Simple Photo Editing Software - Examples - Before and After - Im Feeling Lucky

[richstag]

Hi guys. I was talking to my father about photo editing. He has a couple point and shoots that he uses along with a Nikon D90 with a 28-200 lens I gave him. He used to shoot film and do some freelance work. He was not a pro but he has some great old shots.

To get to the point, he asked me if there is any free digital editing software. I tried the Picasa free download. He is at the age that he doesn't want to mess with every little setting. He likes AUTO edit buttons that work. I picked out a batch of OLD photos of mine that were all JPEGS out of the camera. I had already downsized all of these shots for web a long time ago. So Picasa had low res pics to work with. All pics were from either a point and shoot, a Nikon D70, a few from a D300 and a few from a D90 I had for a day.

Below I will post the results of the, "I feel Lucky" auto button. It will always be Before then After unless I screw up.






































































I tried it on a bunch of pictures. Some I think it really improved them. Others it made unwanted changes. Some it didn't change much at all. The point of my post is to show that, IMO, Picasa does a pretty good job with AUTO and for a casual editor I think this program will work. It also has manual features but that is not the point of my trial.

I hope this is helpful

[mckgreg]

Some good examples. I used to use picasa to check myself but found that I would end up really over doing an image. Like you said, it works well with certain images. From my experience, shots with high contrast run thru picasa are a toss up. Might look better, might not. But, for a no nonsense, easy to use free program, you can't beat it. I downloaded the program and ran a few sunset shots thru it and this is the result for this one particular image. I downsized the images to 900 pixels wide and Saved for Web to make them easy to post here. They, like most any other images, look so much better larger. First image is before the Picasa wash.
Greg

[richstag]

I like different things about both the before and after that you posted Greg

Sometimes after spending HOURS editing a picture I get to what I think is best. To see a program like this that can improve an edit of mine I think that is pretty good. I don't know if it says something for the program or says something about my editing ;-p Sometimes I go for a certain mood with my editing though and an auto program like this may make the photo pop but it can deteriorate any intended effect of my own. I like playing with editing programs as photography is a hobby and nothing more to me. No timelines and no stress.

Im glad to hear you have used this program. It validates my conclusion in a way. Two questions, when you say wash do you mean wash out or clean up? Also, when you said to check yourself what did you mean? Is the technology in the automated function that good?

You know me Greg, I am always learning

[richstag]

Here is a wacky BW i did within the last year. Before with my edits and after taking my edit and running it through Picasa.

[mckgreg]

What I meant by "wash" is what Picasa does to an image when you select Feeling Lucky. The program does it thing. That is what I meant by using the term "wash". Picasa is a good tool to check yourself using your original edit against what Picasa did to it. Picasa will offer you a different point of view that you may not have seen before. That is what I meant by checking yourself. The problems come when you try to edit a Picasa image in PS. Things get way overdone and I am about the most guilty individual of doing that. I haven't used the program for over a year but your post did refresh my interest in using it as a tool for a different perspective or final edit depending on the image.
Greg

[richstag]

That makes perfect sense Greg. I like the different perspective. The way you said it describes how I feel also.

Here is one you have seen before. I have it printed and framed A3 size and I know it is stunning (It looks way more realistic and surreal then any monitor can make it look). I also ran it through Picasa.





I am glad I re-sparked your interest.

[mckgreg]

Picasa and programs like it are a lot like HDR programs. The results can be realistic or over the top. I'm just trying to get it as close to "right" in camera so I don't need to depend on software quite so much. That's the fun in the chase. But, back to your original topic, Picasa is a good tool for those that don't want to mess around with a bunch of editing and are only interested in making a fair/good shot better with compromise. Good examples !!
Greg

[richstag]

Getting it right in the first place is so boring :-p

[mckgreg]

But necessary to continue.
Greg

[richstag]

Very true my friend.

[mckgreg]

One of the things that I have been able to get thru my thick skull is, spending too much time on one image is detrimental. It is either there or it ain't. I just do the best I can and reflect upon it later. I use images from a year ago as a benchmark and compare them to what I have managed to screw up today. Truthfully, I do better shooting objects like knves under diffused light from the guidance received from Coop than I have managed to do with landscapes and sunsets. It's all a learning curve.
Greg

[richstag]

Man, you do amazing with knife shots and I think you do great with landscapes too. Everyone has their specialty though

I feel like I go up and down and all around with photography. I know just what you mean about a pic either having it or not.

[mckgreg]

A lot of the Photoshop mechanics that I learned from Coop for knife shots do apply to landscape photograpy. As far as what light the lens has allowed to enter the cameras sensor with outdoor lighting is another matter. Whole different ball game.
Greg

[richstag]

It really is a different ball game.