Picture Editing Software: How to Find the Best Software


If there is one thing you can't lack in your arsenal as a photographer in this modern age, it is picture editing software. Whether you are simply shooting pictures of your dog with your smartphone or a scrumptious plating of Italian cuisine to post on your food blog, good editing software can help turn even the most basic image into a masterpiece.

But with the myriad of picture editing software popping up every day, choosing the best one for your needs can be a little daunting. To help you out, we shall take a look at what constitutes a picture editing software program as well as what to consider when choosing one.

What is picture editing software?

A picture editing software is a computer program used to enhance or manipulate digital images. The very best picture editing software feature an impressive selection of tools, including filters, to help bring your image into focus. With it, you can adjust other metrics like color hues, exposure and white balance to make your picture more appealing.

A few qualities you can manipulate in your photo with editing software include:

  • Exposure — This will help tune the light brightness within your photo.
  • Color balance — Here, you can tune enhance the color intensity in your photo.
  • Saturation — Adjusts the dramatic appearance of the colors in the photo.
  • Noise/grain — This adjusts the distortion or detail between the photo's pixels.
  • Cropping — Cuts your image to a certain dimension.

Now, these are just a few basic functionalities of picture editing software.  Some advanced programs out there like Corel PHOTO-PAINT will let you perform a number of more technical operations like removing backgrounds, layering, healing, cloning and selective adjustments. You also get other artistic functionalities like pencil or brush options to draw on the photo and various textures.

How to find the best software

There are a couple of things that are fundamental to any good picture editing software. They include:

Ease of use

Before anything, the software needs to be easy to use. And this is especially important for a complete novice. The last thing you want is to purchase an app only to spend half the time digging through menus to find that one filter.  The good thing however is, most good software out there are developed intuitively. Everything essential is positioned within reach to allow for an easy user experience. While it might seem difficult at first, you'll find yourself adjusting to it in no time.

Price

While there are a lot of free photo editing software out there, free versions often lack all the features you might need for all your editing needs. Instead, you are advised to go for the paid versions that come with all the tools. Usually, by paying a bit more, you get to unlock a wider array of features. The secret is to start with a trial version of the app. This should let you try out all the features for a certain period. Once you get a feel of the software, you can decide whether to buy the premium version or not.

Features

Finally, you should ask yourself; does the software have all the features you need? Usually, most software will come with the most basic tools, including cropping and resizing, sharpening and blurring, and contrast and color adjustments. However, as we saw, if you are a professional photographer or editor, you will likely need to get a more advanced, paid version of the software like Corel PHOTO-PAINT. This should grant you access to a greater variety of tools, allowing you more options on what you can do with the photo.

Conclusion

That just about sums it up. In summary, photo editing is a crucial process that any serious photographer should incorporate in their process. An expert picture editor will take a RAW image and run it through tons of techniques to finally output a stunning piece of art.

But as we've seen, you can't just settle for any sub-standard software. There are certain fundamental tools that you'll only find in more advanced ones like Corel PHOTO-PAINT, which will add an extra layer to your picture.


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