What’s a good next step up from Picasa for RAW post-processing on Linux?
Asked 8/5/2010
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2 answers
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I’m comfortable doing basic post-processing on Nikon NEF files in Picasa, but I want to move to something more capable. Full image editors like GIMP and Photoshop feel overwhelming, and I mainly want a better RAW-processing workflow rather than advanced pixel editing. I also prefer to work in Linux. What kind of software should I look at, and what’s a non-intimidating way to get started?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
14
GIMP and Photoshop aren't really designed for post-processing per-se. They're both excellent image editors.
Ideally what you want to define is a workflow.
A workflow goes something like this:
- Import photos from camera
- Tag, assign metadata and organize your photos
- "Process" raw images, using exposure, contrast, saturation etc controls
- If necessary, use GIMP or Photoshop for any major image manipulations
- Export to Disk/Web
You can use a variety of tools, or a single all in one tool, to accomplish each step of your workflow.
Picasa obviously does many of these things for you, but as you noted in your question, it's light weight in terms of processing images.
Since you prefer Linux, I can't offer too much help, other than to seek out other workflow solutions on the web. My guess for linux, you won't find too many all-in-one solution, so you will probably need to combine several opensource tools to accomplish what picasa gives you. As a Windows/OS X user, I use Adobe Lightroom for all steps, with Photoshop as my "super toolbox" when I need it.
Originally by user170. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user170
16y ago
0
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A good next step is to think in terms of a RAW-processing workflow, not jumping straight into a full editor like GIMP or Photoshop. Those are powerful image editors, but they’re not primarily designed for everyday photo post-processing.
A typical workflow is:
- import photos
- organize/tag them
- process RAW files with controls like exposure, contrast, and saturation
- use an editor only for major retouching
- export for web or print
So instead of starting with GIMP, look for a dedicated RAW converter/catalog tool. From the answers, Lightroom and Aperture were strongly recommended as easy, powerful upgrades from Picasa, though they aren’t Linux options. On Linux, Bibble was suggested as a serious option, with RawTherapee and LightZone also mentioned.
One reason these tools may feel less “scary” than Picasa-to-Photoshop is that RAW converters usually offer more direct, specific controls rather than “magic” adjustments. A practical way to begin is to try a trial version and learn just the core adjustments first: exposure, white balance, contrast, crop, and export.
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