Affinity Anyone ... ?

[Gary]

Anybody using it? And if so, do you like it or not like it?

[Fons Baerken]

What do you mean, Gary?

[Gary]

What do you mean, Gary?

Affinity is a photo processing program that has been out for about a year.  I was wondering if anybody here has been using it and their opinion of the program.

[smusesuse]

I started using the beta version and consequently bought the software when they released it. So far I don't like it at all, but I have to admit that I have practically no experience with photo editing software and I believe affinity was designed for professionals, not beginners. Anyhow, I encountered things that simply didn't work (blemish removal) or that I couldn't find at all (inpainting brush). Not sure whether this is to be blamed on the software or my intelligence. I updated it recently, so I should give it another try.

[elsa hoffmann]

If I understand correctly - its a graphic design program and not a photo editing program?

[smusesuse]

Well, there's Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. I was talking about the latter.

[Fons Baerken]

for the mac only

[Gary]

Thank you Susanne. At $39, (the special limited time offer), it is worth a look I guess. Yes, it is Mac only.

[HCS]

I also purchased the program, indeed called Affinity Photo.

Suse, you really need to hang in there for a while, because indeed it has a lot of potential. They are aiming for a photoshop replacement and i think they're getting quite close already. Some things are quite hidden (as they are in PS), so a look around their forums and documentation online does really help.

I also have Pixelmator, which is nice, but can't do things PS (and now Affinity) can do, like L*a*b* and channels. Other than that, it is a bit easier to start using, but has a really different approach to the UI.

Anyway, i intend to stick with Affinity, because they'll keep on adding to the already great feature set, something i've found out Pixelmator (or others out there) aren't really doing.

[smusesuse]

I haven't given up completely on it yet, Hans. But it does frustrate me. I tried the "just play with everything" approach but certain tools don't seem to work? Like the aforementioned blemish removal - I've watched tutorials, followed every step, nothing. I even handed my macbook over to Jakov once to give it a try. I really have no idea what's going wrong there.

[Gary]

I have CS6, Aperture, PhotoNinja, Capture 1, et al. I like PhotoNinja, but it slows down to a snail's pace when you load it up with a ton of files and I tend to shoot a ton of files. I like Aperture, but it is no longer being supported. Capture 1 is very good, but for some reason I'm, not bonding with it (probably one of those vicious circles things ... I'm not bonding because I'm not using it ... I'm not using it because I'm not bonding ...). So I pick up Affinity and see what happens. PS works, but I just hate Adobe ... I've hated Adobe for decades. Presently my work flow is Aperture for RAW conversion and global adjustments and PS for final polishing and specific area manipulations.

[HCS]

I have CS6, Aperture, PhotoNinja, Capture 1, et al. I like PhotoNinja, but it slows down to a snail's pace when you load it up with a ton of files and I tend to shoot a ton of files. I like Aperture, but it is no longer being supported. Capture 1 is very good, but for some reason I'm, not bonding with it (probably one of those vicious circles things ... I'm not bonding because I'm not using it ... I'm not using it because I'm not bonding ...). So I pick up Affinity and see what happens. PS works, but I just hate Adobe ... I've hated Adobe for decades. Presently my work flow is Aperture for RAW conversion and global adjustments and PS for final polishing and specific area manipulations.

I can't get to grips with the raw functionality and quality of Affinity. I've also disliked adobe long enough to search around to find proper replacements.

I'd really give C1 another good try. Hang in there for a while, it's worth it if you ask me.

Suse, what's wrong in that case i don't know. I'm not an expert in Affinity (nor any kind of post processing), but in case we meet up again any time soon, we could have a look. Did you visit their forum and online documentation?

[Sash]

I have it, but almost never use it, Affinity has a modern interface and some cool tools and I find it useful when (very rarely) I need to remove a subject or do some other tricks. But I never use it for good old basic editing like curves, clarity, shadows and highlights, noise and sharpness etc,. since here it can not even hold a candle to CaptureOne. C1 oozes professional quality, Affinity feels amateurish in comparison despite all its impressive tools and options. Some tools definitely need further polishing. But that is my feeling, your mileage can vary.

[Andrea B.]

I've made some progress with the Affinity Developer mode. I think Affinity looks promising as a Photoshop replacement. However, I am so used to easy edits with NX2, that everything else is grindingly tedious by comparison particularly when it comes to selection of areas to which edits are applied.

Suse, this winter when things get slow and I'm stuck indoors, I'll work more on learning Affinity and maybe we can figure out some stuff, OK? I'm hoping some good tutorials appear soon. Actually they may already be out there, but I have not had time to look.

[HCS]

... Actually they may already be out there, but I have not had time to look.

Not really advanced yet, but some stuff is there: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/photo/