My (poor photographer's) Editing tools

In my first years as a photographer, I didn't edit any photo. In my desire to show the real views I had through a documentary styled photography, I thought it was an unnecessary process which would alter my results and thus create a lie. 

However, my wife pointed out that all photographers do it and that my photos usually had an unsophisticated look to them, so after further research, I decided to compromise and started editing, but not too much, to preserve a documentary aspect while also rendering my photos more interesting to look at. 

In other case, such as the photo icon of this blog entry, I use my tools to an artistic effect, even if here it's not very interesting to look at, it does represent the topic at hand.

For it, I had taken a photo which you already saw for other entries on this blog, edited slightly with GIMP2 to improve contrast, saturation and colors. From this result, I selected the flower portion and also in GIMP2 used filters>map> fractacal trace, and altered random values from the ones suggested by the app. Then, I went into windows 10's photo edit tool to crop (because I find it a bit easier for me and seems to keep file size down, whereas on GIMP it seems to keep it big), and lastly, added the text, also under windows. 

So, my tools are : 

• Windows' tool 
• GIMP 2 
• & when I use the RAW file option of my camera, Raw file converter by Silkypix, which came with my Fuji bridge camera (HS10). 

In windows 7 editing tool, there were quite a few options, which let me work shadows and highlights, as well as the current options, but windows 10 took most of them away, making it a less interesting editing tool, but I still like using it a bit for cropping, and when in a hurry, to edit light/contrast/color saturation, but most of the other functions aren't too good. 

As my windows upgrade from 7 to 10 recognized my IP, it forced the download in French, which is why I translated the names of these options on my 3 upcoming screenshots. (click to view bigger)

 Here's the first, default view of windows 10's tool. You can see the crop option on the top, which would open another screen (image 3). Clicking on the improve function alters the photo with the last settings, as far as I can tell, byt if you click on edit (régler), you can actually take control of how this is done (image 2). There are filters, but I don't like them at all, and saving either a copy, or overwriting the present file. 

Second screen, with the editing options for light, color, clarity, vignetting, as well as red eye and spot corrections. You can either slide light/color, or click to get further detailed options for these functions.  Those added options in light are : contrast, Exposure, Highlights, Shadows. In 

In Color, these are only tint and Temperature. In all these 6 specific functions, there are lines to slide. 

Image 3 : cropping. The proportions option sets how this is done, either by a fixed ratio (choices 4:3, 16:9, 3:2, 7:5 & 10:8) or square, or personalized. Drag the corners or sides/top/bottom and click OK. Then you can also save a copy (thus keeping the original for other crops) or overwriting.  We can also flip right/left sides of the photo, or Rotate. 

I preferred windows 7's editing tool, and by far. But, for basic options, I use 10's for specific needs, mainly cropping, because in GIMP2, I must select the area to crop to, and that's not always easy for me. 

As GIMP's a huge editing software from which I know only a portion, let me show one screenshot now, and detail in another post (or a few) the rest. 

As I explain, I mainly use 3, sometimes a 4th function from the Colors menu.

What I didn't say is that I also use some tools in the toolbox display on the right of this screenshots : zooming in and out, the scale tool, and more recently starting learning the dodge/burn and smudge tools, but I'm far from proficient. 

Occasionally, I use the Filters menu as well, which has 17 functions, and far too many sub-menus to detail in this entry. 


My FUJI HS10 allows shooting in RAW (instead of or additionally to JPG). I occasionally used it, and when I do, I use the provided software, called Raw file converter EX2.0 by Silkypix, my current version is 4.1.3.0.

Here are some of the functions that I use :
exposure bias, white balance, contrast, colors, sharpness. Once done, I click development and make a .JPG file, which, then, I enter into the tools detailed above. 

I used windows' screen capture option and edited all the text for the captures of this entry with PAINT, and before I post anything that is too big, I use Fast Stone Image Viewer, which I'll discuss elsewhere as well, because it has many functions, including for watermarking, copyrighting, scaling and much, much more, and it's free!