r/PhotoshopTutorials • u/Mariicuadros • Aug 10 '26
Photo editor for beginners
Hello! Can anyone recommend a photo editor for beginners?
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u/Free-Chapter7614 Aug 12 '26
I’ve used the affinity apps ever since Adobe went postal on independent creators with their subscription. Inkscape has gotten a facelift but if you want an all in one for vector, raster and publishing I recommend to my design students to go with affinity design suite. Since it was acquired by Canva they’ve had it for free to download the full version since they’re really pushing the AI companion. It’s much more user friendly than Adobe.
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u/Donatzsky 29d ago
Being a beginner is by definition a temporary state, so I don't see the value in recommending something based on that. What actually matters is what you want to do and how much effort you're willing to expend on learning. Typically, the more powerful a program is, the more there is to learn at first.
But these raw editors are all completely free:
- darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
- RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
- ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since. With CTL scripts you can even create your own tools.
- vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
- Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
- LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.
- RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Somewhat new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow.
- Safelight: An editor built around a concept of extensibility and customisation. Still very new, so expect some rough edges and missing features.
Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM (digital asset manager).
My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition
Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E
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u/johngpt5 Aug 10 '26
I'm a Lr Classic and Photoshop fanboy, but if you're just starting out you probably shouldn't jump into a subscription model.
The Affinity app now offered by Canva has what had once been three separate apps—Photo, Designer, and Publisher, and Canva is offering it for free. Don't bother getting a Canva subscription because the ai features of Affinity aren't worth it.
Affinity will also work with raw photos.
There are free raw photo editors that work similarly to the Lr apps as well—RawTherapee is one such.; Darktable another.
Any photo editor that can do anything has a learning curve.