First camera and now need to edit photos!

photolisa · Dec 29, 2012

Hey all!

I just got a new T4i as my first dslr for Christmas and I love it!! But the downside is its sooooo easy to take a lot of photos. Well now, I am tasked with having to edit these photos.

I have used photoshop and lightroom in the past at school, but now want to try some online apps that make it a lot more user friendly.

I found photocat the other day and found it pretty useful and want to give a review and find out what professionals think of these types of apps.

First with cute graphics as icons on the side, users can easily upload photos from their pc or connect with facebook, and start basic editing such as rotation, cropping, straightener, etc.

The software also has many borders, filters, font and other effects that can be used to create stylish photos.

Another feature I like is their retouch features such as spray tan, slimming, makeup, wrinkle remover and more. Its alot easier to ps a photo

More advanced features include the ability to colorsplash your photo, blur your photo and pixellate areas of your photo with a few clicks

Lastly, once editing my photos, its very easy to create and share with my friends and make an endless amount of collages.

What do you guys think? I know its not photoshop, but it does a pretty good job at a lot of the features.

nathfromslg · Dec 29, 2012

learn PS or Lightroom it will fetch you more in future!

STIC · Dec 29, 2012

thetrue · Dec 29, 2012

*sniff, sniff* does it smell a little bit like canned ham in here?

Buckster · Dec 29, 2012

thetrue said:
*sniff, sniff* does it smell a little bit like canned ham in here?

Yeah, a bit...

thetrue · Dec 29, 2012

Well thought out though. Bravo on the attempt.

GrantH · Dec 29, 2012

Instaspam!

SCraig · Dec 29, 2012

photolisa said:
and find out what professionals think of these types of apps.

To be quite honest, just on the off chance that this isn't a spam message, you'll never find a true professional there even if they paid them. It may be nice for kids, but nothing else. Just a clone of several other sites out there doing the same thing.

KmH · Dec 29, 2012

Using that application, you are doing minimal editing. You're applying canned edits to your photos someone else came up with, and your photos will look like everyone else's canned edited photos.

You're sure not alone. Lots of people want their photos to have all the currently popular edits, which is why that application exists.

With Photoshop and Lightroom, you have more opportunity for creativity.

User friendly = Easy button.

Ysarex · Dec 29, 2012

You guys are being a little harsh here. Have you tried it? Check out the awesome edit I did to my duck photo.

Three mouse clicks is all it took! They have these filters that make your photo look like it was taken with retro-expired film -- so cool. You know how hard it is to get that awesome look for real?! You have to drive around all summer with film in your glove compartment. With Photo Cat it's just a mouse click away.

I put this on Facebook 10 minutes ago and already I'm gettin' new :thumbup::thumbup:

Bookmarked!!

Joe

o hey tyler · Dec 29, 2012

I use this website for every wedding I shoot.

Straight JPEG, and straight to the online action based cloud image editor. Best. Workflow. EVER.

Mully · Dec 29, 2012

Tacky Edit is what it should be called.

photolisa · Dec 29, 2012

Thanks for your responses. I didn't realize that there was a such a high standard for newbies to achieve, but I did ask for opinions :wink:

I agree alot of people will have the same looking photos with similiar filters (but it also depends on lighting in pictures), but look at how successful instagram is (before the ownership debacle). Although it seems many on here detest it, look how more successful it is than lets say most other photo editing software.

With all of these online apps springing up (that have more to offer than just filters), there are millions and millions of users who use them. Though I still prefer photoshop and lightroom for sure, these online apps have already taken a big bite out of photoshop with one main feature, FREE.

thetrue · Dec 29, 2012

On the bright side, we find out you're actually human, and at least mildly interested in taking part in TPF.
I don't think it's actually taking anything at all from PS or LR... Realistically it would be taking from where Instagram failed (in selling to Facebook) and it seems to be less useful than even Picasa. Just my opinion. I can make all those cool effects with a couple mouse clicks AND I even get to control their intensity!

:rolls eyes:

Ysarex · Dec 29, 2012

photolisa said:
Thanks for your responses. I didn't realize that there was a such a high standard for newbies to achieve, but I did ask for opinions I agree alot of people will have the same looking photos with similiar filters (but it also depends on lighting in pictures), but look at how successful instagram is (before the ownership debacle). Although it seems many on here detest it, look how more successful it is than lets say most other photo editing software.

With all of these online apps springing up (that have more to offer than just filters), there are millions and millions of users who use them. Though I still prefer photoshop and lightroom for sure, these online apps have already taken a big bite out of photoshop with one main feature, FREE.

Many of us thought your post was a SPAM and responded to that. Sorry for the mistake.

Now, honestly since you did ask for an opinion, that software can only damage a photograph and as such even though free it should be avoided like the plague that it is. If I told you I had gas for your car and it was free, would you buy it if you knew that it would damage your car engine beyond repair?

The structure of a digital photo is three channel RGB where every pixel in the photo is assigned a numerical value (eg. R = 122, G = 80, B = 221) relative to an RGB color space. For those Red, Green and Blue numbers to identify an actual specific color the reference to an RGB color space is required. Without the color space those values become undefined. The first thing PhotoCat does when it uploads a photo for editing is strip off the ICC profile that references the color space. It effectively trashes the photo as its first step. All photos it touches are therefore damaged. That's what free gets you.

Joe