PhotoLine and Flickr

[OldRadioGuy]

This relates to Herbert's"What do you use Photoline for?" inquiry.

http://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3421

Here in the states Flickr is a popular website for both amateur and professional photographers to post their images. There are groups for virtually every camera and software package related to photography.

I recently began posting some of my material there and looked for a PhotoLine group. I found two -- one with 22 members, inactive for 24 months and the other with 26 members, inactive for 13 months.

In contrast, there are too many very-active groups to count for Lightroom, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, PaintShop Pro and even PhotoPlus.

What does this suggest about PhotoLine? Are photographers only a small percentage of PhotoLine's user base? Or do photographers using PhotoLine elect to use a sharing site other than Flickr?

Bob

[Herbert123]

"We are the elite, the select few..."

Seriously, for some reason or other I was not aware of Photoline's existence either during the last 15 years as a professional working in graphics. Only 5 months ago I "discovered" this small gem after scourging the web these last three years for a viable Photoshop alternative. I can't explain it, but for this: findability. Photoline is hard to find on the web. Its presence is minimal, unfortunately, and I believe it has mainly to do with that magic ingredient called "findability". Also, the current website does not help either (working on that, though).

Photoline also is a bit tough to put in a definite category, since it does do a lot of vector and dtp stuff as well. And can even be used as a pdf editor.

And because it's hard to find anyone mentioning Photoline on the web or in almost any online community, it results in a lack of interest, and therefore a lack of tutorials, reviews, and so on, and so forth. Bit like the chicken and the egg, I suppose. There is almost no media coverage at all. On the other hand, I do firmly believe the coming year will bring some change in this.

Also, once a brand (like Photoshop, Elements, Paintshop, Lightroom, Gimp, etc) has a foothold, it becomes quite difficult to force a breach - can be done, though: look at how well Pixelmator has done in just a couple of years. Much younger than Photoline, and, in contrast to Photoline, their identity and branding is great - although technically and feature-wise it can't really be compared to Photoline (which is on par with Photoshop's image editing capabilities in my opinion). Pixelmator therefore does not even try to become a second Photoshop (neither does/should Photoline), but rather carved out its niche in the market as the prime "beautiful" affordable mac-only image editing app.

Myriad of reasons, and no reasons at all. Sometimes it just is what it is!

In the meantime, the one thing we can do about this is have the Photoline community make their voice heard in forums, social community sites, etc. That's what I do.

[Hoogo]

Flickr, now that you mention it... One of the attempts to make PL more present in the internet, already forgot about it I should see if I remember its usage and upload something.

And there's a page at facebook, also not very active.

[Gianni_Maselli]

I subscribed to one of those groups. Dunno which one: the first I've encountered, the one with the better icon.
Both of them seem to be in a coma. I've posted some pictures but I haven't been followed by anyone.

[LightsOn]

I subscribed to one of those groups. Dunno which one: the first I've encountered, the one with the better icon. Both of them seem to be in a coma. I've posted some pictures but I haven't been followed by anyone.

Of course not, Flickr is a monster with too many groups! What did you expect?!

[akeller]

*

[GM1968]

I totally agree with Herbert123.

I just bought Photoline now but I searched a long time. I discovered Photoline adding an image to my favorites on Deviantart ... Here http://gabrielm1968.deviantart.com/favo ... 2#/d5q832i Thank you xmas-kitty...

Since then, I asked my first matte painting made ​​with Photoline (I am not a specialist in this discipline...) : http://gabrielm1968.deviantart.com/#/d5ttppc

but also editing (3D + Photo) http://gabrielm1968.deviantart.com/#/d5tp2vy ...

Each time, I am proud to say that the image is passed through Photoline to be performed.

I also posted a topic on the French site Diablotine 3D ... : http://www.3d-diablotine.com/viewtopic. ... 65&t=18169

If everyone does the same thing, Photoline be more visible.

The act of creating specific sections in forums will not know more. We need to talk outside the "little world" of Photoline.

Photoline only have 8 like as an alternative to Photoshop (including mine) http://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/

PS : Sorry for my english (Thank you google translate)... Mais heureusement pour moi : Photoline fonctionne aussi en Français !

[Juan]

Photoline only have 8 like as an alternative to Photoshop (including mine) http://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/

That´s really cool, I just added my vote as well, all PL users around here could stop by there and add their vote too

Cheers
Juan

[akeller]

*

[akeller]

I subscribed to one of those groups. Dunno which one: the first I've encountered, the one with the better icon.
Both of them seem to be in a coma. I've posted some pictures but I haven't been followed by anyone.

But now user G.M. is in coma

Always the same, only the others should perform.

****** **** *******!!

I'm so very tired

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

[OldRadioGuy]

And there's a page at facebook, also not very active.

Only 31 "Likes"!

What does that tell you?

Bob

[OldRadioGuy]

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Andreas, say it isn't so!

Bob

[Gianni_Maselli]

But now user G.M. is in coma

Always the same, only the others should perform.

I'm not in a coma. I've been reading this forum everyday and the next spring I intend to write a couple of Tutorials.
I like PL, It's the best alternative and deserves them. To get the best from your picture it's although advisable to use PL with a good, dedicated raw processor.

Bye

[greenmorpher]

Going back to basics -- the promotion of PL on the internet -- I subscribe to DPReview m43 forum and nearly always mention PP in PL. But to be frank, I'm not actively promoting it any longer. I am tired of having to explain the interface and the grotty manual.

Further, although I find PL does some things very well for me, it does not do (many) other things or does them poorly compared with Canvas X on Mac which hasn’t been supported for 7 years and was poorly supported for two or three years before that (it's up to v.14 on Windows though).

Even in some of the things it does which Canvas does not do, e.g. HDR, PL is deficient. Lowly point and shoot cameras now do in-camera HDR that is better!

I am classed here as a power user. I am not. Recently, a new user posted a link to a review he did of PL on another forum. I was stunned -- I honestly did not understand 90% of what he was talking about.

I get the title because I have posted frequently, that’s all, and very often those posts have been to find out how to do something simple -- most recently, how to invert a lasso selection. The Hubers call that inverting a mask. When I make a lasso selection, I (like, I believe, 99% of other people using a photo editing program) am focusing on what is inside the lasso while the Hubers focus on what is outside -- which they see as masked. Fine -- but there is no way I am going to waste even one minute of my life explaining that to an incredulous forum, and further, explaining why the Hubers, fine engineers that they undoubtedly are, will not entertain at least indexing the action both ways.

Oh -- there you go -- the "e" word. "Engineers".

And then there's the whole manual saga. Sigh!

As I say, I find PL a good tool for some photo editing that I do but it is simple stuff, and it's also handy for creating barcodes. I find it disappointing in some other ways. And I wouldn’t even bother thinking about using it for DTP.

Cheers, geoff

[LightsOn]

I'm not in a coma. I've been reading this forum everyday and the next spring I intend to write a couple of Tutorials.

Good idea, but don't forget, Big Brother is watching you ... and little brother too!