It has been quite a while since I've been out with a camera, and for a number of reasons. The first has - as with many a photographer - been the restrictions imposed by the government in the attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. Even so, whilst the lockdown didn't stop anybody from taking photographs on the pretext of being "out on their daily exercise", it has knocked the wind out of my sails when it came to travelling to locations. The time of year hasn't helped much, either.
The second rationale (and directly linked to the last), is that I have been casting an appraising eye over a new camera system; something that I nearly committed to but fate - and the ramshackle service from a local camera shop - has put on the back burner for the time being.
Which leads me to the last dilemma: new editing software. To accommodate the image processing of RAW files from the latest cameras I needed to upgrade Adobe Lightroom to its latest version, which in turn meant a computer upgrade. I was happy with the idea of the latter (my current Mac was really beginning to show its age), but not so with the former.
Once upon a time it was possible to buy a version outright, but now Adobe have made Lightroom and Photoshop (both of which are inseparable), available only through online monthly subscription. Of course, this is not news to photographers that have been using the platform for years, nor welcomed with open arms in some quarters as a result. I had been dreading the day that I knew was coming, in making the decision as to whether or not to stick with what I know, or move on to pastures new.
That day has come.
Lightroom on its own - at half the asking rate - would possibly have been acceptable, but I have no need for Photoshop; software that is (still) bloated with pre-press capabilities that I'll never use. Yes, I know that I would get the latest updates through subscription, but I baulk at the idea of paying for something I simply won't benefit from.
So out of necessity I've been evaluating several editing suites, both free and paid for, over the past couple of months as a suitable replacement. Most, but not all (one didn't even support the camera model I was contemplating!), are capable alternatives to Lightroom. One or two of the free ones were just too clunky to use. The good news is that I've narrowed it down to two major contenders.
The free trials continue...
105mm f/2.8 HSM Sigma macro lens. 1/1250 second at f/5. + 0.7 EV compensation. ISO 100
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