Photo Tip #93: Post-Production Series #1: Free Digital Photography Editing Software
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Greetings Fellow Photographers!
Today I am starting a fun three-part series to give you some post-production tips for editing your photos. Editing is an important step that happens between taking the photo and ordering it as a print or other photo product.
Just about every professional photo you see (prints, magazines, newspapers, professional online galleries, etc.) has been edited in some form or another. There are all kinds of photo editing tools out there that you can install on your computer and use to edit your photos. Some editing tools can cost hundreds of dollars, which is likely more than you want to spend, unless you are a professional photographer. So, I have put together a list below of some of my favorite editing tools for both Macs and PCs. And best of all: they are FREE! Of course, most of these programs allow you to purchase an upgraded version that includes more features, but the free versions are a great way to get started with editing your photos.
 Basic Tools:
Pixia
Pixia is a simple and easy program made for people who want to do very basic touch up edits, or just have fun editing their images in general. This program saves images in original resolution.
Download Pixia (PC and Mac) |
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 Picasa
Picasa is a tool from Google used mostly to organize your photos, through it also has some photo editing capability. It is easy to use and a popular tool to store and edit your photos in one place.
Download Picasa (PC and Mac) |
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 Windows 7/Vista Editor
The new Windows photo editor that is built into Windows 7 and Vista operating systems is a great editing tool for PC users. It is fast and easy to use, and is already installed on your computer if you are running Windows 7 or Vista. |
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 Photoscape
Photoscape is both a photo viewer and editing tool. Both aspects are basic but easy to use. The program also saves files in their original resolution. All in all, this is a good tool for easily organizing your photos as well as performing basic edits and effects. Photoscape is an easy download and requires no registration.
Download Photoscape (PC and Mac) |
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Your Online Account!
Your online account has a photo editing interface that allows you to adjust certain elements of your photo as well as crop your photo to specific print sizes. No installation is required; to open the editing interface, click "My Web Folders," select a photo, and click the "Edit Photo" option from the "Edit" drop down menu.
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More Advanced Tools:
 Photo Plus SE
Photo Plus SE is a fun and easy program that looks almost exactly like Photoshop, so it is a good tool to use to get familiar with how Photoshop works (if you eventually want to purchase Photoshop). The program is easy to download and install. A nice advantage is that it saves files in their original resolution, which is great for uploading and ordering prints and other photo products of your edited photos.
Download Photo Plus SE (PC) |
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 Gimp
Gimp is an impressive program that is loaded with lots of ways to manipulate your images. Features range from basic adjustments to advanced tools, and the tool is generally easy to use.
Download Gimp (PC)
Download Gimp (Mac) |
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 Paint.Net
Paint.NET is an image and photo editing software tool for PCs only (it does not work on Macs). The tool utilizes a wide variety of useful and powerful features, and looks a lot like Photoshop. The tool also includes an active online community that provides help, tutorials, and plug-ins.
Download Paint.Net (PC) |
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 One Last Thing...
One important thing to remember is that no matter which editing tool you use, the edited version of the photo that appears on your screen might look different than the print you order. This is because some monitors are not calibrated correctly, so certain colors or other editing elements will look different on your monitor than on the print. To resolve this issue, you can purchase a relatively inexpensive calibration system, such as X-Rite Eye-One Display LT. You can also search online for other free calibration tests or information on how to adjust your monitor settings. Lastly, you should always print a small test print before you order a larger print to make sure the small "test" print looks good.
That's all for now. Next time I will discuss the basics of editing your photos! |
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Thanks for everyone that has shared their photos with me since the last email! Here are a few shots that stood out to me.
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 "I was hiking around Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, WI and had to get a close-up of this milkweed plant. There was a breeze and the natural light was just right." – Erin
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 "I took this picture on the Nature Trail at the Sterling State Park in Michigan. It was a spur of the moment shot that I loved! With the sun behind him it makes him look like he is glowing!" – Kim
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 "I was bored the other day and the sun was shining in our daughter's room ever so nicely, so I decided that it was time to take her 6 month old pictures. I took one of our bed sheets as a backdrop and I stuck pillows under it so that she could sit. I took some leftover roses from our wedding and put them in a basket. Then, I dressed my daughter and sat her by the basket. I just found out the she thinks that it's really funny if you sneeze, so that's how I got the reaction in the picture. I love this picture of her and so does the rest of the family so I thought that I would share it with you. I hope you like it!" – Liz
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