The Top 10 Photography/Video Editing Software You Need to Use
Photoshop is probably the best photo editing program of all time. While it’s true Photoshop is great (and we do have to include it on the list), you have to know exactly what you want out of your photograph to get it, sometimes without much room to explore.
In recent years though, plenty of worthy competing editing software has emerged. It all depends what do you want to do – once you have figured that out, there are other places you can turn to, and the same concept applies for video editing too. So start checking them out!
1 – Affinity Photo (Mac)
Affinity Photo is a great alternative to Photoshop and it’s exclusively for Mac users. It is faster and more user-friendly. Some of the cool features you can find in Affinity Photo are frequency separation editing, live blend modes, inpainting, and advanced retouching.
It also includes end-to-end CMYK, 16-bits per channel editing, LAB colour, RAW processing, ICC colour management and 64-bit plug-in compatibility.
2 – Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom (Photography Plan) (Mac and PC)
You might be aware that now the only way to get the latest, constantly updated Photoshop you require a monthly subscription to Adobe. However, the company offers a photography plan, which includes Photoshop and Lightroom at a reasonable price.
Both programs will give you all the tools you need to make your photos great. Photoshop is good with retouches, complex image layering and effects, while Lightroom will organise them for you and allow you to easily use Raw’s ‘non-destructive’ editing tools in a cleaner interface.
3 – Serif Affinity Photo (Mac), Serif PhotoPlus X8 (Windows)
If you’ve used Photoshop before, it’ll be a breeze to master Affinity Photo or PhotoPlus in no time. The pros compared to Adobe’s giant? It’s faster, cheaper and it replicates all of the greatest Photoshop tools. Even though some of the terms might be different, once you get used to it, there will be no turning back.
4 – GIMP (Linux, PC and Mac)
GIMP offers a wide toolset, including basics such as painting tools, colour correction, cloning, selection and enhancement. It has a decent file manager and it is compatible with all popular file formats, making it easy for you to work on it.
5 – Photoshop Elements (Mac and PC)
Photoshop Elements is something like the ‘easy’ version of Photoshop, plus, cheaper. Even though you miss some of the more advanced features, it has the most popular ones such as the de-haze tool and shake reduction. It is a good way to start if you’re new in the photography world, although we cannot guarantee you won’t end up subscribing to the Cloud after trying Elements.
6 – Final Cut (Mac – supports any video format compatible with QuickTime)
Now, onto video. Final Cut is developed by Apple, and as such, has pretty cool features, such as an impressive user interface, useful keyboard shortcuts and more. The truth is, if you’re a Mac user and lover, this is the program to go with. Oh and, did we mention The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were edited with Final Cut?
7 – Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is great for beginners, as it allows you to start out with basic video functionalities while having the options of a more advanced editing process as you go.
The “Easy Mode” feature removes the complexity and noise so you can drag and drop clips, choose a pre-designed theme, add music, and produce a finished video in a no time. Once you’ve gotten used to it and are up for the next challenge, the “Full Feature Mode” will let you add transitions, filters, overlays, playing clips in reverse mode and using split-screen effects.
The only downside? The free version of Filmora adds a watermark to your videos that can only be removed with the paid version.
8 – Lightworks
Lightworks is a more advanced video editing software, which has been used to edit films such as Pulp Fiction, L.A. Confidential, and The King’s Speech.
The Pro version of Lightworks offers amazing features, including stereoscopic output and advanced project sharing, and supports multi-cam editing as well.
9 – iMovie (Mac and iOS)
i-Movie might be a bit more basic than Final Cut, but it is so simple to use it is totally worth talking about. You can even use it to edit videos on any iOS-based device, such as your iPhone, iPod or iPad. Some of the features include transitions and a drag-based interface.
10 – CyberLink PowerDirector (Windows)
PowerDirector from CyberLink is a consumer-focused software for video editing, and it is so simple and easy to use, that it is pretty much guaranteed you’re going to get the hang of it in seconds. Some of the things you can do with it are professional looking animations, slideshows and amazing videos. Just as iMovie, CyberLink PowerDirector allows you to keep editing on the go, as the software has an smartphone application.