Photography Software – Stuck in Customs

Photography Software

Photo Software Reviews

I’m constantly trying new things, but I only review stuff that I actually use. That should help keep the clutter down and keep you focused on the best stuff out there. I hope these reviews are of benefit to you in your lifelong adventure of photographic fortune and glory.

Software you should have

  • Aurora HDR – I developed this software along with Skylum for HDR and general processing. The latest release runs on both Mac and Windows. I also have a free tutorial and a special video tutorial just for Aurora!
  • Luminar Review – Luminar is an extremely powerful and fast photo editor that can do not only the most basic adjustments, but literally millions of “looks” for your photo. It’s extremely easy and fun to use and designed for all skill levels.
  • SmugMug Review – this how I share my photos online… I think SmugMug is the absolute best image portfolio and website tool
  • Plotagraph Review – A Plotagraph is a “looping” photograph. You begin with a SINGLE image (not a movie file), like a JPG, and then you use Plotagraph to “animate” it. The resulting image is a repeating movie file that loops so smoothly, you can’t see the seam. There’s also some crazy new tech on there, like morphing and more.
  • Screenflow Review – the easiest and best video editing and screen recording software for Mac. I also use Telestream’s other product called Wirecast for live streaming on Facebook and Youtube.

Additional Software you may find helpful

Photo Software Coupon Codes

I also have a complete list of the best coupon codes for photo editing software.

Photo Editing Tutorials

For more information about my post-processing “process”, please check out one of my tutorials.

  • FREE HDR Tutorial – a completely FREE step-by-step guide to HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography.
  • Beginning Photography Tutorial – We begin by throwing away the camera manual and then I’ll gently guide you in the ways of photography. These lessons are aimed at beginners, and are perfect for all ages and all camera types from big DSLRs to mirrorless to mobile phones. I’ll show you how not to be afraid of your camera and how to use it to do your own creative bidding in areas from landscape photography to astrophotography via the likes of portrait photography, an introduction to HDR and much more.
  • Drone Photography & Videography Tutorial – a full 6 lesson tutorial, I will show you how to make the most of the aerial photos and videos you capture. I start with the basics and move onto photo and video editing specificaly for Drone footage!
  • Aurora HDR Video Tutorial (Mac and Windows) – I show how I use Aurora HDR in practically every situation! From outdoors to indoors to mixes to architecture to moving objects to single photos to people photos and everything in between.
  • Complete HDR Tutorial – Countless Techniques Explored – There are over 10 hours of detailed video instruction in the course! In the first hour, you’ll know all the basics, and beyond that, you’ll learn an amazing collection of new tricks, workflow, and post-processing techniques that will give your photos a great and unique look. Excellent for any skill level, from beginner to advanced.
  • Becoming an Artist – The 15 episodes touch upon topics such as composition, color, light and inspiration. This series will not only show you lots of photography tips & tricks but will inspire you to take your art in bold, new, and interesting directions.
  • Trey Ratcliff’s Lightroom Tutorial for Beginners and Beyond – Lightroom is awesome and fun! It’s hard for me to think of a program that I enjoy using more than Lightroom! Not only is it great for organizing your photos, but you can do incredible things to make your photos look amaze-maze! You’ll see how I organize and edit photos in Lightroom, from Alpha to Omega. Everything is in HD and it’s ideal for any skill level.
  • Organize Your Photos: The Three Level System – Looking to organize your photos? Then this video and eBook will help you get your digital life organized! This is a problem for me too. I have tens of thousands of photos. Since digital photos are a major issue, I’ve worked hard to come up with a system that works for me. I’m happy to share this system with you.
  • Midnight in Paris – Fine Art Photography – Combines Miss Aniela’s dramatic fine art photography and Trey Ratcliff’s beautiful landscapes into an hands-on photoshoot and post-processing tutorial
  • Landscape & Travel Photography Tutorial: New Zealand – this online photography course includes over four hours of step-by-step instruction. You will see how Trey sets up his camera to take photos, how he composes the shot, and how he performs HDR processing plus hundreds of other little tricks to make your photos look prettier.
  • Textures Tutorial v2.0 – learn Trey’s tricks to using textures to give your photos a unique look.

More Reviews and recommendations

I have many other reviews and recommendations you may find helpful!

  • Camera Reviews – recommendations for digital cameras for any budget to skill level
  • Camera Lens Reviews – detailed reviews of all the lens I use for my photography
  • Other Reviews – various other software and hardware reviews

Any questions about the nature of these reviews? Please visit my Ethics Statement. It’s all quite simple!

Here’s a few of my favorite photos I’ve taken with all the stuff I listed above!

The Space Between Here And There

The Mist From The Tree Tops Fell On Me From Above And Behind

the wet red came from beyond the trees

Colossus by the Sand-Ocean

A Morning with a Strange Method of Fishing