FREE Photo Editors (RAW): Photoscape X & RawTherapee

Tony & Chelsea Northrup
21 Nov 201633:41

TLDRIn this video, Tony Northrup reviews two free photo editing software options, Photoscape X and RawTherapee, which he selected based on their ability to edit both RAW and JPEG images, browse computer folders, and work seamlessly on both Windows and Mac systems. Photoscape X offers a user-friendly interface with a range of tools for editing and viewing images, including auto adjustment features, white balance correction, and a masking tool for localized adjustments. It also provides creative tools like vignetting and film effects. Despite not saving edits between sessions, it's recommended for most users due to its simplicity. RawTherapee, on the other hand, is more complex with a multitude of sliders and options that cater to advanced users who enjoy fine-tuning their images. It saves edits between sessions, making it a powerful choice for those comfortable with its interface. Northrup also emphasizes that mastering photography involves understanding lighting, mood, and composition, rather than just relying on editing tools.

Takeaways

  • 📷 **Photoscape X and RawTherapee** are two free photo editing software options that can edit both RAW and JPEG photos.
  • 💻 Both applications are compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems, offering a platform-agnostic solution for photo editing.
  • 📂 These editors allow users to browse folders on their computer and edit pictures within a single application, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  • 🔍 Photoscape X includes a variety of tools within an unlimited trial version, which the presenter refers to as a 'free' option due to the lack of expiration.
  • 🎨 **Photo Editing Tools**: Photoscape X provides tools like Auto levels, white balance adjustment, brightness, contrast, and clarity, which are essential for photo enhancement.
  • 🖥 **Interface and Usability**: The interface of Photoscape X is user-friendly, with features like the ability to save favorite folders for quick access and a range of editing tabs.
  • 🌄 **RAW File Editing**: Both programs are capable of significant RAW file editing, allowing recovery of details in underexposed images and providing control over highlights and shadows.
  • 🎭 **Creative Tools**: Photoscape X offers creative tools like vignetting and film filters that can add a vintage or dramatic effect to photos.
  • 🛠️ **Advanced Options**: RawTherapee provides a more complex set of tools and sliders for those comfortable with in-depth photo tuning and tweaking.
  • 💾 **Session Persistence**: Unlike Photoscape X, RawTherapee saves edits between sessions, allowing for incremental adjustments without starting over.
  • 📚 **Learning Resources**: The presenter also recommends books for mastering photography and professional editing tools like Lightroom and Photoshop for those looking to advance their skills.

Q & A

  • What are the two free photo editors discussed in the video?

    -The two free photo editors discussed are Photoscape X and RawTherapee.

  • What were the requirements Tony Northrup had for selecting these photo editors?

    -The requirements were the ability to edit both RAW and JPEG photos, browse folders on the computer, edit pictures within a single app without switching, and compatibility with both Windows and Mac.

  • How can you download Photoscape X?

    -You can download Photoscape X by visiting the URL SDPio/px and choosing the appropriate version for your operating system.

  • What is the trick to downloading Photoscape X for free?

    -Instead of clicking the link to buy it for $30, click the 'free trial' button. The trial version does not expire, essentially making it free to use indefinitely.

  • What is the main difference between Photoscape X and RawTherapee in terms of user experience?

    -Photoscape X is more user-friendly and suitable for most people, while RawTherapee offers more advanced features and sliders that might be overwhelming for some users.

  • How does Photoscape X handle editing of RAW files?

    -Photoscape X provides a range of tools for editing RAW files, including auto levels, white balance adjustment, color correction, and exposure adjustment. However, it does not save edits between sessions.

  • What is the key advantage of RawTherapee over Photoscape X?

    -RawTherapee saves your edits between sessions, allowing you to make further adjustments without starting from scratch.

  • What additional features does RawTherapee offer for advanced users?

    -RawTherapee offers advanced features such as histogram with split channels, local contrast adjustment, sharpening options, noise reduction, and a wide array of sliders for fine-tuning the image.

  • How does the video demonstrate the use of the mask tool in Photoscape X?

    -The video shows how to use the mask tool to apply changes to specific parts of the image, such as bringing up the shadows in the hair, by painting over the desired area with the brush tool.

  • What advice does Tony Northrup give on editing philosophy?

    -Tony Northrup emphasizes that photography is about lighting, mood, expression, timing, subject matter, composition, and color, rather than just manipulating sliders and buttons in editing software.

Outlines

00:00

📷 Introduction to Free Photo Editors

Tony Northrup introduces two free photo editing software options, Photoscape X and RawTherapy, that meet his criteria for editing RAW and JPEG photos, browsing folders, and cross-platform compatibility. He provides a URL for downloading Photoscape X and explains the process, noting that the free version offers an unlimited trial with no expiration.

05:01

🎨 Editing Features in Photoscape X

The video demonstrates various editing tools within Photoscape X, including auto levels, white balance, brightness, contrast, and clarity adjustments. Tony also covers the use of the 'deepen' tool for intelligent contrast enhancement and the 'vibrance' tool for color saturation. He emphasizes the importance of saving edits to a new file to preserve the original photo.

10:02

🖌️ Masking and Local Adjustments in Photoscape X

Tony discusses the use of the mask tool in Photoscape X for making local adjustments to specific areas of a photo. He shows how to use the brush tool to paint over areas like hair to lighten shadows and how to use the 'light and shadows' slider for detailed texture enhancement. The summary also touches on cropping and saving the edited image.

15:05

🌃 Editing a Challenging Landscape Photo

In this section, Tony addresses the editing of a challenging landscape photo with high ISO noise and a bright moon. He uses the crop tool, Auto contrast, and color adjustments to improve the image. He also demonstrates noise reduction techniques, using both global and masked applications to reduce noise while preserving details.

20:06

🌟 Additional Tools and Creative Effects in Photoscape X

Tony explores additional creative tools in Photoscape X, such as the vignette tool for adding a vintage look, the film tool for applying Instagram-like filters, and other creative overlays like light leaks and duotone effects. He also mentions the frames tool for adding borders and the insert tool for adding text to images.

25:06

💻 Downloading and Using RawTherapy

The video provides a guide on how to download and install RawTherapy, a more advanced and flexible but potentially overwhelming photo editing software. Tony explains the process of selecting the correct version for one's system and emphasizes reading the license agreement during installation.

30:09

🛠️ Advanced Editing with RawTherapy

Tony demonstrates the use of RawTherapy, highlighting its powerful editing capabilities, such as exposure, black levels, and highlight compression adjustments. He also discusses the sharpening tab and its features, including 'sharpen only edges'. The video concludes with a comparison of Photoscape X and RawTherapy, noting that while Photoscape X is user-friendly, RawTherapy offers more advanced options and saves edits between sessions.

📚 Conclusion and Additional Resources

The video concludes with a summary of the key points discussed about Photoscape X and RawTherapy. Tony encourages viewers to subscribe and share the video and promotes his book 'Stunning Digital Photography' for further learning. He also mentions the availability of his books on professional editing tools like Lightroom and Photoshop.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Photo editing

Photo editing refers to the process of altering or enhancing a photo to improve its appearance or to correct imperfections. In the video, Tony Northrup discusses two free photo editors, Photoscape X and RawTherapee, which allow users to edit both RAW and JPEG photos, emphasizing their importance in the digital photography workflow.

💡Photoscape X

Photoscape X is a free photo editing software that provides a range of tools for editing and enhancing photos. It is highlighted in the video for its ease of use and the ability to edit photos without needing to purchase a pro version, making it accessible to a wide audience.

💡RawTherapee

RawTherapee is an advanced, open-source photo editing software that specializes in editing RAW images. It is mentioned in the video as a suitable tool for users who are comfortable with a more complex interface and require more control over their photo editing process.

💡RAW files

RAW files are a type of image file format that contains unprocessed data from the image sensor of a digital camera. The video emphasizes the importance of editing RAW files for their high quality and flexibility, as they contain more data than JPEG files, allowing for greater adjustments without loss of quality.

💡JPEG

JPEG is a commonly used image file format that uses lossy compression to reduce file size. It is widely supported and easy to share, making it a preferred format for sharing photos online or through various devices. The video discusses the option to save edited photos as JPEGs.

💡Auto levels

Auto levels is a feature in photo editing software that automatically adjusts the brightness and contrast of an image to achieve a balanced exposure. In the video, Tony Northrup demonstrates using the auto levels feature in Photoscape X to quickly improve the look of a photo.

💡White balance

White balance is the process of adjusting the color balance in a photo to ensure that white appears truly white, and other colors are displayed accurately. The video shows how to use the white balance tool in photo editors to correct color casts and achieve natural-looking colors.

💡Masking

Masking in photo editing is a technique that allows users to apply effects or adjustments to specific parts of an image while leaving the rest untouched. The video demonstrates the use of a masking tool in Photoscape X to selectively adjust the shadows in a portrait.

💡Noise reduction

Noise reduction is a process used to minimize the appearance of grain or random speckles in digital photos, often introduced by high ISO settings. The video discusses using noise reduction tools in both Photoscape X and RawTherapee to clean up images taken in low light conditions.

💡Vignette

A vignette is a gradual transition from the selected area to the surrounding areas outside of it, often used in photography to draw attention to the center of the image. The video shows how to apply a vignette effect in Photoscape X to give a classic, vintage look to a photo.

💡Batch processing

Batch processing is the ability to apply the same set of editing instructions to multiple images at once, saving time and ensuring consistency. The video briefly mentions the batch processing feature in Photoscape X as a useful tool for editing multiple photos efficiently.

Highlights

Photoscape X and RawTherapee are two free photo editors that can edit both RAW and JPEG photos.

Both editors allow browsing and editing photos within a single app and are compatible with Windows and Mac.

Photoscape X offers a free unlimited trial version with paid Pro version features marked for distinction.

The Auto levels and Auto contrast features in Photoscape X can quickly improve most pictures.

Photoscape X provides a masking tool for localized adjustments, enhancing details in specific areas of the photo.

RawTherapee is a powerful tool with a more complex interface, suitable for users comfortable with advanced tweaking.

RawTherapee saves edits between sessions, allowing for more flexibility and less rework.

Photoscape X has a simpler interface that is less overwhelming for users not seeking advanced controls.

Both editors support a wide range of adjustments including exposure, contrast, white balance, and color temperature.

Photoscape X includes a vignette tool to add a vintage feel by darkening the corners of the photo.

RawTherapee provides a histogram for more precise color channel adjustments.

The sharpening tab in Photoscape X can add more definition to images without making edges appear unnatural.

Noise reduction is available in both editors, with RawTherapee offering more detailed control for different areas of the photo.

Photoscape X offers a batch processing feature for simultaneous editing of multiple photos.

RawTherapee is recommended for users with a background in IT or those who enjoy in-depth photo editing.

Both editors are praised for their ability to handle high-resolution images and provide non-destructive editing.

The video provides a detailed walkthrough of using both editors, showcasing their capabilities and unique features.

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