Backpacker Magazine – March 2010

Shoot Photos Like a Pro: Photo Editing Software

Refine your work with these top programs.

by: Steve Howe

Tags:
• Skills
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• Digital Cameras
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Picasa and Apple iLife 09
Pros Let you organize photos into albums; easy, one-click editing and resizing; manually geotag shots in Google Earth; great for sharing photos with friends (iLife links to Facebook and Flickr); can be used to buy prints and posters; iLife also edits movies and burns DVDs
Cons Allow only basic editing adjustments
Best for Casual photographers who want hassle-free editing and easy photo-sharing features Picasa: Mac/PC; free; picasa.google.com. iLife: Mac only; $79 (comes with most Macs); apple.com/ilife

Corel Paint Shop Pro PhotO X2
Pros Processes some RAW files; can do basic edits as well as more advanced fixes, such as changing perspectives to eliminate converging lines and combining different images to get the perfect exposure (HDR photos); auto-saves original files
Cons PC only; doesn’t support RAW files from all cameras
Best for Advanced enthusiasts who want more editing control at a bargain price PC only; $99; corel.com

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Pros Includes basic editing tools as well as advanced; handles RAW files; allows you to create panoramas, correct skin tones, change perspectives, and merge photos of pals by combining the best individual portraits into one image (Group Shot); saves editing history of each shot so you can dial back if you turn the sky green
Cons More complex to learn; no batch processing; compresses files every time you save, which slightly reduces quality. (Need more organization and searchability, better photo quality, or to process lots of files? Upgrade to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, $261.)
Best for Serious photographers Mac/PC; $99; adobe.com

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