Editing Pictures is Hard Work

Update: Google has been going through and labeling all my old posts as a violation of the community rules when there are broken links to services. This is incredibly dumb on on their part and annoying on mine. This is the problem with allowing an alogorithm to pick and choose for you. Yes, some of these sites no longer exist, like Streamzoo (which Google seems to have a great disdain for as nearly every psost I created and shared a Streamzoo link to a photo has been flagged. It used to be a photosharing app competing with Instagram and now it's just a trigger for Google's algorithm. I swear, the more I use Google the more I don't want to. 

Lists! Lists are great, aren't they? There are lists just about everywhere, for just about everything. There are lists of psychological disorders, lists of comic book characters and lists of yellow flowers.

Right now we're going to list photo-editing software that aren't Photoshop. Why? Because I saw an article recently that listed photograph editing software that wasn't Photoshop and there seemed to be a few missing.

So, without further adieu:

Free Options, because who doesn't like free?

• GIMP, primarily Linux distros, but can work on Windows and Mac OS
• Paint.NET, Microsoft Windows
• Pixlr, browser based, Flash required. Plus mobile apps
• PicMonkey, browser based
• Picasa, Windows and Mac
• Creative Kit, browser based editor encased within Picasaweb.google.com and Google+ photos
• Pics.io, not released yet
• Darktable, Mac and Linux distros. Not available for Windows users
• Photopos, Windows
• CinePaint, an offshoot of GIMP, Mac, Linux, Windows
• PaintStar, Windows
• Inkscape, Windows, Ubuntu, Mac
• Artweaver, free and paid, Windows
• Splashup, browser based
• RawTherapee, Linux, Mac and Windows
• SumoPaint, browser based, free and paid
• Fotoflexer, browser based
• Picfull, browser based, more like Instagram with filters than a true photo editing service
• Fotor, browser based, similar to PicMonkey and CreativeKit.
• Seashore, open-source Mac
• Image Tricks, also for Mac. Comes in free and Pro versions.
• Streamzoo, - No longer in service.

Paid Options, because you just need a little more than free can provide.

• OnOne, price varies depending on product
• Nik Software, $150 (more of an add-on to Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperature)
• Corel Photo Editor, $59
• DxO, price varies depending on product
• Pixelmator, $15 in the Mac Store
• Capture One, price varies depending on product 
• ACD, $59 as of this blog's posting

There are hordes of more paid options out there, including the software that came with your camera, software sold at the check-out lane in box stores and many more options. Aside from the free category, I tried to keep this list to options prosumers or semi-professionals and more might use.

I should also note, Adobe is moving their suite of services to a subscription soon, leaving the buy once and done model behind. They're calling this new service Creative Cloud. Adobe Revel is also cloud-based, but downloads of their apps are for Apple products only at this time, it seems.

Mobile Options, because you're always on the go.

I'm not going to sit here and list all the great mobile apps, because well, frankly, I don't know all the mobile apps and since mobile photo editing is still an incredibly open market, there are gazillions of them out there, most of which I haven't tried. However, +Colby Brown has cataloged a bunch of them HERE and HERE on his website.

Personally, I have used Snapseed, Streamzoo, Pixlr Express, Camera360, The Photographer's Ephemeris and can attest to all of them being worth their while.

From the Denver Art Museum

Oh, and here's a pretty picture for your troubles: