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Re: [OM] Free image viewer, editor, was: Morning snow squall...

Subject: Re: [OM] Free image viewer, editor, was: Morning snow squall...
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:19:08 -0700
On 4/9/2016 4:57 PM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
I recommend FastStone Image Viewer. <http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm> . . . FastStone can pass an image to an external editor also.

FastStone is what I recommend to my kids because, although its editing capabilities are limited, it still has far more editing function than they will ever use.

I still love it as an image browser; use it every day - and think it stinks as an editor - especially for those less adept at editing:

It only edits 8 bit files.
Its editing functions for color, exposure, etc. have no automation.
It's effects aren't polished, how much a matter of programming and how much the 
limitations of 8 bits, I don't know.

I think RawTherapee is a much better free editor. It works pretty well as a Raw converter, if desired, can edit JPEGs in 16 bits, before converting back down to save. Although perhaps more intimidating at first, by properly labeling all its controls, I find it easier to use than the highly minimalist interface of FS.
And, for the beginner, it has decent Auto options for WB and exposure (although 
Auto Levels was dark for this snow image).

Correcting WB and exposure in this image is a couple of clicks, whereas in FS, the Auto Color is quite poor and otherwise, one ends up pushing and pulling a lot of sliders with no guidance.

This got me wondering about how various editors would handle auto WB and exposure for a snow scene like this; which would be useful for a beginner/casual user. <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/Beckrich/Snow_flower.htm>

Interestingly, the most expensive, and supposedly hardest to use, PhotoShop, gave the best, to my eye, results - with one command. There's a lot of variation in how white to make the image, vs. various retentions of some of the yellowishness.

Rather than a "pick the best", this is meant to show that there are a lot of auto choices, a couple needing a bit of increase in the exposure slider, all at least decent - except - FastStone seems to me easily the worst. It's hardly corrected the color cast at all.

There's also LightZone that's free, but I don't know much about it. Picasa is pretty funky, and moribund, as Google stopped development long ago.

Editorial Moose

PS:

Perhaps its biggest drawback is that it's volunteer programmer/creator is like most of the programmers I've ever worked with... they like writing code but hate writing documentation

Hey! I represent that! Fortunately, and due to my dislike of programs that require documentation, the only program I still have live in a corporate environment simply doesn't require instructions. There is one pop-up instruction, for folks who are too clever for the interface. :-)

Many, many CEOs, CFOs and various sorts of VPs have used it for decades now, with no need for a help function or instruction in use. I'm darn proud of that.

on how to use stuff or how and why it works internally.

Even I am not sure about that part these days. I just fumble through figuring 
it out when changes are needed. ;-)

--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?

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