Currently the visual is first, that is why the phrase “ a picture is worth a thousand words ” is becoming more and more relevant. This is mainly due to social networks, since these have been responsible for giving much importance to the photographs. That is why more and more people are wanting to get better photos , thus turning to different basic and professional editing tools , in order to retouch the images to their liking and give it a higher quality finish.
At the time of capturing a photo, different errors can occur, either due to technical defects, working conditions or lack of equipment for use, but over time this has ceased to be a problem. Retouching was previously unusual , but with technological advances and the internet, the digital edition is often included in photographic processes .
If you want to achieve incredible effects with wonderful touches, in this article we mention which are the best programs to edit images in a basic and professional way . In addition, we teach you to use the most used tools of photographic editors.
What is a photo and image editor? / span>
The editions are processes of retouching of photos and images that serve as its name says, to improve or give a different appearance to a photograph . That is, to redesign or modify something you did not like, or simply to improve some aspect.
The objective of these is to achieve the effect that people are looking for in a portrait, since at the time of the shot they could have produced different errors such as, for example, that the image has a lot of air, little or a lot of lighting , lack of contrast, noise , among others.
What are the most used and useful effects of image editors?
In any editor that uses there are functions that are basic and very useful when it comes to improving, retouching and perfecting a photograph. Without using large editors or greater effects you can improve the appearance of your images in minutes with these simple tools that we point out below.
Improve the framing
When taking a picture, achieving a perfect framing is extremely important . This is usually done prior to the capture of the photo, but the appropriate proportions may not have been achieved.
That’s why we go to an editor, through the function of “ crop ” it is possible to highlight what you really want, this is called re-binding. With this tool you can select what you don’t like, delete it and keep what you want to highlight. So that the image is adapted to the desired parameters and a symmetry is achieved between all the parts.
Depending on its format, the photo frame has several options:
- Standard format 3: 2 (W x H)
- Intermediate formats 4: 3
- Square
- Panoramic
According to image orientation:
- Vertical framing
- Horizontal framing
Turn
Through these tools you can improve the structure of the photo , that is, redefine its dimensions. In this case with the “ rotate ” function you can make the image get a different direction, either horizontal or vertical . This way you don’t have to worry if the picture was taken with a different orientation, with one click you can correct it.
Reflect
Reflecting an image is to make a mirror effect of a portrait from different angles , depending on what you want to achieve, whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal as many times as you want. Mostly this type of reflections is used for landscape photos, however it can be done for any photograph, thus achieving surprising changes.
Trim
Cropping an image is quite simple , with this you can eliminate everything you did not like and that in turn is shown in the photo, such as people or objects. With just one click you can adjust the dimensions of your image, and if you are not satisfied with the result you can reset it as many times as you want.
Retouching and color enhancement
When we talk about color we must mention three points that are relevant; brightness, contrast and saturation . It is necessary in some cases to adjust the colors of the photos, through this tool you can also correct the tone, hue, value or brightness and the color format (RGB, CMYK, HSV) , and either to improve or simply to give a warm look or a more classic effect to photography.
Use of collage effect
The collage effect consists of gathering a series of photos selected and grouped into a single image . This composition can be done by cutting out other illustrations by gathering a certain number of them and creating a new photograph composed of others.
Filter application
The use of filters has become very common, so much so that there are even platforms that already have the default use of filters, including we can highlight Instagram and WhatsApp , to name a few. Filters are a series of alternatives that help stylize photographs. Through them different effects are sought , as some try to highlight the colors while others qualify them, according to what you are looking for, choose the one you consider that highlights your features the most.
Activate beauty mode
If you want to look perfect, you just have to activate beauty mode . In some publishers there is this option, which basically consists of correcting and perfecting the features making the skin look cleaner. You can find this by opening the editor’s camera and activating it so that you see yourself in real time, or after making the image and doing it as a touch up.
Automatic optimization
With this tool the editor will correct the photo automatically, for example colors, sharpness, contrast, among others. According to what needs to be improved in the photo optimization.
What are the most used and useful effects of the editors of images?
Knowing exactly what the best effects are is impossible, as this depends on the photograph that has been taken and the adjustments that are needed according to the perspectives of the editor. However, some of the most used effects are:
Dispersion / Disintegration
It is a very interesting effect that consists of using a series of tools to disperse the figure of the main character, generating the effect that it seems that it is disintegrating . There are different types of dispersion: of smoke, of particles, of dust and others that vary according to the imagination of who is editing.
Black and White
The black and white effect is a classic that never goes out of style because it brings a lot of elegance to each photograph, giving it a more professional look. In addition, in this way they manage to hide various imperfections of the main character, embellishing his figure and giving it a more serious air.
Sepia
Another classic that gives warmth to each image where it is used. Like the previous one, it works perfectly to hide imperfections of the protagonist or even add an old and melancholic feeling to the photograph.
Blurred
This effect consists in making certain areas of the photograph look blurred or blurred, which can be perfectly used to generate greater depth of field and highlight an element of the scene.
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Mosaic
This effect consists of changing the texture of the image so that it looks like a real mosaic. It is a very useful artistic element of great value, there are many alternatives and types of mosaic, whether brick, hexagonal, square, with grid, with puzzle pieces, with other smaller images and a long etc.
What are the best applications and programs to edit photos and infographics?
Currently, photography has revolutionized and with it photographic retouching. Therefore, this has led to the constant creation of applications and programs to edit photos and create infographics, making the visual to be the order of the day. Despite this, not everyone shares the same functions, and even many of them need to pay a fee to enjoy their services. That’s why in this part we have prepared a list with some of these that can help you get a better result in your photos:
Free Online Tools without downloads
If you want to retouch your photos or design infographics but do not want to download any program on your computer, here are some easy and simple online editors that can help you.
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Canva
It is a website with graphic design tools , which could be considered as one of the most complete free online publishers. Even if you have a subscription that offers more features, from the free adaptation you can make good photo designs, create infographics, advertisements, resumes , among others.
Piktochart
It is an application that is based on the web and allows you to create different designs easily and for free. It serves to design infographics and any visual element through the use of templates of different themes offered by the platform, or it also gives you the option that from there you can make one from scratch and to your liking.
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Ipiccy photo editor
This is a free editor that allows you to retouch images online , is simple to use and provides basic tools to personalize photos. When you access the page, in the main menu it shows you three options among them, edit a photo, create a collage or make a design from scratch , once you select what you want to do you just have to start and be creative.
Aviary
It is a basic online photo editor, which offers the possibility to modify images quickly. Although it looks simple, it offers great tools to make your photo something exceptional. Aviary can not only be used from the browser, so if you want to download it to your phone we tell you that ex are versions for Apple and Android .
Easel.ly
It is a program that is used to create infographics or edit predefined photos , which allows anyone to design and share images. The difference of this online platform compared to others is that this makes it easy for you to make adjustments to a pattern and modify something that is not to your liking . However, many templates offered are paid, but there are some that are free and can be used without problems.
Professional photo editors
If you want to be a professional edited photos, you should know that generally professional publishers are paid, this for offering tools of another level and quality. But, there are also other more accessible alternatives that can be used, where some of them provide very good functions with which great images can be achieved.
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a premium editor of raster graphics and professional photos . Especially this is widely used by photographers and graphic designers, since it is very complete. The limitations that exist in this program are based on the knowledge you have about it, as this allows you to do everything, from retouching a simple image, to changing something of it , such as color of clothes.
Indesign
It is an exclusive editor very similar to the previous one, but with the difference that it is used for the digital composition of pages. It is also widely used to make infographics, brochures, create and edit images , offering numerous filters to make different designs adapted to your tastes and needs.