast now says Saturday afternoon should be dry.   

Tpgettys thanks for starting the feedback and suggesting GIMP. Yes, "the learning curve may be too steep"

Sepiana summed it up best. 

Aug 18, 2021 8:10:18 GMT Sepiana said:

You already know how to use it; it will be safe territory.

I like safe territory. 

Aug 18, 2021 5:54:06 GMT Peterj said:

... I'd stick with the one that has a free trial basis (PSE for instance) because I'd be more effective with introducing the basics.

Agreed!

PeteB "what about raw." I suspect the attendees are not ready for raw. The raw-jpeg discussion is already in one of the PowerPoint presentations so we will discuss ... briefly.  

BuckSkin said,  FastStone that we are always discussing includes a very simple, easy to understand, but very good photo editor. I've used FastStone for about one year when you first mentioned it (thanks!) and use it for fast previewing a new set of images. It's great and I use it to quickly skim though a newly downloaded images. I never looked into the editor but just did a quick test. Looks very straight forward for basic editing.

But I will stick with the editing demonstration editing using PSE! 

Thanks all. Great help! 

Clive
   

[BuckSkin]

I think it is very good of you to do this; let us know how it turns out.

As for GIMP, it is one of the first I suggest when someone says FREE, but you also said "simple" and simple it sure ain't...

In my opinion, GIMP runs circles around anything else, including full-fledged Photoshop, especially in handy features one always wishes other editors had, but it is not for the timid hearted.

[caspa]

Hopefully you have a pretty good idea of the computer literacy of your attendees and their interest but I would probably err on the side of caution and go with something like Gimp than PSE, even with its free trial, especially since you say most wouldn't be interested in buying something like that anyway.

PSE with all its tools icons and menu options might be a bit too daunting and cumbersome for anyone who has never used anything like it before and so they might not get the most benefit from the basics you will be showing them.

Good luck :-)

[BuckSkin]

Aug 19, 2021 9:24:09 GMT caspa said:

PSE with all its tools icons and menu options might be a bit too daunting and cumbersome

It is rather quite annoying to have features scattered across three tab groups, instead of readily available on a single window.

[pontiac1940]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. 

The class went well. All nine who signed up, showed up. We covered composition, lighting and technical stuff from 10 'til 12:30 and then editing basics from 1:30 to 3:30. (There was light rain all day, so an outing was not possible.) 

I did use PSE 2021 for the demos and we more or less covered some basic editing techniques. 

One downside of demonstrating PSE with a digital projector (and screen) is that the PSE interface (?) text and icons are so small when projected. Good thing we were a small group. Apparently, in Zoom you can share a computer screen with others in the Zoom meeting, here.  So if we do this again, attendees can bring a laptop and we can hold a Zoom mtg and then everyone can follow along on their own screens. I'd love to try this. There is Wi-Fi in the hall so everyone can connect their laptops. Comments about this Zoom feature are welcome. (I like the personal contact, but gosh you could hold a tutorial/demo online with attendees at home. Hummmm....) 

Thanks again. 

Clive

A good time was had by all. One highlight was there had been a 50th wedding anniversary gathering the evening before and there were a lot of chocolate brownies left over. Naturally, it would have been a shame to see them go to waste .. so a few went to my waist. )  


The PSE interface was so small on the projector screen. 

[hmca]

Was hoping you'd post an update, Clive. Glad it went well.

[BuckSkin]

Aug 22, 2021 21:00:47 GMT pontiac1940 said:

A good time was had by all.

I had to call the wife over and have her take a look at your group of students; yesterday, here on the sultry hot, heinously humid 37th parallel, the heat and humidity were atrocious; in contrast, your entire group are bundled up like Eskimos. 

Our 8-day shows temperatures in the low 90s for every day, with strangling humidity.


Is your photography school going to be a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly venture ? ; I bet every one of those people are looking forward to the next class.

Nobody ever does anything interesting like that anywhere close to my area; it is a hundred mile one-way drive to participate in anything similar.

The next county over does have something most people will never experience; one can participate in a 20-mile-plus mule-team wagon ride through breath-taking scenery every weekend of the year if they know the right people.