If you can’t shoot like a professional, then at least you can try to edit like one.
I strongly maintain that with the litany of advanced digital cameras available on the market today, it is nearly impossible to shoot a bad photo. However, it can still happen. That’s where editing skills come in handy.
As with anything in life, when it comes to photo editing, practice makes perfect. Of course, having decent photo editing software is also important, but how do you choose the perfect program?
Some editing tools can set you back hundreds of dollars, while others allow you to edit your photos from the comfort of home for FREE! The following editing tools can be used on both Macs and PCs. The standard services are free, but most offer upgraded versions that include additional advanced features, which might come in handy once you become familiar with the editing process.
Among the most popular photo editing software are:
Gimp: This amazing photo editing software comes with an impressive list of features, including: Image enhancements (red-eye removal, color saturation, sepia toning, turning photos to sketches), painting tools (such as brushes, pencils, airbrushes, and cloning tools that can turn your photos into works of art), and animation (includes MNG support, bluebox, and frame navigator).
Picasa: This photo editing tool from Google is used mostly to organize photos, but can also be used to crop, eliminate red-eye and enhance images.
Pixia: This program is ideal if you are making minor adjustments to your photos. The easy-to-use software does basic touch-up edits and saves images in original resolution.
Photoscape: Provides basic editing tools to enhance photos, including cropping, color saturation and red-eye removal. It also features a tool that will help you organize your photos.
Photo Plus SE: If you cannot afford a version of Photoshop (an advanced editing tool used by many professional photographers), then give Photo Plus SE a try. It’s like the beginner’s version of Photoshop. It is very easy to download and install, plus it saves files in their original resolution, which is great for uploading and ordering prints.
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