For years, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom have dominated the photo editing world, setting the gold standard for photographers and digital artists. However, in today’s creative landscape, more photographers are seeking alternatives - whether to avoid subscription fees, find a workflow that better fits their style, or explore new editing tools.

If you're looking for powerful alternatives that rival (or even exceed) Adobe's offerings in some areas, Capture One, ON1 Photo RAW, and Luminar Neo should be on your radar. Let’s dive into how these platforms stack up and why they might be a great fit for your photography workflow.

Ultimately, the "best" choice depends on your needs, editing style, and budget. If you need the absolute best RAW processing and studio-level control, Capture One is unbeatable. If you want a Photoshop + Lightroom replacement without ongoing fees, ON1 Photo RAW is a strong pick. And if you want creative edits in minutes without a learning curve, Luminar Neo is a powerhouse.

Pro Tip: Many of these platforms offer free trials — so download a few, test them out, and see which one fits your creative flow!

Click on the links below to learn more about and try the photo editing platforms mentioned in this episode:

Capture One - https://www.captureone.com/

ON1 Photo RAW - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/on1 (Use discount code NERDYPHOTO20 to save 20% on your purchase or subscription)

Luminar NEO - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/luminar (Use discount code NERDYPHOTO to save $10 on your purchase or subscription)

Darktable - https://www.darktable.org

GIMP - https://www.gimp.org/

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About The Podcast

The Nerdy Photographer Podcast is written and produced by Casey Fatchett. Casey is a professional photographer in the New York City / Northern New Jersey with more than 20 years of experience. He just wants to help people and make them laugh. You can view Casey's wedding work at https://fatchett.com or his non-wedding work at https://caseyfatchettphotography.com 

 

If you have any questions or comments about this episode or any other episodes, OR if you would like to ask a photography related question or have ideas for a topic for a future episode, please reach out to us at https://nerdyphotographer.com/contact