Time for an upgrade (or two)

[CelticRambler]

Sometimes the aul' YouTube is worth the money it doesn't cost!

For a while now I've been dithering over whether or not to replace my badly scratched graduated ND filters (cheapy plastic, they were never meant to last a lifetime). In the meantime, I'd planned to treat myself to a copy of Serif's Affinity Photo (the better, cheaper version of Photoshop) as soon as their springtime 50% off sale rolled around. Only then Serif decided to launch a new-and-improved version at twice the price last month, with no discount for existing customers.

Anyway, I went down the graduated ND filter rabbit hole last night and finally found the one YT video that pointed out the conditions in which such filters can never work, and how "photoshopping" multiple exposures from modern digital cameras gives consistently better - and more genuinely "realistic" - results in such situations. Seeing as these "problem pictures" are the kinds of photos I particularly like taking, instead of spending a small fortune on more gear, I decided to give Serif the money. Well, most of it. I opted out of paying 48.99€ given that I could get the same product for 40.99$ with a little white lie and a VPN.

Still wish I'd bought the old version for 25€ back in the spring, though.

[Hairy-Joe]

I managed to "acquire" a copy of Photoshop CC. Yes it's an old one but for what I do (very basic tweaks) it's fine. I recently got a copy of Photoshop 2020 and by Christ does it hog resources, RAM especially.

I looked at Serif before but never pulled the trigger, probably because I shoot RAW and like NIK plugins.

However, I learned a long time ago about the graduated ND filter can be done a LOT better in Photoshop, or even in Photoshop Raw.

Edit, another major turnoff (besides hogging every piece of RAM it can grab) is the size of the program on the hard disks. It takes GB of HDD space.....

[CelticRambler]

It was Affinity's ability to handle RAW that nudged me towards the Buy Now button. Previously, I'd tried using GIMP with various plug-ins, but it was too much hassle. And then I got distracted with other stuff.

For years (and years and years) I used one of the very earliest iterations of Photoshop. Can't remember of the top of my head what it was called (Photo-something, just not "shop"; came free on a floppy disk with a magazine ... which is why I bought the magazine!) and it was great for my needs.

Edit: dyouknow, it might have been Photoshop 2.0 after all. The screenshots on google look very familiar.

Later, another couple of freebies introduced me to the Serif portfolio (DrawPlus and PagePlus, back then) and I'm still using those to this very day for most of my digital art and design, after ... two? ... upgrades. I vehemently disagree with Adobe's pay-by-the-month-forever pricing structure, so generally boycott all of their products.

The new three-in-one Serif package is very attractively priced, but in my current circumstances, I'll be lucky if I can get full use out of this one new tool before they launch version 3 of the others!

[Hairy-Joe]

Well CR, I got a 30 day trial and so far I hate the way it handles RAW files. I'm still struggling to get my head around how it handles gradients in the RAW (which Photoshop does a lot easier)

[CelticRambler]

Hmm. Can't really offer any useful comment, as there were no RAW files around for my 1992 version of Photoshop to handle, so I have nothing to compare it with.

I did have a WTF? moment when I first tried it (straight "out of the box" without reading the "manual") and couldn't understand why everything was being painted red instead of a muted grey. But now that I've watched a dozen tutorials, it all makes sense; and I am so, so, so, so pleased to have so many non-destructive filters and other effects available, for the RAW file as well as the "developed" image. Coming from the infinitely adjustable DrawPlus environment, I hated the way GIMP gave no chance to make minor adjustments later to changes applied much earlier.

Of course that makes it all the more irritating that I didn't start using it ages ago.

Water under the bridge, though. And speaking of which ... I may treat myself to a new polarising filter and a decent non-graduated ND filter too. 20% the URTH range until Sunday, and I got paid today. Hmmmmm ...

[Hairy-Joe]

Oh the painted red is what's driving me mad.

I better hit YouTube for video tutorials I think and a small bit of RTFM.....

[Hairy-Joe]

Having played with Affinity for a while via a 30 day trial, I'm tempted more and more to cough up my own money to buy it......

[CelticRambler]

For some reason, the € price is significantly more than the £ or $ - especially if you opt for the full suite. Revolut and a VPN can get you a valid license at the lower price, although if you're on a 30-day trial it may be too late to back-track.

I've only just started to really put it to the test, somewhat hampered by a dodgy mouse, and (until now) the lack of a second screen, but overall it's almost like meeting up with an old friend! I'm not sure there's an awful lot in v2 that makes it better for my needs than v1, so it still rankles that I missed out on the even cheaper version last spring ... but I'm sure I'll get over that in time.

[CelticRambler]

Well now ...

Thought I'd give the "stitch photos" function a whirl, using a set of pics taken with a panorama test in mind.

Load images, click "stitch", put kettle on, review (miniscule) suggested arrangement, click "yeah, go for it", make coffee, ...



Fffffffeckin Nora!



That scene is made up of seven images, straight out of the camera (RAW), no processing on my part. Even viewing them at the original size, I can't find the joins.

I'd nearly say that functionality alone is worth the 40€.

[Hairy-Joe]

And by comparison, the panorama or stitch photo function in Photoshop CS6 produces plenty of empty areas and very odd placements. I've had trees floating in the air for example. Generally, I could spend 30 min fixing after stitching.

Photoshop 2021 is a bit better but f**k me does it hog resources. I've 32gb ram and f**k even opening the software makes it grind to a halt practically. It's so bad I don't use it.

The 30 day is up. I'm going to spend the €40 or so and give it a whirl.