3 best alternative to your favorite application

As a photographer, I was evolved in and around Photoshop and eventually, Lightroom helped me to get the job done. As the market saw a drastic shift from analogue to digital so it did experience the upcoming software ranging from Capture one pro, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro to Cinema 4D and more. All the above-mentioned share one thing in common, a heavy subscription annual or monthly fee, a standard procedure to ensure a check over soft tool piracy.

One of the realities of any artistic profession is it doesn't provide a stable source of income. As a photographer or a graphic designer/illustrator buying the much-needed equipment (computer, graphic tablet and more) is itself quite heavy on the pocket and leaves much less to spend on the added expense of software. That is the sad reality of the capitalistic world we live in.

I wish no disappointment to the aspiring artist and here I am glad to share a few and the best substitutes of the many software you will need to move along in your journey.

To note: The below-mentioned software is by no means are completely free of cost. Their one-time fees and occasional donations will not only help you to move ahead in your life and it does support the system/organization which lets you do what you wish to do. Above all, they are far cheaper than the monthly | yearly subscription. Every software, by all means, are competitive in their own nature and you are free to choose as per your requirement.

SPONSoR FREE ARTICLE

Photoshop | Lightroom | ILLUSTRATOR| IN-DESIGN

Adobe shifted their fee structure from one-time license to yearly subscription based on the nature of the user (to fight the piracy issue they kept facing from time to time). It is still an expensive tool to have. They may offer a friendly subscription plan for the students as long as one is a student formally.

1.

Affinity Photo is one of the best alternatives I personally own and must say it does the job done as good as Photoshop itself and as like any other it will evolve. It's a one-time fee model for lifetime usage, which are as low as *4499 INR and *1799 INR for your personal computer and iPad respectively (50% discount is available as and at the moment I publish this article) makes it very profitable in a long run.

Pros:

The needed key shortcuts are almost similar to Adobe, if you are familiar with Photoshop you will not feel much to add to your existing vocabulary.

*The frequency separation is much faster than the traditional format in Adobe yet it does need a little manual handling for better results.

It gives Industry-standard results one professional will desire.

Cons:

I was personally not impressed with its bunch editing tool and I hope it evolves with time, though It has a Develop persona which does a good job when editing a Raw image at a time.

Lack of GPU or a Graphic card can make the experience poor.

Creating 3D models is not a part of the software making it solely for photo editing, digital painting and creative manipulation.

Affinity also offers the best alternative to Adobe Illustrator and In Design

LINK https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/

2.

LUMINAR: An upcoming AI-based photo editing tool.

It is a good place to start if you are interested in photography and is not looking to take it as a profession though wish to enhance your travel images to post them as per your need.

Cons: It is a hybrid software for Snapseed users. There is a lack of much needed manual control as compared to Affinity or Photoshop.

I will personally not suggest it to professional commercial advertising photographers.

One can easily get lured by its features and can get misguided in terms of understanding and educating itself about quality aesthetics.

LINK https://skylum.com

3.

CAPTURE ONE PRO: A perfect alternative to Lightroom or Adobe Bridge for those who work with RAW images. A professional tool for professionals.

LINK: https://www.captureone.com

AFTER EFFECTS | ADOBE PREMIERE | FINAL CUT PRO

They are among many of the leading video editing software. Very recently Final Cut Pro from Apple announced their shift to yearly subscription from their previous one-time model which let me add it to the list.

If you are a motion graphic student or an aspirant like myself and looking for something which does the job done as good as the above, DaVinci is the best replacement and happy to share it is indeed faster than above.

DAVINCI RESOLVE: An absolutely free version provided by Blackmagic available at their official site.

It does a perfect job for video editors, aspirational colourist and sound engineer.

1.

DAVINCI RESOLVE STUDIO: A paid version giving you access to many of its features which is an amalgamation of all the above mentioned (photo editing, colouring, sound editing, motion graphics, 3D model integration.

LINK https://www.blackmagicdesign.com

The best alternative for those professional filmmakers and mixed media artist.

2.

WONDERSHARE FILMORA: A good alternative for YouTubers and enthusiastic film editors and makers.

LINK https://filmora.wondershare.net

CINEMA 4D | MAYA | Z Brush

A 3D modelling software can be expensive and it does demand more in regards to GPU, Hard Disk space, RAM and more. I recently started using Blender and it has been a blessing and safe to say it works perfectly well with my I MAC 2016 model.

BLENDER: is a free & open-source application and has only one version to choose from, yet this application attracts the hobbyists, professionals or studios that have all the features into one program.

Whether you are a fashion, food or product photographer, 3D modelling is a 21st-century reality and one should update and get know-how is much needed if you wish to sustain in the industry for long. 3D software gives you a different dimension and possibilities are endless, execution is homemade and results are of international standard.

Blender as like any other software mentioned above is absolutely free along with its updates and tutorials (must follow Blender Guru)

LINK https://www.blender.org/

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These were my top 3 alternatives for photographers, Film Makers and Motion Graphic artist.

To add to the above it is always a smart idea to invest in a good processor, expanded RAM, install SSD hard drive and a dedicated GPU, graphic card to enhance the experience. Investing in hardware like Mac or Windows doesn't come cheap and is often advised to upgrade in instalments is better than donating it to the landfills.

Personally, I am been using I Mac past 5 Years now and my experience has not reached the mark where I will like to buy a new one rather I chose to update the needed parts externally. Macs are expensive but they are built to last a long way and I suggest not to get tempted with their many upgrades getting advertised quite often than before.

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Hello,

I am Shovona Karmakar, an #advertising #commercial #photographer | #productstylist | #cinemagraph artist, presently based in #Mumbai, India. It has been a long long road to be where I am now and I sincerely feel it is very important to share whatever I have to offer. I have been fortunate to make a living out of my skill to be creative and have had worked with various national and international brands, corporate and agencies. Cadbury, TATA, Morningstar USA, Parachute, Future Generali to name a few.

Ping me for any work-related queries and will be happy to jump into the pool to make the much-needed party happen.

Thank you for reading!

www.shovonakar.com

shovonakar@gmail.com

Mumbai, India.

The magic of 600 seconds

We just need 10 minutes to have a mindblowing start for the day especially if you are working from home. 10mins is nothing very scientific but a personally tested regime that works wonders for many. The restriction lets you get over with something and keeping your attention span intact. We, humans, are evolving with a degrading quality of commitment and attention span. We flip from one job to the other and we similarly flip from one relationship to the other.

However, the options will expand and we will be mutated enough to not to stick to something sincerely, this 10min practice is a way to go if you don't know to understand the side effects of your monkey mind.

I am not giving away any magic tips and tricks, neither I am slipping anything extraordinary but basics stick longer than you think and basics are what makes you look cool and basics are what we crave for at the end of the day. I have the top 5 basic 600 seconds exercise good enough to change the way we live and to initiate our mornings.

IT STARTS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE: A good morning is always been a pre-marinated dish, you need to put aside and get done with many things a night before you start your day after. Sorting what you want to wear and preparing your bag is one of them, have you thought of flushing and getting nice dental hygiene done, we all in-fact a majority of people suffer from dental hygiene. Your mouth is a factory of many bacteria pulping inside you as you sleep, killing them not only gives you a feel-good factor to go but no insecurity kissing your better half a goodnight and as well as a good morning.

There is this trick which does works for late awakers, brushing and flushing your mouth prior a goodnight let you be awake a little early. I don't know how it works but it works amazingly well, especially for someone like me who loves to sleep.

Sorting the list of things needs to be done is also much practiced, it is indeed optional as many feel good about planning the day about as the first thing in the morning and both works.

For those who live alone or have someone to take care of, pre-preparing a meal or at least keeping them arranged and set to go saves time. All this you can't do in 10 minutes but break it up.

MAKE YOUR BED FOR TONIGHT: We are up, we grab our phones and we get distracted. We bump on our own plans and we bang many to set the day. 10 minutes is a good analogy to do something and achieve one job at a time, the feeling of fulfillment from various jobs done make the day worth it, setting your bed for the day is one way to go and don't forget to change your sheet once a week.

The bed is a heaven where we dream, we share, we cry, we laugh, we stare and we ponder over things and things we want and we don't want. We love the fact of sleeping and it is always in our hands to set the tone of how we do it.

I have met many minimalistic who love a fresh set of white sheets and it is totally fine as nothing much to ponder about, I have even loved one who loves to use the bed as its canvas with as many pillows as possible and throwing some lovely set of textured sheets and comforters hurts no one. There are many ways to set the dream you like it, just make sure it is something you desire from within as it shapes the dreams you dream.

GET INTO YOUR OWN SKIN: Let's creep out, getting into your own skin is anytime better than someone getting into your skin. Ancient Vedas, I don't know if it says or not but stepping into the arena of meditation has helped me a lot and guided meditation is for anyone who has a monkey mind like myself, I admit it! My mind has always struggled to struggle with my ever nonstop thoughts, and it has given me anxiety like never before. Antidepressants do take care of the lack of many things in my brain and I am somewhere dependent on it, if you are looking for a place to begin from HEADSPACE is a good way to go from its 3 min session to 10, 15 and 20 is a place from my personal experience to start your journey into meditation. The best part you just need your phone and pair of headphones (I use a noise cancellation JBL headset) or speaker incase your phone has low-intensity in case of volume.

Try it! It has helped me to put myself to sleep better and have a better temperament towards life and others unless they talk crap.

BE MEAN TO CLEAN: 10 mins may not be sufficient to have a deep cleaning session and we are talking here about those small tasks which give you the feel-good factor, arranging your desk or your work station is a way to start doesn't matter if your work from home or an office, an altar next to my work table has helped to groom my mind, few things you can consider keeping next to you while working which can help to lift your mood.

1. A bowl of almonds: gives you no excuse to boost your mind and soul with some goodness.

2. Picture of your loved ones: Always makes you feel connected and belong to someone.

3. A nice candle: I personally love one from Song of India and oh man its heaven (be careful where you keep it)

4. A pen and a notepad: With everything to note down in your phone, little good old school tricks go a long way. Writing once is like reading something for 26 times.

DON'T MISS THAT CALL: I am living all alone past 15 years and eventually stopped having any homesickness but the attachment, I have with my parents is inseparable however and how many fights I have with them. We all love to go and fly in our own sky and leaving them behind to deal with their own anxiety and loneliness. Past many years I have realized the effort to be in touch with them and make them feel being with me has helped me count my blessings. 10min is all you need to give a call and be dedicated to it. Don't do anything while you call someone who means a lot to you. I can't put enough stress how much a call can build your relationship

the list may go on but I guess these things will not take much from you, teaching basics of life is a privilege and we are somewhere getting detached.

I hope this article may help you to connect yourself back to you and your roots.

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Hii, I am shovona, a freelance commercial photographer who resides in the economic hub of India, Mumbai. As an artist, I undergo the above almost every day and I am here to support others to let them feel cool about anything happening in life.

Feel free to contact me for any portrait, corporate, food, product photography related queries or just drop a hi! at

shovonakar@gmail.com

#commercialphotographer #femalephotographer #mumbaiphotographer #portraitphotography

Pandemic and freelancing

Anyone who will be reading this article, to let you know I am writing it during the phase of 21days of complete lockdown in India. Corona has crippled the world and forced us to think about what are we leaving behind us.

As a freelancer it scares the hell out of me about my coming days and my survival skills will be tested, being the best is not the question, it is all about how you perceive it. Yes, the days will be brought to normal but the real question is, will we see ourselves and our world around us in the same way? Awakening of the desires we have and our needs will be questioned and I am pretty sure everyone will not be affected and it will be easy for them to get back to the time they were there.

As a freelancer our survival is based on many factors and a good economy will push to keep us hanging on with our passion. Sadly it is no more about individual dreams, many who acquire jobs will be in a spot to lose, their livelihood will be affected and a chain reaction will be the next pandemic to take care of. Yes! I may be thinking the worst of worst but let us prepare ourselves for it.

Hang on! I am not writing this article to scare you, in fact, let us see how to go about it.

TO NOTE: I don't know how the coming days will be and how it is going to hit the economy and how much time it will take, for us all to raise the bar again, but let us be hopeful.

PRODUCE FRESH CONTENT: If you are a photographer, retoucher, CGI artist, illustrator, cinematographer and more, it is a good phase to produce fresh content to add it to your portfolio, keeping self productive is the best way to go about the times we are going. To add, with no pressure from any client and with no external expectation create the best you can. We all crib about the fact of not having enough time to create what we wished to and I don't think anyone has any excuse to give now with clients potentially understanding the situation, I am pretty sure they will not kill you to create for yourself. If they do, they are not worthy to be a potential client.

ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE and ORGANIZE: The biggest culprit for many who work from home is the messy situation we live in (I, myself included) and however you deny and you say it does add to your millennial saga, a messy place does no good. A clean desk and a clean space both physically and digitally uplift your productivity.

HAVE HOBBIES: Side hustles or interest will never be more important than the coming times, let's be honest, past recession and demonetization in India had hit the market bad for it to come back to a well to do state after 2 years and the current situation with thousands of people passing away in the most merciless manner and many, I mean MANY are off their jobs will disturb the economy for people to shed enough for marketing purposes keeping their employees as the prime importance and it is indeed fair enough. Incase global pandemic hits bad be ready to earn the same with many more hustles you need to take care of.

LEARN SELF MARKETING: It is one art which many fail to do and many find it way too less important to invest ourselves every day, marketing is how we find products for our needs, simultaneously marketing is the way potential client will get to know us. How you wish to market self is a discovery which you need to do and will get to know eventually as time passes and observe how our viewers react to it.

Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Google business page are a few platforms that let us shine the way we wish to.

• You should understand the algorithm ethics each platform is made off and how to use it to your benefit

• Instagram and Facebook are very much to do with timing, tagging, hashtagging and quality of content.

• Keep the quality of content as organic, high quality and as handmade as possible, think about the user or audience you wish to cater to.

• Keep your content short and brief especially stories.

• Always have something to give away to your audience.

• Use sites like Creator Studio to schedule posts (stories cant be scheduled) in case you are busy enough to give needed time to it on a daily basis. Youtube videos can be scheduled too.

• Let people peep into your studio, people are more curious about behind the scenes than the final product, grab your phone shoot it here and there and edit it to make a 15 to a 30-second video. (I just sounded like a hypocrite, lol, I need to share my side too)

• Keep your agenda clear, don't post not so needed content which is not related to your persona or page. No one wants to know what you eat on everyday basis unless you are a health influencer.

SUPPORT LOCAL VENDORS AND INDUSTRY: We Indians are obsessed with anything fancy and foreign return. In the scene of global crisis, it should be our prime goal to support local industries and vendors to get them back on track, they have and will be a part of the national economic backbone, the vendors in return need to raise their output quality. International transaction does add value and gives direct competition to the indie which will put the national economy far more in debt in the future.

I strongly suggest, if your situation is somewhere accompanied with deep pockets don't break your savings, I am no master in economics and all the above is based on my personal experience, we all wish to recover from the present state ASAP but let's be hopeful and let us prepare ourself for the worst in-case!

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Hii, I am Shovona, a freelance commercial photographer who resides in the economic hub of India, Mumbai. As an artist, freelancer and a businesswoman, money, and creativity always intrigue me and I am passionate enough to share my knowledge with others too.

Feel free to contact me for any portrait, corporate, food, product photography related queries or just drop a hi! at

shovonakar@gmail.com

#coronaindia #mumbaiphotographer #femalephotographer #portraitphotographer #commercialphotographer #freelancecommercialphotographer