What Editing Tool Can't You Live Without?

Auto color correct

In which software Iris? I hate the one in CS6, it breaks my stuff :/

Sharpening. Without it the images can look blurry.

I only have CS2, so tools are limited to say the least. But I have been able to do a lot with those limited tools.

Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of unsharp mask. Takes a gentle touch, tho.

By the same token, why does high pass sharpen even exist??

All of them.

Even high pass sharpen David?? :P

https://www.imageenlarger.com/

It fixes,enlarges....I need it !

Picasa 3......only other, no p/shop/too stupid me.

Okay, I can live without that one, I never use it. I just use too many different tools all the time on many different images to say which one I can't live without, all I can say is it depends on which image I'm working on. I heavily manipulate all my images and always use several to many different tools to do it. If you picked any tool I use often and told me I could not longer use it I'd have to consider quitting this game and stick to traditional media...that might not be a bad idea anyway. lol

Susan have you tried Krita? It is like the free version of Photoshop and it has good tools. Also I am trying Flame Painter 4 Demo and looks awesome for effects like fire, lines, etc...

Never seen that one before VIVA! For an enlarger it sure doesn't output very big images, though I guess if you start with something small 4500px is definitely an improvement. Do you use it at the biggest size and does it really keep the quality of the image? I use Benvista to enlarge images that need enlarging, but it'll cost ya.

Sandu, it's not software I'm asking about, it's specific tools in software. I have Krita but I've never used it (I don't think). Do you have a favorite Krita tool?

I have Flame Painter on my iPad, I have used that one once or twice.

Unsharp mask and smudge in Gimp.

although I love to play with all the filters like warp and light effects but the above two are the ones I use the most often.

I fail at smudge, I'm much better with blur, LOL! I have Gimp but don't think I've ever used that either. Does it have cool filters Shelli? Maybe I should actually open my programs list once in awhile. I'm beginning to think I'm stuck in a software rut.

The clone tool!

Heal

Ooh, good one Jessica! Clone is very handy, ain't it?


Oh yesyesyes, assuming heal is like content aware fill? I couldn't live without CAF either. Okay, so my THREE favorite tools are...

Also, nobody ever expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Susan it really does have so many cool things you can do with it I could never list them all here. It took me years of experimenting and tutorials on You Tube to learn what I know and I feel like I have only scratched the surface. Gimp is the only editing software I use atm. I do feel like it is worth the effort although I have never used PSP so I can't say which I would like better. :)

Adding: I also do use clone quite often. lol forgot that one.

Hmm, Ima gonna have to check out Gimp. I'm sure the copy I have is ancient, guess I'll have to download the newest one.

I am still using 2.8 , I should probably get the new version too. haha

Has anyone used the desktop version of Affinity Photo? I love the app but when I downloaded the trial of the desktop version all I saw was STEEP LEARNING CURVE flashing in neon red in front of my eyes.

Do you know what version they're up to Shelli?

Susan said: "... why does high pass sharpen even exist??"

I don't have that on CS2. What is that?

I used to use "unsharpen mask", but now I use "smart sharpen" with the slider. I get better results.

I also like grain filters on some images, especially ones that are more illustration-oriented. They get a little too stark otherwise.

It's a tool in PSP. As to what it is, as far as I can tell it's the best way to ruin your art.

I'm the opposite, I used to always use sharpen a lonnnnng time ago but now I'm pretty much exclusively an unsharp gurl. The trick to unsharp is keeping your radius really low. And you can't do good digital without grain filters! B&W photos too. Though I tend to use a light hand with grain too, I do use it fairly often. I like that you can fade it in Photoshop.

The newest release of Gimp is 2.10.20

I am not sure I want to upgrade and risk not knowing how to use the new one.

I like my rut.

Steve Cossey (Jestephotography),

RE: "Bryce"

Do you think with a little experience with Bryce, I could turn my Feral Coot cartoons into animations?

I have always loved that image. And it makes me want a pet aardvark.

Thanks Jeste. I am overrun with fractal software, so many I haven't even played with yet.

Crop/Straighten in Lightroom. I shoot a lot of my photos by hand without a tripod so I frequently need to straighten out the horizon line.

Lightroom is the one program that I use for every single image. Even when I edit an image in another program, I do my last edits in Lightroom so I can embed the tags, description and title ect. My other main programs are Affinity Photo and Gimp but I have 6 different programs I use and I use them each for different things depending on what I'm looking for. My new favorite is the Tone tool in Affinity Photo. It's my newest program I bought this year and have been redoing just about all my older photos with that program.

Good topic! I have been using many versions of Photoshop form 7.0 and up. My most important tool that I use is the magic wand.

Clone and Heal in GIMP.

GIMP is still the best free program out there IMHO. Taking the time to learn it is worth doing.

I'm kinda glad we live in an instant society where folks don't slow down a bit. The competition would be that much stiffer.

What have you compared it to Glenn, all the big names?

FYI

Affinity Photo

Is

@

1.8.5

Glenn,

Thanks for cluing me in on "Clone" & "Heal"

Sure beats Eye dropper> Textured Paint Brush> Textured Smudge

I love Picasa for my first round of edits. Their straighten tool is the easiest I have seen, I like their crop tool, and I somtimes use their retouch tool. Then I move to Photoshoph Elements for next level of edits. Layer masks are a must, and I also like the tool where you can multiply, darken, screen, soft overlay, etc. To answer your actual question, Susan, I think layer masks are probably my top must-have tool.

@ Susan,

What Big Names in the world of FREE are you referring to? GIMP is backhandedly referred to as the Poor Man's Photoshop. But closer inspection and there is a world of learning that can be done to expand and improve one's performance with the program. It isn't just the regular FREEWARE. It goes beyond.

I regularly use Picasa, GIMP, and Fotosketcher.

 

The Gizmo 3D manipulator, a universal feature for ZBrush, providing a new way to move, rotate and scale 3D digital models.

ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting.
It's also a gateway to all manner of transformative tools -- twist, taper, stretch, etc.

Perspective issues can be readily resolved by delving into the myriad possibilities.
I tried other digital modeling programs before finding ZBrush.

A more organic approach to modeling -- think 'digital clay'. Yes, really.     :)

Planned & saved back when -- circa 2010 -- to acquire the program. Worth it.


https://carmenhathaway.com/3D Digital Modeling

Ohohoh, sorry, I missed the word "free" Glenn. I was hoping you were gonna tell me it's better than PS. I love PS... Adobe, not so much. That's why I was looking at desktop Affinity but it's not at all like the app and I'm not up for all that there learnin' all over again.

I have a few ,,liquid tool,curve tool, distort effects,HDR toning and shadow and high lights. I use the online adobe CC program I pay for monthly this way I get all the latest updates, I have all the other software with it and never use it....lol

I especially like Luminosity in PS. It's great on metals and shiny stuff.

I hate the way Shadow and Light work in CS6. It makes me nuts that it keeps the changes I used last time and I have to drag everything back to the beginning. I hope they fixed that in CC.

Clone tool

I only work on my cell phone, so there is an editor comes with the galary and I down loaded a free photoshop Express. I could live without them.

I can't live without my physical brush and oil paint to do the real hands-on editing on canvas. 😊

I agree with Glenn on Gimp. It's by far the best free program and closest to photoshop. I don't have PS so I use gimp and Affinity in it's place. I love Affinity and got it this year, but it still doesn't have all the functions Gimp has like oil painting and light filters for example. Yes I also love the clone and heal tools in both Gimp and LR. The impainting brush in Affinity is also amazing to remove things from photos.

Roger, I have not used Bryce for years, back in the day it did many things but it was clunkyyyyy and resource intensive. It took a long time to render a single image.

Glenn said: "GIMP is still the best free program out there IMHO. Taking the time to learn it is worth doing."

I heartily agree. I have spent over 5 years learning it and still feel like I have only scratched the surface.

@Jennifer Thanks for mentioning Affinity! I checked it out and it is next on my "treat myself" list!

 

By the way -- anyone interested in exploring basic 3D digital modeling -- check this out.

https://zbrushcore.com/mini/index.php


This is not a monetary generating affiliate link -- just a fun, free, program with amazing tools to enjoy digital clay.

It's very similar to one I experimented with before getting into the full ZBrush program.

Further to fav tools -- in another learning curve today, I find myself learning how to work with dynamic gravity in the modeling process.
For example, draping one plane/object onto another -- around, onto, into, yada yada....

The advantage of this new editing tool in terms of use for correction is it makes surfaces even more malleable.

I likely can live without it, but apparently, I won't have to.   ;)
 

https://carmenhathaway.com/3D Digital Modeling

PSssst: A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. ~ Anon

Adobe Light Room and Adobe Photoshop only $10 per month.

A bunch of them, but if I had to pick one, the one that zaps sensor dust...

Hmmm, probably healing brush in Photoshop. Great pimple destroyer.

LR for editing color and Ps healing brush and removing objects