All About Photo Editing Programs

The latest digital cameras let amateur photographers make great shots and print them out easily. Some simple editing can turn those snapshots into beautiful pictures. With a good photo editor you can remove that spooky red-eyed look, lighten up the darkened room, and crop out the wires at the top of your screen.  These are only the most basic operations. As you become more comfortable with manipulation, you'll find many other more complex ways of turning your pictures into artwork.

While Adobe Photoshop is still owns the market, the $699 price tag is above the average amateur's price range. Adobe does have a less expensive alternative, but at $99 Adobe Photoshop Elements has little of the power of its older sibling.  

Nikon's Capture beats Elements for power and matches it for ease of use for less than $150 and you don't have to own a Nikon camera to purchase it. There are dozens of comparable apps offered for less than $100 that will handle most simple edits.

There are many free photo editing apps that can be downloaded from the internet.  Picasa, now owned by Google, is probably the best known of these and still free. However, Gimp and Irfanview are not only free, they offer portable versions you can load on a jump drive so you always have your editor with you where ever you are.  

For instant access anywhere, the newest solution is an online editor. FotoFlexor occupies the top spot on Google for online photo editors. It allows you to connect through other online accounts where you may have photos stored. Registration is free and simple. You can retouch, distort, or add fun doodles among many other features.

Some simple editing can turn those snapshots into beautiful pictures

by Answers.com Author, Electronics writer