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I am in a quandary about where to go with hardware purchases. Sorry this is so long but I've got a lot to consider. I need to purchase either a new iMac or a monitor and, instead of getting an iPad which can only run PS and LR mobile, I plan to get a pen display tablet where I can draw on a screen that displays my images. But I'm not sure which combination of options makes the most sense. I just had a new battery and keyboard replaced on my 3-year-old MacBook Pro, which I supercharged with 32MB RAM and a 2TB hard drive, using my 2011 iMac as a monitor when needed, though I mainly use the Retina screen on my laptop which has a very detailed display because the 27" screen is hard on my neck since it's so large even when situated far back on an old deep teacher's desk. In addition to shooting stock, I've been selling more fine art through agents and via POD sites, and am often working with 42 and 61MP files. I do a lot of straight photography, but also do occasional freehand painting/illustrations in PS and would like to do more of that. I borrowed a Nikon scanner from a friend and am hoping to digitize a lot of old 35mm negatives from the 1970's as well as some old family slides my dad took in the 1960s-1970s. I'll do my best with dust beforehand, but know I'll have a lot of spotting to do. I have a very old Wacom Bamboo tablet but I want to upgrade to a pen display tablet where I can actually see my image on the tablet but am in a quandary as to what size to get. While the Cintiques look amazing, I think I'll opt for one of the less costly brands such as Huion or XP-Pen. I was planning to purchase an iPad but since it only runs the mobile versions of LR & PS, a pen drawing tablet makes more sense. I'm just not sure what size makes sense. One option I'm considering is a large display XP-Pen that can double as monitor (the newest one has great color fidelity) but is working on a massive drawing tablet that I can only use at my desk (about 26" with the express keys) a crazy option for photo editing and occasional drawing? It can tilt like a drawing board which is great but I'm only 4'11' and worry that working on a huge display on a desk will be hard on my back? I love the idea of a tablet doubling as a monitor but wonder if a portable 13 or 16 inch drawing tablet that I can use at a desk and on the couch is a better option? I hope that as the world opens up I'll travel more, which includes extended stays with my daughter, where portability makes sense, and I've had no problem making huge prints that I've edited on my 15" laptop, with excellent color and clarity, though there are times when a larger screen would speed things along. So, if I opt for the smaller drawing tablet, I should get a monitor or a new iMac. Do any of you use a pen display tablet? What size do you use and why do you like it? I find that my back and neck are much better since I've been doing most work on my laptop but I do want a larger screen sometimes but have been debating monitor or iMac? Getting an iMac would probably extend the life of my laptop, but if a monitor costs a lot less with better color fidelity, maybe an iMac is more than I need? Do most of you have a desktop & laptop? Or do you prefer a laptop and monitor? Why? Three years ago, I got the souped-up MacBook Pro instead of upgrading my then 7-year-old 2011 iMac, thinking it would let me buy one computer instead of two, but I didn't think about the fact that laptops just don't seem to last. I can't use my current iMac as anything more than a monitor these days and even then it's iffy due to age and hard on my neck due to its size so I need a new monitor or iMac. I know there are lots of monitor discussions here so I just want to know your thoughts on monitor vs. iMac, and can research accordingly. If I do opt for an iMac, I'm wondering what the minimal 24" iMac purchase is that you'd recommend to work on large files in PS and LR Classic or would you recommend the one computer laptop/monitor option since you can't get more than 16GB RAM on a new iMac? Is a monitor/laptop a cheaper option or does the wear and tear on a laptop as your only computer negate any savings? Thanks for your help.

I signed up for some upcoming DxO webinars on the upgrades to the Nik collection filters and was wondering if anyone had given the upgrades a look or if you're planning to check out the webinars? Here are links to the Nik Webinars I have the old filters upgraded from my ages-ago purchase after Google bought them, which I use via LR (can't get them to work with PS anymore). I had intended to purchase the DxO upgrades but they never seemed like much and they didn't have an upgrade option for those of us whoo actually paid for the filters, though now it's so long ago that it's the lack of something new that keeps me from upgrading. I'm wondering what they've added. It looks like they are focusing a lot on Vivenza (which I use on occasion) and Silver Effex, my go-to for black and white, which I find absolutely perfect as is, but I'm intrigued. I've played around with the B&W options in LR and even written articles about it, but the artistry of Silver Effex is leap years ahead of LR. I use Color Effex a lot and also enjoy playing with Analog Pro which is like diving into a mountain of candy - you never really know what you'll get but it's usually something fun. I wish they'd make it easier to save presets in Analog Pro, the Color Effex presets are great for processing a batch of images (albeit one at a time, with work on U-Points requiring you to do each separately). Anyway, thoughts welcome pre and post webinars.

I've been using the free photo editor that comes with Canon and I love it. I can do very simple and subtle edits like lens correction and colour/contrast stuff. It's pretty powerful and easy to use for what it does do and was great for getting started. But come the new year, I want to learn more about editing. I can't see doing extreme editing except as fun exercise. My goals for photography are three: 1. to companion my writing (which has more editing than a forum post) 2. to create a passive income with stock 3. to capture the world that I see so I can share it with others I never learned how to use Adobe and the more I learn about lightroom and photoshop, the more I feel it isn't for me. There are lots of reasons. One of the reasons is the first software someone learns tends to govern what they think is "intuitive to use". I want to try other kinds before finally deciding if Adobe is for me so I can get used to non-intuitive tools first. What are your favourite raw editing programs? I want something that I can look at many photos and do quick edits like I do now, but also some more advanced edits like spot removal, clone, burn and the thing that is the opposite of burn which I can't remember the name. I want to make lines not keystoned and have easy trick for horizontal horizon. I also want to put keywords in the photo instead of doing them all after I upload. I imagine if I keyword the photo file then I can search my personal library for these words when I want to find the photo. Maybe I imagine wrong? Later on - maybe 2021 - I want to learn about making three exposures into one (has three letters, to expand dynamic range in a picture) and other neat things to do. But mostly this year I'm still focusing on learning how to make the best in-camera photos (I want good ingredients) and slowly learning editing (I learn better with deep understanding so slow is my speed). There are a lot of programs to choose. Some are free. Some cost money. I don't mind paying money if the program is good, but I would like it better to pay once instead of every month. But, I also don't know enough to know what words I am looking for when choosing a software. I'm thinking of Capture One, but I wonder if this will do what I want? It's hard to know where to begin until after you've already started then hindsight always shows you should have started elsewhere. (I only have windows 10 pc. Canon mirrorless shooting raw) Please forgive my spelling and such, I can't seem to make grammarly plugin work with this form and extreme dyslexia means my regular spellcheck goes on vacation for "the program cannot detect what language this is written in so spellcheck is disabled" or some reason.

Hi. Someone can answer my question? I know this is my second one of this month 😌! I just wonder if the photos of food should be cut out or not. ( ex. the following ones) I don't think it's good idea to put both of them.( too confusing for customers and too much number) Most of the time, the surrounding of the object aren't nice, too messy or whatever.( of course I could've get rid of plates next to them as a possibility) Normally buyers have to cut out, am I right? Young

Hello everybody. I found that some photographers sold nice Photo montage ( Photo with collages). And I’d like to sell photo montage, too. Can you give me some advice for photo montage? I also have questions about it like the following: -Do I have to think about a copy space? -Are there some very important keywords? ( like “photo montage” “ collage “ “imaginary “ “ Imagination “?) -Should It be story telling or some kind of surprising photo like surrealism? -Can I make them a little bit transparent or shouldn’t? (It looks nice in my opinion) Have a nice sunday 😺