External Editing Programs

The editing tools in iPhoto and Picasa have come a long, long way. There's a lot less reason now to invest in a dedicated editing program like Photoshop.

But that doesn't mean that there are no reasons left. The Auto Levels command (in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements) is still a better color-fixer than the Enhance or I'm Feeling Lucky buttons. Photoshoppy programs also are necessary if you want to combine several photos into one, apply effect filters like Stained Glass or Watercolor, or adjust color in just a portion of the photo.

Photoshop is by far the most popular tool for the job, but at about $600, it's also one of the most expensive. Fortunately, you can save some money by buying Photoshop Elements instead. It's a trimmed-down version of Photoshop with all the basic image-editing stuff and just enough of the high-end features. It costs less than $100, and a free trial version is available online.

iPhoto Meets External Program

It's easy to open an iPhoto photo in another program for editing. You can use the Preferences dialog box to specify that you always want to edit photos in an external program. Or Control-click (right-click) any thumbnail, and then choose "Edit in external editor" from the shortcut menu.

Either way, the external program opens the photo. When you make your changes and use the Save command, iPhoto registers (and displays) the changes. Best of all, the Revert to Original command is still available; that is, iPhoto "knows about" the external ...

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