Finding the Right Editing Software

I miss PaintShop Pro.

On my old Windows computer, I felt I had a good setup when it came to photo editing. I used Corel PaintShop Pro and had been doing so since 2009, when I bought my first D-SLR. I knew the workflow and liked the results I got from my photos.

When I bought my Sony α6700, PSP couldn't recognize the file format and my pictures didn't look right. They looked pixelated and muddy, almost as though I shot the photos with a log-type format, to which I'd add a LUT in processing.

Before I had my MacBook, I would have to use DW's to edit my photos, using Pixelmator. This software gave me much better results, though I found it wasn't as robust as PSP. The photos I've processed through Pixelmator are okay but not to the level I enjoyed with PSP.

I then learned that Sony had its own editing software, which was free, so I downloaded it. I found it a bit better than Photomator but I still didn't have the extent of tools that I loved in PSP. For example, I can't create vignettes around the photos, nor can I use masks to isolate the changes I want to make.

I feel that I'm limited in my post-processing creativity when I use these tools.

Usually, when I want to edit photos on my Mac, I either double-click the file, which launches the Sony editing app, by default, or I open Photomator and then open the files that I want to edit. But the other day, as I was about to edit some photos, I went to the file, right-clicked it, and saw that I could open the file with a number of apps, including one I never saw before.

It's called Image Playground.

Curious, I opened the photo file in this app and learned that it's an AI editing assistant. Instead of sliding controls for contrast, white balance, colour vibrancy, and other tools, you describe the change that you want to make to the photo, and AI does the rest.

Because it was such a dark and grey day on this particular walk around Pink Lake, in Gatineau Park, the RAW image had lots of shadows, making the rock and path very dark. I wanted to lighten them up, but still keep the mood, and apply a vignetting effect.

I typed instructions to add the vignette effect around the image, and it did it. However, I found the image too dark, so instructed the app to lighten the middle of the image—twice, until it looked better.

Here's the result:

With this version saved, I went back to the RAW file and opened it in the Sony editor. I applied changes until I was satisfied and saved the image. Here it is:

It's a bit bland and everything seems muted I wanted it to pop, so I then opened the RAW file in Photomator and made other edits:

Which of these three edits on the MacBook do you prefer?

I don't like how Image Playground changed the aspect ratio of the photo but I like the effects that it applied. The Sony app is fairly limiting, and the Photomator image looks better than either, IMHO.

I then took the basic Sony-edited photo and opened it in PSP, on my Windows machine, and did further editing. Here's what I got:

What do you think? Of all the edits, which photo do you prefer? Leave me your thoughts in the Comments section.

It might be more work but I may do a two-step photo workflow with the photos I shoot on my Sony α6700, editing them first on the MacBook and then further editing on my Windows PC. When I use my Nikon D750 (which I've neglected for most of this year), I'll continue to work on my Windows computer with PSP, without going through the MacBook first.

It's all about finding the right editing software to get the best results.

Happy Friday!