Photo Editing Software

Choosing the proper photo editing software is a very important part of a digital photographer’s arsenal.

Good software is key to a smooth workflow.

The smoother your workflow, the faster you process your photos.

With the added advantage that you get the finished photos to your loved ones or clients sooner than expected.

It is strongly recommended that you get most of the shot right in-camera. However, there are a lot of creative options for you when using photo manipulation software.

I use and recommend Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom 2.

Adobe is a strong and easily recognizable brand and it is because they have great products. And they are priced for demanding users.

As far as workflow is concerned, Lightroom 2 is by far the faster of the two.

Adobe Photoshop is a very powerful tool and it requires a lot of time to get the most from it.

If you are primarily a digital photographer, Lightroom 2 is the way to go.

Quick Recommendations

There are so many choices when it comes to digital photography software. For starters, I would recommend finding a product you are comfortable with before moving on to other software to handle specific needs.

If you want a general purpose Photo editor/viewer/manipulator, there are so many great, free choices.

Picasa (opens in a new browser window) is probably a good choice for basic edits and viewing.

Irfanview (opens in a new browser window) may be more powerful and more portable but it may take some getting used to.

If you want industry-leading software and you have the money for it then go ahead with Adobe and its excellent products. (Opens in a new browser window)

Lightroom 2 is geared for the digital photographer and is significantly cheaper than Adobe Photoshop.

Love your camera. Love yourself. Love your photos.