I Edited a Photo in Every Program.

The speaker discusses the annual expense of using Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop, which are considered the industry standard for photographers. Despite the prevalence of competition in other areas of photography, such as camera and lens brands, software seems to be dominated by Adobe. The speaker expresses a desire to explore alternative programs, highlighting the features of Lightroom, such as its all-in-one editing, organization, and cataloging capabilities, as well as AI-based tools. Photoshop is praised for its layer-based editing and powerful options, particularly the removal suite, which is considered unparalleled.

The speaker reviews Capture One, an all-in-one editing and organizing software that is often compared to Lightroom. They note that Capture One offers a tailored raw engine for each camera and sensor, providing professional-level editing tools, including a highly praised color module with advanced HSL adjustments and a skin toning tool. While the performance is noted to be superior to Lightroom, the healing tool is criticized for not being as good as Photoshop's, and there's a lack of AI features such as AI masking and denoising.

The speaker evaluates Luminar Neo, which emphasizes AI in its editing process. Initially, they find the AI presets to be overcooked and not useful for their needs. However, once they delve into the editing module, they find the program to be responsive and feature-rich, with tools that simplify editing for beginners while still offering power for experienced users. Despite this, the removal feature is found to be lacking, necessitating the use of Photoshop for certain tasks.

The speaker expresses disappointment with Sony Imaging Edge, which comes with Sony Alpha cameras. They criticize the software's initial download process and find the editing process to be somewhat outdated and clunky. While there are some positive aspects, such as dynamic range optimization and color presets, the lack of an HSL module is a significant drawback, making the software less versatile for color adjustments.

Darktable is described as a free and open-source alternative to Lightroom, but the speaker finds it to be overly complex and not user-friendly. On the other hand, Apple Photos is praised for its ease of use and feature set, but it is limited by iCloud storage restrictions. The speaker also laments the discontinuation of Aperture, a professional software previously offered by Apple.

The speaker reviews Affinity Photo as a raster-based editor similar to Photoshop. They find the raw editor to be lacking, particularly in the absence of an HSL module, but appreciate the program as a viable Photoshop alternative. The interface is familiar, and it includes essential features for editing, although it falls short in comparison to Photoshop's advanced removal tools.

Photometer is highlighted as a promising Lightroom competitor with AI masking and other advanced features, despite current limitations related to iCloud storage. Raw Therapy is dismissed as being too complex and not user-friendly. Photopea is praised as a powerful online version of Photoshop, offering a similar experience to the desktop version. DxO Labs is acknowledged for its technical aspects and noise correction features, though it doesn't particularly stand out. On1 is compared to Luminar but is seen as less polished. The speaker concludes by encouraging experimentation with different programs, emphasizing that good results can be achieved with any software if one takes the time to learn it.

The speaker wraps up by suggesting that photographers should try out different programs, especially if they are considering moving away from Lightroom. They note that while some programs may be more challenging in certain aspects, the potential for good results exists across the board. They express an intention to keep an eye on the development of some programs in the coming months and years.