Gerry Fraiberg

With the update of my editing system to a 2019 iMac 27” I’m also looking for a Lightroom alternative as the next OS won’t support the 32 bit LR 6.14. I’m using LR since v.1. Years of folders. Like others I’m using DxO Photolab2. I then export to LR for output with watermark. But I need a digital asset management app. My main use for Affinity Photo is to create graphics for video. There is an Export PSD For Final Cut Pro X option which I like.

Thank you for your kind words. I'm happy to share what I've learned so that we can all learn.

I decided to have a little fun with what otherwise was a boring photo of a passenger train at a level crossing. To get this effect in Affinity Photo, I duplicated the photo layer. Then I added the Motion Blur filter to the top layer (Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Blur > Motion Blur). I selected Radius: 72 px, Rotation: 0, Blend Mode: Normal, Opacity: 100%. Preserve Alpha is checked. Next I selected the Erase Brush tool, and erased the blur to reveal the original train photo on the layer below. I played with the size of brush until satisfied. The front is not perfect. Playing with Preserve Alpha checked and unchecked makes a difference, perhaps adding a bit too much blur. It's all subjective, right? Before digital, getting an image like this would require panning at a slow shutter speed to blur the background while keeping the moving subject in focus. Then wait for the film to be developed. Original NRW (RAW) image was made with the Nikon P7000 compact camera.

Perfect. There they are. Thanks! Why didn't I think of that? :-)

I just found an answer. By making a slight adjustment in the document, when closing you are presented with a request to Save. Et voila!

Where are the Samples saved that are included on the Welcome screen? The samples are helpful in learning. After downloading once, they open quickly from the Welcome screen each time the program starts. But when selecting File > Save or Save As, that menu option is greyed out.

The spelling "colour" is a British thing. We spell it the same way here in Canada :-)

Perhaps it is a vision issue. I am a 70 year-old male and wear corrective lenses, otherwise known as reading glasses and have no problem with the design of the book.

Could you please post a photo?

My experience is that the spine is sturdy enough that it won't break when laid flat, even when open to early pages. When I open the book, I run the side of my hand up and down the page near the middle, as if straightening a fold. This gentle pressure is enough to keep the book open without breaking the spine.

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

I had to recreate the exercise to get a screen grab of the Export settings. The original JPEG file earlier today was 26.1 MB. This one is 19.2 MB As far as I know, I followed the Workbook faithfully.

In the Affinity Photo Workbook exercise "Peak Country 1: Mam Tor" (page 138), the exported JPEG is not as sharp as the adjusted TIFF image before export. All settings were followed carefully. I don't see this type of loss when exporting a TIFF from DxO Photo Lab 2 to LIghtroom 6, then exporting a JPEG from LR. Thoughts? Suggestions? Affinity Photo 1.6.7, Mac OS 10.11.6, Dell E2210H monitor, calibrated with Spyder3 Pro.

Twenty years ago it was suggested I learn Photoshop to make myself employable at the local community college. Well, I didn't and went on to other things. Now I'm learning Affinity Photo and I have to say I love the Affinity Photo Workbook. I find it's clearly designed, and the exercises are easy to follow. I've always found that I learn best by doing. The Help section is great, but having someone guide me along is very helpful. I'm early into the Workbook, learning about Selections. The first image shows you the photos I started with, the second is the composite made by Selections and saving with Transparent Background. I used a slight Glow effect around the dog to separate her from the cat, sampling the cat for the colour of the glow.

DxO links to Lightroom with a plugin, which shows at the far right up on the black horizontal bar below the Essential Tools palettes. Without the plugin, you likely see a blue button labeled Export to disk. I usually export an 8-bit Tiff, which gives a bigger file but keeps the colour information from DxO for further processing in LR. JPEG would work as well if you're just passing through to Export. If I shoot an event and edit down to 60-70 images, I edit in LR only, often starting with JPEGs in camera. Shooting NEF (Nikon) or RAW offers more editing options. As for Export settings, it depends on what your end goal is. Are you exporting for print at 300 dpi or 72 dpi JPEG for social media on the web? I mainly export to LR, and then use the export functions there which allow me to change file names if needed and add my watermark.