What Are Photoshop Actions?

If you are somebody that takes a lot of images, you are going to be very aware of Photoshop. This is one of the most popular editing software programs you can get and it can transform the style and power of your images. Of course, it can take a while to learn how to operate Photoshop. Sometimes, it can feel like it takes ages just to edit a few shots.

But, the good news is that it does not have to be this way. There is one thing, in particular, that is going to make your life a lot easier. Introducing Photoshop Actions. Simply, this is a series of editing instructions. When this operates, it is going to make changes for you. This saves you a lot of time and hassle. You can program Photoshop actions to perform whatever you want. This means that you can run the same editing task on each of your images. Think about it as a process you can create in Photoshop and it does the work for you.

What Are Their Benefits?

Why should you use Photoshop Actions? Well, this automation of tasks is going to make editing quick and fun again. You can forget the days that you spent manually editing images and it takes away hours of your life. With Photoshop Actions, you can choose the editing processes you want to take place and the program will run itself. This allows you to edit a lot of images quickly and efficiently.

There can be a lot of time and effort going into editing so any process that is going to make this easier is appreciated. For instance, you may want to do visual effects and really work on the images you have taken. So, Photoshop Actions is really going to help if you have a deadline or you are pushed for time. Alternatively, templates can help you with your projects. There are some available if you use DaVinci Resolve.

What’s more, another great thing about Photoshop Actions is that you are going to lower the risk of error. When you are editing manually and after hours of work, you can make mistakes. But, this does not happen with Photoshop Actions. Since this process is dealt with for you and in the same format, this creates consistent results. You can enjoy peace of mind when you use this and this is particularly true if you are editing a lot of important shots.

Where Do I Find Photoshop Actions?

If you want to use Photoshop Actions, you probably want to know how to get started. Well, there are a few ways you can do this. Let’s start with the menu. From here, you are going to click on ‘window’ and then ‘actions.’  There are also some other things you can try. For example, if you would prefer to use a keyboard shortcut, you can simply use Alt + F9. This is going to allow you to access Photoshop Actions. Another way is to look for the Play Button. This should be located in the toolbar on your computer.

Then, the next step is going to be choosing the action you want the program to run. All you have to do is click the right one and this is going to tick the box. For instance, you could select cast shadow, wood frame or water reflection. The next thing you have to do is select the ‘play selections’ button. This is represented by a triangle. Now, your image should be edited the way you want it to be and you do not have to do any of the hard work.

What we love about Photoshop Actions is how easy it is to get started. It only takes you a few minutes to access and you can select the editing you want. Once you have done it once, you will feel comfortable using it and creating different settings. If you have not tried Photoshop Actions yet, we recommend giving it a try. If you have a lot of photos you want to edit but do not have the time, this could be the answer you have been looking for. You do not have to manually go through all of the images and make the changes. Instead, this is going to edit the photo the way you want to.

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Photo editing helps web designers enhance the content provided by their clients to make it a perfect fit for their projects. Because humans have visual orientation, both your clients and their audiences need to wow at the photos and visual content on the website you’re designing. These seven photo editing tips will help you do that.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 1. Blurring

No matter what your client sells, blurring will be a really important tool in your photo editing journey. Knowing how to remove background noise and enhance the focal point of whatever the photo shows are paramount to both you and your client. It’s important to know how to use blurring tools. Sometimes a blur will be used to bring visual interest, sometimes, it’s to make something specific in the photo stand out. In the example below, taken from the portfolio website of the Livefront design studio, you can see how tactical blurring gives the impression of a specific store, but the focus is on the new app.

The blur allows you to give background information and feelings without detracting from the main idea. One great lesser-known tool for blurring is Canva. The web app allows you to select what type of blur you’d like to apply to your photo as well as a range of how much to blur a specific photo. This grants a good deal of control and helps you add just the right touch to your client’s website.

2. Cropping

Cropping is one of those understated yet all-important rules that every web designer should know how to use. There are two main use cases for cropping. The first Is to apply the rule of thirds, which allows you to use human psychology to present an image that is visually appealing and interesting. Design Webkit’s Max Therry notes that “Placing items of interest on the thirds of an image is more pleasing to the eye than centering or other more symmetrical approaches.” You can use the rule of thirds to help guide viewers to a specific item you want to draw attention to. Eye movement is not random. Here’s a diagram to show how to use the rule of thirds to direct a browser’s attention.

The other use case for cropping, as known and celebrated by influencers everywhere, is to simply cut out unwanted elements from your photos. Sometimes you have an unwanted photo bomber, sometimes the aspect just isn’t quite right. There are a lot of instances where a handy crop will allow you to create a better photo for your website.

3. Highlights and Shadows

Highlights are a simple and unobtrusive way to make an element pop out, while shadows add richness and depth. Playing with the color balance of an image’s highlights and shadows can be especially helpful when your client has given you a photo that maybe didn’t capture the full tonal range in a scene. In the below example from Digicam Help, you can see two versions of a photo that is too exposed and too dark, respectively.

Your eyes can detect 10000 levels of light, from complete darkness to utter light. A digital camera can only do about half of that. That’s why you’ll often get a picture that is washed out, or the subject is too dark. Luckily, many tools offer the ability to edit the highlights and shadows of a photo. One that is simple and straightforward to use is Snapseed, which is free. Google owns it, so it’s a powerful little app that gives you a lot of control in the palm of your hand. With Snapseed, you can easily fix the shadows and darkness of a photo to bring your vision to life.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 4. Pre-set Filters

No matter what kind of client you have, they will want to be consistent in their imagery and branding. This may feel like a bit of a pain, but it’s actually good news for you. Technology has become advanced enough to allow filters to move beyond the basic photo editing tools that Instagram offered to photo editing tools that are powerful enough to use professionally.

One quick way to ensure that you’re giving your clients content consistent branding is by using preset filters. These filters can be created once and then applied again and again, ensuring that all of the photos for your client’s website look and feel the same while saving you time and energy. Filtertune is one example of an app that allows you to create your own filters and browse existing filters for inspiration.

5. Saturation

Most photo editors know how important it is to increase the saturation of photos. Casual Instagrammers know that bringing saturation adds a level of intensity, warmth, and color to a photo. However, web designers know that saturation plays an important role in both directions. Sometimes adding saturation is necessary. Sometimes removing it is more important. Either way, the saturation levels of a photo affect the mood and energy the photo brings to a client’s website.

Applying saturated colors can be excellent for accents. Removing the saturation from backgrounds can help redirect focus where it should go.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 6. Color Theory

Color theory is remarkably important to web designers. Using color to evoke feelings and emotions plays a vital role in web design, whether selecting a background color or editing the photos that appear on the client’s website. There are a few examples of how to edit photos to play with color theory. The first is the most obvious – using a dominant color to tell a story. For example, you might use the color yellow to indicate warmth and happiness. A web designer can use that knowledge to add a cohesive narrative to the content a client provides.

The second is subtler, but no less important: color harmony. There are certain color combinations that are more pleasing to the human eye. As web designers know, it’s important to balance grabbing a viewer’s attention without fatiguing their eyes. Relying on color harmony to edit photos can help maximize that balance. Above, Amaury Descours of Photo Video Creative shares the same shot with two different color harmony schemes applied, exemplifying how the mood shifts as a result.

7. Remove Backgrounds

Blurring is one option to address the focus of an image. For a starker approach, every web designer should know how and when to remove the background altogether. Removing the background gives web designers more options – for example, the ability to add a new background altogether or whether to focus on the white space. White space (or negative space) in web design helps balance the different elements of a page and gives users a navigation guide for the website.

TouchRetouch is a great tool focused on background removal. It gives a lot of options, not just removing the whole background. It’s possible to remove single elements (think telephone wires and the like) or remove the background altogether.

Web Designers Who Know Aspects of Photo Editing Will Be in High Demand

Web designers understand that photos play an important role for their clients. High-quality photography matters, but it’s just the start of the intersection of art and psychology that web designers master in order to design a website their clients will love. Knowing how and when to edit the content their clients provide for the website is what separates a good web designer from a great one. Hopefully, these seven tips will be useful to bring web design to the next level.

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Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop Using Actions

Using Photoshop actions, you can easily turn any photo into a professional pencil sketch in just a few seconds. Some actions create a black and white drawing while others allow you to colorize the finished work. At the same time, they can be applied to different types of photographs, not only to portraits.

The tools will automatically apply all the necessary adjustments. All you need to do is download the Sketch Photoshop Actions Bundle and install them in the program. After that, you will get a set of settings, brushes, and patterns. 

Furthermore, the tools work with JPG and RAW files, can be installed in all versions of Ps, starting with CS3. 

Step 1. Add Actions in Photoshop

First, launch the download and note down which folder the ATN file was saved to. In the software, find the Actions panel. If it is not immediately visible in your workplace, go to the top Window tab and you will find it in the drop-down list. Alternatively, press the Alt+F9 key combination. 

In the upper right corner of the separate Actions window that just appeared, find the tiny button marked with an inverted triangle next to three horizontal lines. The drop-down menu is where you can load new actions. Recollect where that ATN file is stored and open it to start the upload. 

Step 2. Add Patterns in Photoshop

Add patterns to Photoshop if needed. To do this, select Edit – Presets – Preset Manager. In the last section, select Preset Type – Patterns and click the Load button.

Step 3. Import Brushes

To add new brushes, first select this tool as a working tool. After that click on the triangle near to the active brush image. After that, you need to select the import brushes item and specify the path to the files.

Step 4. Apply Actions to the Photo

Proceed with opening an image you were planning to alter and applying the newly added action to it. The latter action will be performed after you click on the special button at the bottom of the same window that’s shaped like a triangle on aside. 

Step 5. Adjust the Received Effect

The intensity of the effect is standardized but you can make alterations. Those can either be applied to the entire group of layers compiling that action or to the specific ones within it. If you want to work with the group, activate it by clicking the folder button it’s marked with. After that action, you can work on the proper levels of effect intensity and overall layer opacity.

Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop – Next Method

The next method will take more time. However, you will have absolute control over each step with the ability to adjust the necessary parameters as you’re setting them. This method allows you to have the fine pencil strokes defining the shapes as well as some smoother shading that is characteristic of a pencil drawing. In case you do not have Photoshop on your PC, we advise you to use the free online sketching photo editor which supports all the following steps of the tutorial. 

Step 1. Open a Photo and Create a Duplicate

Launch the program and open the necessary image in the workplace. You will find the “Open…”  command in the “File” tab. Start with creating a duplicate layer using the Ctrl/Cmd+J key combination.

Step 2. Create a Black & White Layer

That new layer should now be turned monochrome. To do this, use the Ctl/Cmd+Shift+U command. After that repeat the duplicating step from above for this new layer.

Step 3. Apply Inverting

For the top B&W layer, you should apply inversion by calling this action in the Adjustments section of the Image tab. It can be activated faster with the Ctrl/Cmd+I keyboard shortcut.

Step 4. Change the Blending Mode

We advise Color Dodge which is hidden under the default Normal mode, still in the window for layers. The list can be expanded by simply clicking on that name. This will turn everything white but that is the correct part of the process.

Step 5. Use Blur

Going back to the top tabs, select the Blur line of the Filter tab and click on the Gaussian mode there. Wiggle the slider around to find where you start getting those nice thin outlines. That is the main part done.

Step 6. Add Pencil Strokes

After providing you with an outline, many tutorials explaining the ways to convert photo to sketch in Photoshop stop. However, if you want to have that shading which is particular of pencil drawing techniques, group those monochrome layers by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+G while they are all selected. After that, duplicate the resulting group using the command you already know.

Step 7. Apply Blurring

Apply the Gaussian Blur to the primary layer in our freshly made group similar to the way you did it earlier. The shading can be softened or made more intense.

Step 8. Blend Layers in the Group

Working with the whole group, pick the Darken mode to blend the layers. After that, move the opacity slider to get a good effect and make one more duplicate of the group.  Now, activate the top layer in our copy, and cast Gaussian Blur over it again. Keep pulling the slider until the final shading becomes satisfactory.

Step 9. Masking the Effect

Add a black mask by holding the Alt/Option key while you’re clicking on the dedicated mask layer button. 

Now get a brush by pressing the B key, make its edges soft and make sure to paint with pure white but only at 30% of the opacity. Now you can indulge in a fun process of personally adding the shading where the program didn’t. 

Step 10. Sharpen the Pencil Strokes

This step requires a composite layer that can be generated by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Windows) Cmd+Option+Shift+E (Mac) while the top layer selected. 

You should blend it with the rest using the Overlay mode. 

Go to the Filter tab and within the Other sub-item find High Pass. Don’t hesitate to tweak it to obtain the most appealing effect. 

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Many Photoshop photo filters are in fact Photoshop actions. If this word means nothing to you the explanation is very simple: an action is a set of pre-recorded steps used to apply a certain effect in photo editing. What makes an action great is that if you have one you don’t need to fulfill all these steps. The action does everything instead of you on a single click. Great, isn’t it?

Photoshop photo filters are very useful not only for the beginners but also for the professionals. It is true, that being familiar with Photoshop you can easily create an action with the help of the Photoshop action panel. But the question price is your valuable time. If it is possible to save it and get the same result why should you reinvent the wheel? One more advantage of using Photoshop photo filters is that they can become a fascinating source of new ideas and to boost your creativity. This is a good reason to buy Photoshop actions, don’t you agree?

One of the most popular spheres of photography is making portraits. Most people like being photographed. A photo session quite often becomes a very special event not only for young women and children but also for serious men, business ladies, and elderly people. Photography is an awesome art which is able to change the people’s self-esteem and to make them look at themselves or at their friends or relatives from a completely different point of view. Here are some gorgeous Photoshop portrait actions which will stimulate your imagination for sure and help you in the creation of unforgettable portraits.

Coolest Photoshop Photo Filters at your Disposal

50 DISTRESSED Texture Overlays

Change the texture of your pictures by applying one of these Photoshop photo filters and enjoy the extraordinary effect. There are 50 different textures to choose from, so feel free to experiment!

GRANITE Ambient Photoshop Actions Set

If you want to add dark and dreamlike tones to your work, this set is exactly what you need. This set includes 8 Ambient Photoshop photo filters, 6 Film Grain Presets, 3 Vignette Blur Methods, and 3 Photo Sharpening Actions

20 Retro Matte Filters

Use any of the 20 quality Photoshop photo filters of this set to add a mesmerizing touch of the past to your portraits.

Digital Art – Photoshop Action

Turn your picture into a marvelous watercolor painting with a touch of this filter. There are 64 unique watercolor brushes to help you. The results will charm you for sure.

Fire Effect – Photoshop Action

This fantastic action enables you to use the main fire generating action as well as an action to change the flames. There is also a brushes pack which consists of 40 unique flames.

Space Photoshop Action

Create an intense space effect on your subject with this breathtaking Photoshop photo filter. Besides that, you have lots of layer control after the action has finished adjusting the design according to your wish.

Smoke Photoshop Action

This Photoshop photo filter adds professional smoke effects to your photos in an easy way! The action works on an area of the image you define by brushing. You also can use advanced customization possibilities: blending modes, adjustment layers, and layer masks.

Light Effect – Photoshop Action

Make your pictures look ephemeral with the help of this Light Effect Photoshop action. Besides the main generating effect you get a “Light Brushes.abr” brushes pack which consists of 36 unique light rays.

Bohemia Photoshop Actions

This set of boho-style Photoshop portrait actions is great for the creation of blog imagery, ads, and travel photography. Achieve the best results and form your own authentic style!

Pro Oil Paint Photoshop Action

Make your portraits look irresistible and realistic by applying this Pro Oil Paint Photoshop photo filter. Take into consideration that your pictures stay easy edible and you can continue playing with different effects.

HDR FX – Photoshop Action

HDR FX transforms your photos into artwork. Use this Photoshop photo filter for creating crisper pictures, change the tonality and extract details from every corner of your photo. There are 32 Color Styles which you can adjust to 3 levels Local Contrast FX and 4 Levels Sharpness to make your photos fantastically clear.

Dark Photography Photoshop Actions

This is an amazing collection of 10 professional Photoshop photo filters that can be used for portrait, nature and travel photography. They will give a touch of an adventure mood and vintage style to your work.

Duotone Photoshop Actions

This actions set includes 30 Fully editable ATN actions alongside with 5 kinds of Textures. It is incredibly easy to change colors according to your needs and taste to give your pictures a unique style.

Hope Photo Action

This striking Photoshop photo filter recreates the President Obama’s Hope poster used during his presidential campaign in 2008. This is one of the most recognizable pieces of street art of all time. Transform your portrait into such an amazing poster with one click using this action.

12 Matte Pastel Photoshop Actions

Matte Pastels is a set of film-like Photoshop photo filters inspired by the style of Masashi Wakui, a famous Japanese photographer. The set consists of 12 awesome matte pastels effects to add a touch of an enigma to your works.

“BARE” Neutral Colored Filters

Enjoy the gentle softness produced by the Photoshop photo filters of this set. There are 7 different filters to choose from. All actions are tucked in a folder for an organized look. Edit any picture effortlessly and stay creative

Peony Photoshop Action

Peony is an admirable way to give your photography rich natural toning for, fashion and fine-art. It will help to get rid of dull greens and florals you are tired of. This Photoshop portrait action is a perfect solution which will add volume and color depth.

UNIQUE Photoshop Actions

UNIQUE is a bundle of High-End Photoshop Photo Filters which guaranty you professional results and speeding up of your workflow. These 40 actions are created for portraits, fashion photography, editorial, lifestyle, and everything in between.

20 Pop Art Photoshop Actions

This wonderful set of 20 Photoshop portrait actions will provide you with beautiful Instant Pop Art. Every layer is editable, so you can tweak nearly everything. The original image will remain unchanged. Get inspired and experiment.

Reddish Pro Photoshop Action

Reddish Photoshop Action offers you a subtle film-like processing and saturated colors in the shadows. Its natural toning is ideal for portrait and fashion photography because it allows achieving Perfect fresh skin tones.

As you see, there are many stunning Photoshop photo filters which are worth your attention. Buy Photoshop actions and boost your creativity right now!

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Good authentic-looking art stock photos, which don’t make you laugh at them and which can, with your effort, become an authentic art piece, are out there. Here are some strategies for finding images that can become real art in the future.

Unconventional Approach to Art Stock Photos

They say that to make your wish come true, you need to formulate it right. The same goes for choosing pics at stock platforms! Start with the most accurate search requests and use filters. For example, Depositphotos can give you an opportunity to browse through the Best Choice, Newest Files, and files never downloaded before. Filtering, according to the narrowest topic possible, will show you only images that suit your request completely. Besides, applying the non-stocky filters, which enable excluding too trivial images, can also be very helpful for art creators. This way, you will get access to so-called less stocky art stock photos in no time.

One more thing before starting your art project is to make up your mind on the palette and colors. In most of the stock galleries, filters allow you to pick not only photo orientation but also prevailing colors, including monochrome and black-and-white images. By choosing colors that coincide with your color palette, the pictures picked will seamlessly blend into your layout.

If you decided to create an art composition, you should start by selecting several art stock photos or images as a basis for the future thing. Always choose a few ‘spare’ pictures for the project as creating something is a very unexpected process, and if any of the previously selected images don’t fit, you can always use the fall-backs.

Find the Inspiration

If you haven’t defined your topic clearly or if your muse has left you along the way, the shortest way out is to search for the ideas online. Google the most powerful stock photography trends and art tendencies. Look through the portfolios of other authors, browse art stock photos, watch movies about art and artists, visit social network profiles of some creative freaks, and more. It does not mean that you need to copy other artists’ works. The thing you should do is to draw inspiration and then develop your style.

Don’t limit yourself with the traditional rules – change the prospective, create strange objects and things, move elements, put them in the unique positions, and mix them individually. You can even combine art objects or images from different styles and epochs to emphasize their contrast or similarity. Space is not the final frontier!

Then try to imagine your audience. What people is this artwork aimed at? Who are its viewers? Moreover, consider the purpose of your project and the message you would like to convey using it. The more different target audience you can attract with your artwork, the more customers will be interested in buying it or using it. Afterward, select that tools which will facilitate achieving this goal.

Pick The Right Tools for Art Stock Photos

We all know those fantastic stories about the guys who create their genial artworks with some simple painting or even non-painting apps. However, if you chose the most appropriate and convenient tool for your work and suitable art stock photos, you are already halfway through.

One of the most well-known tools for both professionals and amateurs is Photoshop. Using it, you can easily create an image from scratch or mix as many pictures as you wish. Work with layers, apply filters, and special effects to different elements of your image, use various Photoshop brushes and overlay modes.

One more popular tool, which suits the art purpose perfectly, is GIMP. This one is free. It also has a set of instruments for color-correct, filters, masks, and layers. Although the number of tools is limited, you can still make collages, images, and even videos with the help of it.

The next contestant is the right choice for those who prefer online photo editing without downloading special apps to your PC or tablet. Crello is an online editor that enables creating beautiful images with the help of pre-defined and pre-designed layouts and templates. They are also adaptable and open to modifications. So, this tool will work for you even if you are a newbie in the world of digital art.

Other famous Photoshop analogs are Photo Pos Pro, Photoshop Online, Krira, Paint.NET, ChocoFlop, Cinepaint, Pixia, Pixen, Splashup, Picnic, and many more. Most of them are a bit less functional and powerful, then leading Photoshop and GIMP, though each of them has its unique features and tricks. So each of them is worth trying!

Unity and Harmony

The first step is to choose the main or the core image out of your bunch of art stock photos. The artwork combination starts from it. Select the picture which attracts your attention and begin to build new layers around it. If the first variant doesn’t look harmonious enough, change the location, size, and rotation of different elements. Try out adding new exclusive details, though still be moderate. Don’t overload the final art item with too many details. In the end, your artworks should form a cohesive whole.

The next stage is working out the composition. Here you will need the rules from traditional art. Probably, the most well-known of them is the rule of thirds that claims that the point of interest must lie in the intersection of the lines, which can hypothetically divide the image into three equal parts horizontally and vertically.

The golden ratio is another traditional composition rule, known due to the ancient Greeks and Leonardo da Vinci. They say that the golden ratio was applied during the building of the Parthenon and other famous Greek architectural constructions, paintings, and sculptures. The guides help align objects and develop a connection between them. One can also apply them to create a complex graphic composition.

Choosing Art Stock Photos for a Masterpiece

Picking art stock photos doesn’t have to be a complicated process. However, it requires more effort, attention, and significant consideration than just a random download. Formulate your artwork’s aim and the message you want to convey. Then choose high-quality images from a reputable stock gallery and make sure they all suit the core image. Use various filters and ways of formulating your request to select the less stocky ones.

If you implement these tips while choosing your art stock photos or images and making artworks out of them, then you’re sure to achieve your goal.

The post How to Choose Art Stock Photos One Can Turn into Artworks appeared first on DesignWebKit.

But before you decide to take that trip down memory lane, take a quick look at these common photography trends and techniques “Then and Now” to decide if you are really ready to give up that DSLR.

Color Correction and Effects

Concept photo of Adobe Photoshop workspace

Photoshop, or other post-processing software, make a color correction or adding color effects to images as easy as moving sliders in dedicated windows. Adjusting color in film processing is a complex set of steps that include using filters over-developed images to determine the exact color and strength of the cast to adjust (or add), and then adding the correct amount of chemicals in the color filtration enlarger to achieve the desired results. Usually through lots of trial and error.

In both cases, filters can be added to the front of the lens BEFORE the shot is taken to achieve the desired cast. Which means, of course, that you must own and carry the said filters at all times just in case you need them.

Dodge and Burn

Historical photographic enlarger and vintage camera, darkroom equipment, sepia tone

The process of dodging (lightening areas of a photo) or burning (darkening areas of the photo) is again easily achieved using tools from the toolbar in your favorite post-processing software.

In the film, this is done in the darkroom by covering (dodging) or exposing (burning) the area of the image to be affected for longer periods during the print paper exposure. This also means processing the image, identifying the area to adjust, and then creating the exact template to place over the print while exposing the new image.

Exposure in Photography

Speaking of exposure, this is an area today that we often find ourselves using those handy sliders in post-processing (seeing a trend here?). That is, of course, if you didn’t use the histogram display on your DSLR to correct the exposure settings in real-time.

Film cameras don’t come with a histogram. Film shooting means taking readings with a light meter and using the results to manually set shutter speed and aperture. And if you don’t get it correct in-camera, there is always the old doge and burn method described above.

Composites in Photography

Compositing elements in post-processing can be an outlet of creative thinking for so many. And while this takes more advanced post-processing skills, there really is nothing you can’t isolate, copy, overlay, duplicate, remove, or double expose in the finished image if you so choose.

In the film, you have two choices. You can double expose a frame in-camera – with little control over the resulting image, or you can learn to work in the darkroom with tiny cutouts. Basically, it is a matter of cutting out the area of an image you want in the final result, overlaying that template on the print area exposed to the area of the image to expose, and repeating with each element you want in the image – making sure that you correctly control the layering, exposure, and opacity of each object. And if you make a mistake, you start all over again.

Removing Elements

Who hasn’t learned to love Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop? Simply lasso the area to be removed, and then tweak the tool to control how to magically remove it from the image. In the film, the process of composting is done in reverse. A template of the area to remove must be produced and used to hide the element in the final print and then the inverse used to include what you want to be in its place.

White Balance in Photography

Detailed close-up of an old film strip

The correct way to control white balance today is to choose the right setting in the camera, but we don’t always remember to do that. That’s when those white balance adjustment sliders, or even that handy eyedropper control, makes adjusting white balance snap-in post-processing.

In the film, white balance is controlled by the film you use. Film rolls come in daylight balanced or tungsten balance. Using the wrong one will result in the color cast issue mentioned above. You can “trick” daylight film into looking correct by using a daylight-balanced flash for the image, or you can get really familiar with the chemical compounds used in darkroom developing.

Number of Images

Today memory cards are larger and cheaper than ever before. I carry 64GB, 128GB and even 256GB cards on every shoot. Being able to quickly switch cards when traveling, even backing up to portable hard drives and reusing cards, means never running out of capacity for capturing images.

The film comes in 24-36 shots. That’s what a roll of the film gives you. Need more than that, then carry lots, and lots, and lots of rolls of film at all times. Especially if you are taking pictures on an extended trip.

Traveling Photography

Speaking of traveling, a digital camera owner will never think about an x-ray machine. They just do not affect memory cards. Film camera owners must think about x-ray machines. X-ray machines can damage sensitive film by causing all your beautiful images to develop a fog. The airport authority will tell you that anything up to ISO 800 film should be safe going through the machine. But do you want to take the chance? The best bet is to pack (all) your rolls of film in lead-lined film bags just to be safe.

That’s not to say that going old fashioned is always a bad thing, and photography trends are out of the question. Making ourselves slow down, think about all the aspects that go into a shot, and knowing we only have a limited number of attempts to get it right can help to challenge our creativity. And quite possibly make us better photographers – no matter what type of camera we use.

Images copyright Dreamtime Stock Photos.

The post Now vs. Then – A Look at Photography Before the Digital Age appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Facebook is not the best solution to store your images; that’s why numerous useful websites can help you to store, organize, share, and edit photos. The sites we collected here will make your life much easier by automatically photo upload, cloud storage, group photo sharing, and other amazing features. Just scroll down and choose what website suits your needs the most. Besides these, you should also look into service scheduling software to help you book clients easier.

1. Photo Sharing Websites – 500PX

Since 2009 this website encourages users to upload their best photography works. 500PX is a great place to find inspiration, gain exposure for your photographs, and connect with other photographers. This website works in the following way: when you upload a photo, it gets 24 hours to gain popularity.

Other website members like and comment on the photo. The more ‘likes’ you get, obviously, the more popularity your image gain. If your photo does not gain enough ‘likes’, it will be buried under thousands of other images. Moreover, you can get your pictures in front of a million buyers on 500PX and earn money.

2. Photo Sharing Websites – Flickr

Flickr is one of the most popular and old photo-sharing websites out there. A photographer can benefit from uploading photos on Flickr because they have an active community of photographers from all over the globe. Once you upload a photo on your profile, you can share it with different groups, such as macro photography, street photography, portraits, and so on.

They have photographers of all levels of expertise which makes it easier for newbie photographers to stand out. If you are just learning to master the exposure and move past the auto mode, Flick can be a high starting point for you. For $50 per year, you can upload an unlimited number of photos on Flick and use many other features.

3. Photo Sharing Websites – Dropbox

You might have heard about Dropbox already, cloud storage from Google. You can store all sorts of files there, including images. It has a convenient feature that allows you to share any file or folder with a link.

Besides, there is a powerful mobile application that can be used to share, upload, and organize your files from your smartphone. You can make any data available for offline use when you have no internet access.

4. WeTransfer

Wetransfer is an instant photo-sharing website that allows you to send photos or other files up to 2GB for free. It’s the fastest way to share files with people around the world.

Wetransfer works pretty simply: you upload the file you want to send, enter your email address and email address of the receiver. After you send files, a receiver gets an email with an upload link. The files are stored on Wetransfer for a week, and then the link expired. For $12 per month, you can send up to 20GB of data.

5. Photo Sharing Websites – Unsplash

Unsplash is a free stock photo website with beautiful images donated by professional photographers. It deserves a spot in this collection because you can download, distribute, and use for commercial purposes these photos without attribution required.

Photographers hope to get noticed or hired through Unsplash. If you open any photo here, you see thousands of downloads. Over 35 million people visit this website every month. Unsplash is one of the best photo-sharing websites because they feature only beautiful, creative, high-quality images. Besides, big fish such as Apple use Unsplash pictures on their campaigns.

6. Photo Sharing Websites – Imgur

Imgur is the best solution if you want to upload photos or animated GIFs without losing quality. It’s favorite free image hosting site for Reddit users.

There is no need to sign up for an account; you can still upload photos there in no time. You can upload an image there and share anywhere on the web using just a link. And, Imgur has a handy mobile app.

7. Photo Sharing Websites – Instagram

Instagram is a well-known, mobile photo-sharing app. Due to statistics, 1 billion users use Instagram every month, and over 100 million posts are shared there per day. It is a massive platform for photographers who want to promote themselves. There are some cool filters that allow you to edit a photo before publication instantly.

You can also use Instagram Stories to share everyday life moments that will disappear in 24 hours. Instagram is a perfect place to share and view photos of other people around the world.

8. Google Photos

Google Photos is one of the best photo storage websites that will automatically back up every photo you take. If you already have a Google account, you can set up Google Photos profile in seconds. It provides you unlimited storage for smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras. Access it on the web or download their handy mobile app.

You can also use Google Photos to edit and organize them by people/places/things. It learns about your photo habits and can do some manual work for you with time.

9. Free Image Hosting

Free Image Hosting is another great site for photo sharing. This website is very similar to Imgur but without a modern layout and hyperlink shortener. At the same time, you can upload any photo on Free Image Hosting and get a short HTML code so that you can share your photo online.

For example, you can use it on blogs. You don’t need to create an account to upload a photo, but the most significant disadvantage is huge ads all over the site.

10. Photo Sharing Websites – 1x.com

After uploading your photo on this photo-sharing website 1x.com, it will be approved or disapproved by a group of professional photographers. Their standards are so high that about 95% of all images are rejected. However, if your photo was published on 1x.com it is great for your portfolio and self-promotion.

Many photographers do not like this website because their images were rejected there numerous times. You can also sell your photos on 1x.com as prints, and you’ll get 50% of the price, and the other half will go to the website.

11. Photo Sharing Websites – Exposure

Create amazing stories and albums with your photos using Exposure. It shows images in an interactive showcase that makes it interesting to see and show to your clients or friends. With different features, you can add text, maps, photos, and even embed videos from Youtube.

Exposure features a clean, minimalist interface design. Use Exposure for business to create a logo, choose a color palette, and see third-party analytics. They also offer Exposure to Sports that allows you to create beautiful, inspiring sports stories for your team and fans.

12. Zenfolio

Zenfolio is an e-commerce platform that allows photographers to organize, share, and sell their images. You can use their templates to create a portfolio in a matter of a click, and then upload your own photography to it.

Create a mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized website and upload as many images to it as you want. Besides, you can also create a blog with your pictures and add text there.

13. Photo Sharing Websites – Behance

Behance is a social media website for creatives from all industries, from photographers to designers and artists. It could be a perfect place to promote your work and allow other users to discover you.

Go to the Photography category on Behance and share your creative work. You can also browse photos of others using the following sections: photojournalism, retouching, and photography. Use Behance to get inspired, share your work, get feedback, and collaborate on projects with other creatives.

14. Photo Sharing Websites – Cluster

Cluster is an excellent solution if you need to share photos with a group of people. For example, you can use Cluster to share images from a party with friends or deliver pictures to your clients. Members can download photos in original file size on a computer or mobile.

As an owner of an album, you can adjust the permissions of every member of the group. Moreover, privacy is one of the best features of the Cluster. You share an album with a person via email and only someone with a link can access this folder.

15. ImageShack

ImageShack is an ideal solution for those of you who are looking for unlimited storage for your photography. It gives you 10GB of space per month free. Don’t hesitate to organize your images and create albums. Share these albums with your clients when you need to deliver photos after a photo shoot.

ImageShack has a minimalist, user-friendly interface similar to Pinterest. You can upgrade your account to Basic for $3.99 per month and get unlimited storage space. Besides, with a paid plan, you can link directly to a photo.

The post 15 Photo Sharing Websites to Store and Promote Your Images Online appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Although the paperless effect in the office is becoming greater and greater, everybody always needs a business card or business card design tips. It is the mainstay of business and something that will never be lost. If you haven’t got an effective business card, you could possibly be missing out on the big clients. Most people fall down with the same common mistakes in business card design. The professionalism of giving your card to a potential client has an overwhelming feeling and something that is memorable. It is also the perfect marketing opportunity.

Not all business cards are the same, however, while some people struggle to know how to make business cards. Surely, you can buy a design of your business card as a part of a well pre-designed business bundle. However, you should take into account differences. If you’re a salesman the design of your business card will be different from the web developer business card design that is just common knowledge. How are they varying though and what business card design tips should be employed for those specific markets? We shall discuss.

Different Business Cards

Most people prefer small business cards. These are very easy to get your hands on with many online printers offering their services to print these. Online printing companies normally also offer their own business card design tips, which are usually very handy. You will need to be careful because some of these available websites also offer business cards which look unprofessional and have a poor design. It’s a narrow line, we know but if you strike the perfect balance you will be reaping in all the rewards. If your business card stands out, has fantastic design and is different from what clients see 100 times a day then you have struck that balance to perfection.

If it is tactile and feels aesthetically pleasing in the hand, again you have done your job right. This will also set you light-years ahead of the competition before a potential client has even looked at your portfolio. Now, do you see the importance in the right business card design tips? Read on to learn more tips on how to ensure you don’t make common mistakes in business card design.

Basic Business Card Design Tips

Whether you’re a freelancer, founder of a big company or have just started up your new baby, there are two big business card design tips which are vital in creating an effective business card design. They are:

• Logo
• Brand color scheme

No matter where you are in the company’s history, both of these things should have been decided months before. It is a theme on your website and portfolio, to begin with. If it isn’t then you have already fallen massively behind the competition. The addition of inspirational brand colors and wordmark logo design not only looks a whole lot better but adds the professional feel to the company in general.

The visual importance cannot be understated. If a potential client looks at your website or business card and isn’t gripped from the get-go then you aren’t going to be getting their business. You do not want to lose their business without them even looking at your portfolio. This tee is an example of the importance of effective business card design. Here are a few tips to improve how you make business cards.

Remember the Basics

Because of the material that the cards are printed on, you must follow the pure basic principles of paper-based design:

• Keep all copy to 5mm from the edge.
• Work at 300dpi.
• Ensure you maintain a minimum size of text to keep legibility.
• Always design in CMYK.

Most people when designing their effective business card design also work on a grid to lay out their cards, this can help you to organize the right information to put on the card and remove any useless information that really doesn’t need to be there. This also ensures that the alignment is correct and everything is sharp and incise, meaning that the client isn’t going to think you’re a novice when you hand them the card, ensuring you have every chance to get the contract you deserve.

Creative Business Card Design Tips

Obviously, there are multiple standard sizes for your business card, depending on where in the world you are, mainly down to the different wallet sizes in the world. So always be prepared for this if you work with international clients. The most typical business card design tip for size is to aim for 55 x 85mm. You will see multiple other suggestions on the web but stick to this.

The canvas is small but you can still get creative and use the space to your benefit. You should first consider the key information that you are looking to pass over, such as your name, e-mail address, number and what it is that you are offering them. The easiest way to do this is to place this information in the best possible place before then getting creative with the rest of the space.

Avoid the Mistakes

Like most areas of business, there are common pitfall areas which many people fall down and that you should be aware of to create the most effective business card. The first tip to ensure bleed. Ensure you provide this on the printer. It is commonly 3mm, but it can also be 5mm. So, just double check before committing to printing.

Another vital importance to avoid in business card design tips is, do not use a straightforward border around the edge of the card. This will show up any misalignment on the final print out if the card isn’t cut to absolute perfection.

Special Finishing

We all want that instant impact when giving our card to a potential client and the obvious way to do so is by using special finish. This will include the blocking of foil, spot UV and metallic inks. Obviously, this will set you back at more of a cost at the printers, but if you get the client because of it then it is worth it in the end.

It will ensure your card is one of the most effective business card designs and will make your card stand out from the crowd. It would be visually impressive and memorable for the client. Printers offer different services depending on where you go so it is always best to ask the question and see what they can do for you. If you go to the best printers they will always offer expert opinions on how to make business cards.

Add the Option of a Designer

If you really want your card to be as effective as possible, you can also search the help of a professionally designed. These can create the perfect card for you that perfectly sums you and the business up. These are not that tough to find and you are best suited to hunting down a site creating templates (including business card templates) like Moto CMS or a freelancer for the gig. The best freelancers can be found on UpWork, OriginWritings and Freelancer, be aware that you will need to pay more for the most experienced and ensure that you check their portfolio to see if they will be a good fit for what you are trying to achieve.

When you have found the right person for you, ensure that you have clear communication and you are open about your company. Explain as precisely as possible what your company does and what you are expecting the card to look like. Always take advantage of the designer’s knowledge and their business card design tips.

Unusual Materials

The vast majority of cards are printed on card stock. Although this is the most cost effective way of printing, it is worth noting that if you wanted to open your price range up to a little, an unusual material from a card is an easy way to separate yourself from the crowd. Nowadays you can print onto transparent plastic, metals, and wood.

Always keep in mind that most clients still prefer to keep cards in their wallets. So, ensure that your final design is still easy to fit in there.

Double Check Your Card

This is probably the most obvious business card design tip. It is a general principle for every piece of print work, check and double check the card. It is worth repeating until you are undeniably happy with it. Check every detail of the artwork before sending off to the printers. Even ask a partner or family member for a second opinion.

“The most embarrassing scenario is handing your card to a potential new client who you are trying to impress before later noticing that you have spelled your own email address wrong. The general rule is to always check twice and print once. It is the most cost-effective way,” says Steven M. Pease, a designer from Write My X and 1Day2Write

Finalize Your Effective Business Card Design

With all the elements in place and with the checking, evaluating and double checking finishing. Examine your card once again and ask yourself, what do you see first? And last? Your cards first attractive feature must be the logo, followed by the name and the necessary information that belongs to your company. The concluding element that should gain your attention should be the secondary image. If the latter grabs your attention before the logo and the information you should change it, you can always optimize the flow by adjusting the elements size and location on the card.

Next, the card should be as simple and clutter-free as possible. If there is information on there that just isn’t needed then you should remove it. The fewer things on the card the more than those things stand out.

A repetition of the last business card design tip again, double check. Does the text read well, is there any mistakes and does the color system work? These are all questions that one should answer before the finalizing of the card. If you have any hesitations get a second or third opinion, make sure it is perfect.

Final Points

If you are working with a designer, you need to ask for the finished product as a vector based PDF before sending. Ensure that there are again no mistakes made and that you are fully happy with the design. Also, this would enable you to change the size of elements on the card. PDF’s are also easy to traceable on every printer.

Your business card is more than that. It is a reflection on you and your company. So if you follow these business card design tips you will be improving the chance of getting a job. You will stand out from the crowd and make your company look every bit as professional as you are.

The post Business Card Design Tips: Avoid The Most Common Mistakes appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Stock Photography Trends: Hard Lighting

The idea of matching solid-coloured backgrounds with bright hard lighting is an upcoming stock photography trend that is hard to ignore. This trend is bound to increase in popularity as it highlights the simplicity, authenticity, and positivity of the subject in focus. A cursory look at clothing posters and catalogs in department stores reveals that hard lighting will continue to be universally accepted into the future. Stock photos with these features will continue to be in demand. It is due to the clean and solid backgrounds which allow the customized use of things like logos and content.

Stock Photography Trends: The Need for Creativity will Rival Authenticity

Although the need for authentic photos will probably remain unaffected, there is a notable increasing trend in stock photography. Fresh and creative ideas are certainly becoming indispensable. An increasing number of photographers already understand this. Moreover, they are using natural settings and incorporate real people and real emotions. Additionally, more photographers will continue to use apps to edit photos and retouch images to achieve more creativity. Click more info to learn more about being more creative with photo editing applications.

Stock Photography Trends: Images that Arouse a Sense of Strength and Freedom will be in Greater Demand

Let’s go ahead into the future. Images that hold an air of magical realism with the intrinsic beauty of ambience and models will gain precedence. Photos with dreamy backlight and warm undertone will become more popular with business owners and photographers.

Latest Photography Trends: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will Radically Transform Image Post-production

In the age of AR and VR, the technology still lacks the ability to copy how photographers compose pictures. The fact that individual personalities are different means that each photographer bears the responsibility of using their intuition when taking shots. Major changes in technology influence how we work and live. Unravelling the secrets behind stock photography trends is a daunting challenge in stock photography. From model, background, and lighting, virtually all aspects of a picture can be changed. And they can be changed to desired specifications or needs using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. In the future, AR and VR will radically transform the post-production aspects of image production.

Current Trends In Photography: Drone-Enabled Aerial Photos

Drone imagery is increasingly becoming the order of the day. There is a growing demand for stunning aerial clips and photography. To capture aerial clips and sell them certain local commercial licensing requirements might be applicable. So it is always advisable to confirm any restrictions before proceeding. Nevertheless, all the leading stock photo agencies will continue to demand great aerial stock photos.

New Photography Trends: Lifestyle

Lifestyle and travel photography have long been dominant in the stock photos arena. Demand has radically increased in the internet and digital eras. In the not so distant past, there was a need for picture-perfect models dressed in high-end designer outfits in the backdrop of office environments. Nonetheless, there has been a notable shift towards more realistic lifestyle shots. Busy messy offices, workers in some dirty dungarees, and normal individuals rather than fancy supermodels. Additionally, there is a growing demand for models from the LGBT community. What is more, there is a greater representation of ethnic or racial minorities. Generally, lifestyle has always been in demand. Now it will continue to be in demand going forward, but there will be certain stock photography trends within the genre.

Stock Photography Trends: Time-Lapse

The demand for time-lapse images has been growing steadily for some time now. This goes hand in hand with the increasing quantity of video content. An ideal time-lapse photo will condense 30 to 60 minutes of coverage into a 10 to 20 seconds video clip that expresses a sense of motion. Producing a time-lapse is often time-consuming. Nevertheless, since they are usually sold as a video they tend to command higher commissions.

Besides time-lapse, hyper-lapse is another form whereby the camera moves through a setting as the shots are taken. Hyper-lapse is more difficult to achieve because any significant inconsistency from the fixed path will be unsteady in the clip. Nonetheless, hyper-lapse can also command an attractive commission.

New Photography Trends: 360-Degree Images

This is a notable trend on the verge of becoming really massive. A couple of stock agencies have realized the appeal and potential of this trend. They have started tapping into this upcoming demand. Many others have yet to go with the flow. The technology is currently in its early stages in terms of cameras and virtual reality headsets. However, the second generation is not that far away and the cost of 360 –degree cameras is set to come down significantly. In fact, this will probably be the next big thing when it comes to stock photography.

Latest Photography Trends: Cosmic Universe

The modern space development technologies, pop culture as well as TV and film are creating visual trends based on outer space environments. In particular, ultraviolet colors are increasingly becoming popular. In fact, this tendency we strongly associate with the concept, which usually presents powerful oranges and deep purple tones in fantastic, futuristic imagery. This suggests that the latest developments in technology, especially in virtual reality and augmented reality, will keep influencing stock photography trends.

Stock Photography Trends: Natural Luxury

When it comes to patterns, most stock photography pros will acknowledge that more people become interested in elegant designs with luxury natural elements. This may not be a new trend. It is a minor upgrade from recent stock photography trends that revolved around the natural design. For instance, although marble was a popular pattern in the recent past, it normally includes more earthy and noble elements now, like tree rings. Consequently, the need for natural patterns has been increasing for some time now. It is therefore important to note that marble-inspired visuals are going to be trendy for quite some time.

Current Trends In Photography: New Minimalism

The neat aesthetics of minimalism will continue to change as we move into the future. In particular, they will reinvent minimalism with an array of exciting, vibrant colors. There will also be simple but powerful patterns like neon circles and continuous lines. Not so long ago, minimalism was highly popular, but at that time it concerned white textures with patterns ranging from complex 3D designs to nature-inspired designs. Nonetheless, all the rage about minimalism predominantly was concerning light or white toned. Choosing neon colors might be a matter of choice. Although it is clear that minimalism will be more accepted if the minimalist-styled image can work better with a specific target audience.

Stock Photography Trends: Conceptual Homes Designed for Efficiency, Ecological Sustainability and Health

While this trend has been here for some time now, its popularity is set to increase. More people become concerned about sustainability issues. Some of the top-selling images for interior spaces have had natural materials and tones, along with luxurious architecture and fixtures. Stock photography industry experts predict that the highest demand for images of homes will be for high-end, luxurious home exteriors and interiors. There will be a growing demand for images of conceptual homes with efficiency, ecological sustainability, and health.

Current Trends In Photography: Global Social Movements

This photography trend is normally in the form of a visual representation of the prevailing social or political affairs. They connect people across the globe in activism for common causes. Images that convey messages of highly social topics that cover a variety of sensitive issues will continue to be trendy. The world becomes increasingly interconnected through technology and media.

However, how long the trend will last will depend on the amount of airtime that the media will give to certain social or political issues. Judging from the current situation, socially aware photos or images will be trendy for substantially longer. The topics are likely to change and evolve with time. Any serious stock photographer will want to ensure that they maintain a sensitive eye when making use of such types of images. Additionally, a serious photographer will ensure that they fully understand the position of the target audience.

Final Words

In a nutshell, this compilation is just a shortcut to gaining deeper insights into the stock photography market. For businesses, these are some of the things you should be looking out for when seeking the perfect stock photos for your website, blog, print media, or social media pages.

The post Top Stock Photography Trends to Look out for in the Future appeared first on DesignWebKit.

These free photo editing apps include:

GIMP

GIMP interface supports raw formats among BMP, JPEG, PSD and TIFF formats.

The next best alternative to Photoshop. It makes use of Photoshop tools such as Liquify to enhance blending and morphing of photos. It also experiences expandability via plugins which can be added at will. What’s more, it comes with a troubleshooting guide and step-by-step tutorials to ease the work for users.

The latest version of GIMP brings together palettes, menus and ALL toolboxes in one window boosting ease of access to make it the best photo editor for pc free. This online photo editor, like Photoshop, supports layers and masks and enables color adjustments and advanced filters. Other amazing features include Lens and Color correction, noise-removal, re-touching, and HDR.

In as much as it is customizable, it experiences a downside as the interface can be pretty confusing for most.

Watermarkly

Watermarkly is a free alternative to Photoshop that allows you to add a watermark, crop, resize, compress images, as well as blur faces and license plates.

Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro has exceptionally intuitive design intended for novice and advanced users.

Photo Pos Pro has exceptionally intuitive design intended for both novice and advanced users. With the novice option, filters are just one-click away and come with automatic adjustments. The advanced option is comparable to Photoshop features. Relevant tools are among healing brushes, superb clone, color refining tools and masks among others. It saves time on routine tasks via batch-editing and scripts. Plugins are available in the form of extra templates and frames.

The major drawback experienced with this free photo editor is the limitation on space and saved files; up to 1,024×2,014 pixels. All in all, it’s among the best free photo editors, but, for a better experience to lovers of this editor, an upgraded Photo Pro Premium is now discounted at US$ 20 (£ 17.67).

Paint.net

Originally came into the market as the better substitute for Microsoft Paint.

Paint.net originally came into the market as the better substitute for Microsoft Paint. It provides a variety of features including automatic filters and manual editing tools. Layers can be supported though there is a necessity to install a plugin for masks.

Default settings come with batch editing thus simplicity in erasing blemishes and distractions. A plus side of this site is the presence of volunteer coders consistently making improvements and increasing efficiency.

This freeware photo editor is considered fast and runs quite well on low-powered desktops and pcs. It receives relatively lower ratings however due to limited options and customizable tools.

Darktable

This freeware photo editor is supported on a number of platforms including Mac and Linux.

Some of the most amazing features of a Darktable package include snapshots, white balance, output color profile, demosaic, monochrome, local contrast, tone curve, highlights, and shadows, making it an online photo editor like Photoshop.

Other defining features are among color correction, lens correction, vignetting and graduated density application. However, it fails to provide windows binaries.

Pixlr Editor

Nothing is hidden behind a paywall with this photo editing app.

This astounding free online editor is the creation of AutoDesk; one of the tech moguls in computer-aided design and 3D modeling software. Thus, it goes without saying the online photo editor like Photoshop, offers an impressive experience for a majority of users with advanced tools.

It has a limited workspace, however, with a prominent ad section on the right-hand side and cannot edit photos in batches. Photoshop-style tools include automatic optimization options; sharpen and unsharpen, blur, masks, noise, levels, curves and artistic filters. All tools are customizable through a ribbon above the workspace and include fills, selection, healing and clone stamp tools.

Photopea

Accepts native Photoshop PSD files, GIMP and Sketch files.

If you are a newbie, it would not be a wonder finding yourself confusing these two good free photo editing apps: Photoshop editor and Photopea. The toolbar section in Photopea is identical to Photoshop and has nested tools which generate similar menus.

This app was not designed as social networking app but rather a genuine substitute for Photoshop. What this implies is that it generally has lesser Instagram-style and effects in comparison to rival editors. Thus, it saves your selfies for a completely different app.

The app runs best on big screens with enhanced pointing devices. It can be downloaded and operated efficiently even when offline. Some features are available for free, but we cannot say it is the best free photo editor ever.  Its premium packages differ according to the number of users and period of use.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Offers a sleek, minimal-list interface that makes it particularly suited for touchscreens.

Available in different forms; including a downloadable app for Windows iOS, Android and free on the browser. The main appeal of this specific photo editor is its simplicity. This also happens to act as the major setback as it lacks the necessary tools, layers, and plugins. It is also impossible to resize or even crop a picture.

The Nik Collection

A combination of seven plugins, each carrying a different focus.

Google made big news in 2016 after announcements that this app will be offered for free. A pretty big leap for the internet provider as this is considered as a powerful online editing tool.

The collection is a combination of seven plugins, each carrying a different focus:

• Analog Efex Pro – focuses on naturalizing digital photos.
• Color Efex Pro – provides tons of filters.
• Silver Efex Pro – focuses on black and white images.
• Viveza – allows alteration of specific colors without filter application.
• Sharpener Pro and Dfine – both improve clarity and noise reduction among other effects.

Seashore

File formats supported by this editor include TIFF, JPEG, XCF and PNG.

One of the good but not best photo editor for pc free, Seashore is open-source and is based on the framework of Mac Cocoa.

It has similar native formatting tools as GIMP and offers pretty much similar features too.

However, it’s not as powerful and effective as Photoshop and GIMP and only has limited common features. These include multiple layers, brush strokes and gradients, Alpha channel support and transparency.

PicMonkey

Most ideal for social media communication.

Social media editing tools are becoming more common by the day. Most commonly such used is the Instagram editor. PicMonkey offers similar special Instagram-like image editing filters like wrinkles remover and blemish removal. These tools may, however, work to your disadvantage and tarnish a good picture.

The web-based editor is currently free and supports BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, and PNG file formats.

The Canvas Prints Photo Editor

The Canvas Prints Photo editor is a comparatively new photo editor that has come into the market as a simple and easy-to-use editor. It has a variety of great features that include filters, resizing, cropping, and transforming. It also allows for the addition of text, shapes, stickers, frames, and background into the photos.
The best part is that this is a free photo editor that has a high efficiency when it comes to low powered devices with lesser RAM on them. This takes up minimal space and makes it easy to operate.
The interface is quite user friendly as well. This makes it the editor of choice by many people who are laymen when it comes to editing and high tech editors make them feel confused.

Good Free Photo Editing Apps Like Photoshop: Concluding Remarks

For a Photoshop alternative to be considered as a good and genuine photo editor for pc, there is a need for more than just a handful of filters and red-eye correction. Good free photo editing apps need to experience simplicity, offer automatic and manual editing tools and enable plugins to fill in gaps in its feature-set.

Explore the alternatives that we’ve highlighted to get the ones that will work for you.

The post Good Free Photo Editing Apps: Alternatives to Photoshop appeared first on DesignWebKit.