Do you use more than one editor?

[carl365]

Another curious question. Wondering if you use just PSP or work with other editors too, like Photoshop Elements and Gimp?
Even though I'm new at photo editing, I have all three. I started with Gimp but finally got fed up with not being able to find plugins, seems they were all a few years old back to 2008-9 and many of the sites no longer exist. And when you do find one, the cryptic way of installing them with no clear instructions. So I got PSP and about the same time got Elements and enjoying it a lot.

[LeviFiction]

I own Photoshop CS5, use The GIMP, Paint.NET, Krita, and PSP as well as Inkscape for the vector things PSP can't do.

[rondo]

Mostly PSP with many Topaz plugins, occasionally use Photoshop Elements.

For RAW I use primarily DxO Optics Pro and sometimes Aftershot Pro 2.

More for special effects, but sometimes basic editing, Tiffen DfX stand alone.

[Ken Berry]

I have Photoshop CS5 on one computer and CS2 on another (used more often); Corel Photo-Paint from DRAW x7 (and previous versions); and various iterations of PSP including X8. Quite a few 32 bit plug-ins for PS, some of which used to work with earlier versions of PSP but I haven't tried with more recent versions.

[carl365]

Thanks all! I have such a long ways to go in learning but I'm finding ideally, some operations are a little easier or setup more intuitively than other editors. Like the path tool in Gimp is great where you can go directly to a selection. I like the dark interface of PSP over the light gray of Elements. I'm sure I'll discover a lot more after a while of learning.
One problem for me is trying to learn all three at once takes a lot more time. Perhaps I should concentrate on just one editor.

[Joelle]

I use two editors, PSPX8 and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 11, which is brilliant, but more vector than raster.
Plus a few plugins, but not many.

Joëlle

[pdxrjt]

I use LR as my primary organizer/keyworder etc. and do most edits there with the LR tools and a few plug ins. For heavier duty editing, layers, text etc., only PSP. I've tried others but those 2 make a great combo for me.

[brucet]

You can't build a house with just a hammer and a saw. IMHO it is the same in photography now days. You need more than one tool to attack various tasks. No one package has all the right tools. If it did then no other package would exist. The key is learning how to use the tools in a way that suits you style.

I use Nikons NX-D for raw to tiff conversion. Using a limited amount of tools within NX-D. Then off to PSPx7 for most work. Within PSP I use mainly Topaz plugins such as DeNoise. Then often I'll use Photomatix for HDR work and then back to PSPx7 for final touch ups. If I'm printing I use QImage.

Any combination of programs will do an excellent job. The key is knowing the program so you can take full advantage of its features.

regards

[carl365]

Thanks joelle, pdxrjt, brucet. I'm still trying to find the best way to learn editing and so far, working with every tool works best for me. Youtube has been a great help too.

[JoeB]

Thanks joelle, pdxrjt, brucet. I'm still trying to find the best way to learn editing and so far, working with every tool works best for me. Youtube has been a great help too.

Almost always use X7 although I do have CS6 - had the latter while I was still using Jasc's PSP 9 and only moved to X7 several months ago and used it for some stuff PSP9 couldn't do (stitiching and good content aware tools). I rarely use CS6 now that I have X7 because it has content aware stuff now and my camera does panos better than using stitching programs. But do have many plugins also and do use Photomatix for HDR stuff (but I don't do much of that).

[carl365]

Thanks joelle, pdxrjt, brucet. I'm still trying to find the best way to learn editing and so far, working with every tool works best for me. Youtube has been a great help too.

Almost always use X7 although I do have CS6 - had the latter while I was still using Jasc's PSP 9 and only moved to X7 several months ago and used it for some stuff PSP9 couldn't do (stitiching and good content aware tools). I rarely use CS6 now that I have X7 because it has content aware stuff now and my camera does panos better than using stitching programs. But do have many plugins also and do use Photomatix for HDR stuff (but I don't do much of that).

Thanks JoeB, I had JASC 7 back in 2000. Problem is I only did the simplest, necessity things like bright/contrast, cropping. Wish I had continued the learning process, today I'd be a whiz at PSP...haha! I still work with Gimp.

[NettyB]

Thanks joelle, pdxrjt, brucet. I'm still trying to find the best way to learn editing and so far, working with every tool works best for me. Youtube has been a great help too.

Almost always use X7 although I do have CS6 - had the latter while I was still using Jasc's PSP 9 and only moved to X7 several months ago and used it for some stuff PSP9 couldn't do (stitiching and good content aware tools). I rarely use CS6 now that I have X7 because it has content aware stuff now and my camera does panos better than using stitching programs. But do have many plugins also and do use Photomatix for HDR stuff (but I don't do much of that).

HDR will be best with Lightroom and Photomatics. However since the Photomatic Pro 5 HDR is available for free im happy with it =) Im also using mac os plugins like aurorahdr. Most of my raw shots are processing with it.

[zombielord]

I'm going to lump editors and plugins together since I use scripts to hand off to other editors or just use plugins
I use Aftershot and PSPx8 with Topaz Labs.

I also use:
Photoshop Elements 12 for stitching
Panoweaver Std for stitching
Facefilter Pro for portraits
Perfect Effects 9.5 on occasion for it's various effects
Nik Color Efex on occasion for it's various effects
Perfectly Clear rarely gets used

On another note I used just Linux & GIMP for years, but PSP replaced it for me and I went back to Windows at 8.1. Also I can't get behind renting my software from Adobe, so that was a no go for me.

[Fortkentdad]

Yep

Paintshop X8 now my primary.
Use Aftershot - if you consider that an editor.

Also use Zoner 16 (picked up free on some deal of the day i subscribe to). Use it to stitch primarily.

Have several fun ones.

Use Picasso for facial recognition cataloguing and then use that to create collages of individuals.

For real quick and dirty I use Pixlr - especially when I'm not on my own laptop - comes up when I log into my Google account.

Also not really an editor but I use Nikon's ViewNX2 - usually just so I can see my focus point. I had hoped I could do that in Aftershot or Paintshop Pro but have not found that yet.

I have Adobe Elements 10 - have not used it for a long time. I'm in Windows 8 and Elements 10 does not like it - Adobe told me to buy their latest version as a fix. Not going to the Cloud.

At work I have Elements 12, no comparison to Corel. I use it but don't like it.