Let’s Talk Photo Editing… Again
Yup, here I am again. Talking about online photo editing. If you’re one of those super-talented Photoshoppin’ geniuses… please stop here.
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If you’re like me, and have tried your very hardest to love Photoshop/learn how to use it, but just couldn’t quite get there… then this post is for you.
Remember how I had a mini-meltdown when I discovered that Picnik.com (my old, easy-to-use, online photo editing tool) was closing it’s site? Well… ever since then I’ve gotten LOTS of emails from readers wondering what I’ve been using to gussy up my photos, add watermarks and round corners. So here’s the lowdown:
First, I tried Photoshop
* It was hard
* It was fancy
* It was time consuming
* It was cool!
That review is a bit confusing, so let me explain. There are SO MANY amazing things you can do in Photoshop that you can’t do on a simple online editing site. Emilie showed me that π
I won’t even start to list the possibilities, because we’d be here all day, but honestly, if you’re looking to take your photo editing skills to the next level, then Photoshop is where it’s at.
That being said… it takes some MAJOR time to learn the ins and outs of how Photoshop works. Maybe I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I felt like I was spending more time trying to figure out what the name for actions or editing tools meant, than actually USING them. bleeh…. and for me, time is something I just don’t have enough of these days, so when I was on the search for quick, simple, pretty-blog-picture editing capabilities, I resorted to using iPiccy.
My cute blogger friend Roeshel from DIY Show Off told me about iPiccy.com
Here was my take away:
* It’s super easy to use (like Picnik was)
* It has great options/effects
* It did a few awesome things that Picnik couldn’t
* But the collage feature wasn’t as good
The thing I loved most about iPiccy, was the select tool feature when editing. So, for example, if you wanted to lighten just certain parts of a photo, you could!
When we were in California I took some pictures of my sisters little family. It was a really difficult day at the beach to be shooting in a manual camera setting, because one minute there were clouds and the next it was full on sunshine… and taking the time to get the perfect settings on a camera, while reasoning with an almost 2 year old to sit still and smile… is almost impossible. So I’m using this image as an example of a photo that I really liked, but shot with my SUNNY manual setting, instead of my cloudy manual setting (does this make sense?) Basically, it’s not that it was a bad photo, it’s just that I didn’t have the time to get the right setting for the situation, but still want to use it.
Enter in: iPiccy photo editing program!
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I didn’t want to do anything crazy with my editing, I just wanted to lighten up the photo a bit, punch up the color of the water, sand and yellow shirt that my niece was wearing. Doing all of that, WITHOUT a selection tool, would be a problem. Here’s why…
If I want to highlight my sweet niece, by brightening up the photo to bring attention to her, this is what the background ends up looking like…
Now, if I kept my niece at a constant, and just wanted to edit the sand and water really well, without a selection tool, here’s what SHE would end up looking like…
You get the idea, right?
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The iPiccy selection tool is great for this problem. When you use any of the basic editing features, like exposure, contrast, saturation, etc… and you don’t want ALL of the parts of your picture to have that specific effect, you just select that paintbrush tool below, a box pops up, you choose erase, and remove the effect from whatever part of the picture you don’t want it on.
It’s that easy!
Honestly, it’s THE BEST tool ever! And something that Picnik didn’t offer.
PS. Yes, she’s wearing a Whippycake, and yes, she’s a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e! Eeee, love her!
So speaking of Picnik, I just got an email in my inbox yesterday alerting me to the NEWEST online photo editor on the scene… Ribbet.com
I have to say that I had a little “quick-clapping, heart jumping moment” when I opened the Ribbet editor for the first time today!!! It’s JUST like Picnik was!… literally, even the photo icons are the same, gah! I was so happy to see the same familiar set up and tools that made Picnik so great! I especially missed the photo collage tool where you could expand the number of slots for photos by simply upping rows and columns with a quick slide of your mouse! (something that iPiccy does not have).
How long do I think Ribbet will stick around before selling out to someone like google? Meh, I dunno, but I’m sure gonna enjoy their site till they do. ha!
So… in the end, I guess I’d recommend BOTH iPiccy.com and Ribbet.com. Each are really great, and they both have their own cool features. As far as cost is concerned iPiccy.com is always free. Ribbet’s premium features are free… for now. Eventually they will require payment (I’m assuming about $20-$30 a year) to use their more advanced features, like the custom collage options, clone tool and some of their cooler touch-up features.
As for me? I’ll now be using both!… and yes, even be paying the $30 (or whatever it ends up being) fee for Ribbet. As a blogger, it’s worth EVERY penny! Being able to easily edit project or personal photos to make sure that I have “pretty pictures” for my readers, is really what our blog is all about! If you’ve been around here long enough, you know our mantra is QUALITY, not Quantity. Posting every day with mediocre pictures and content is fine… but publishing 2-3 times a week with great information and stellar, beautifully photographed and edited images… is ALWAYS preferred in MY book
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Happy Editing!
C Mae says
Have you used/tried/heard of PicMonkey? It replaced Picnik so I'm told…If you google it, it comes up! So far it works for the collage and such π But I had definitely not heard of these two sites you mentioned and am really excited to try them out. I own Photoshop, have watched COUNTLESS YOUTUBE tutorials and I still can't do to much on it. It's NOT user friendly which I despise. π
Janna Werner says
Thanks so much for the links! Ipiccy is really interesting.
There is another one like piccnik, itΒ΄s called PicMonkey.com
Maybe that helps as well.
Hugs
Janna
Unknown says
Thanks for the tips. I too am still mourning the loss of Picnik, so I'll definitely have a look at iPiccy and Ribbet. Have you tried Pic Monkey? It's very similiar to picnik, but alot faster at uploading and saving photos, which is a bonus!
Mom in High Heels says
Oh, thank you! I miss picnik! Off to try these out.
Carol F. says
Oh my goodness. I have never heard of these two sites. I have another one for you that I discovered and thought that it was the one that replaced picnik….check out picmonkey.com. Love it!
Lisa @ Before Meets After says
Thanks for the info! I'm always looking for new photo editing ideas. I've been playing around with picmonkey and it's similar to picnik and they have a great collage tool. It's free as well. I love Roeshel too! I just got to meet her at Haven and I was so excited π
Domestic Goddess says
I, too, was mourning the passing of Picnik! Thanks for passing on this info. I just took a little over 1,000 pictures during our beach trip and was dreading the editing process – until now!
The Wonderful World of Wampler says
I loved Picnic too … Thank you for your review. I'll have to check both of those sites out π
((HUGS))
MommaChelle says
Photoshop is so confusing to me. My mom is awesome at it, so I have her edit lots of stuff for me. But, I found Picmonkey a while ago,it is veryy similar to picnik. Its fun to have so many options! im going to check out the two you talked about.
Erin A says
What a lovely post!! I bet Ribbet gets tons of hits from you today, you on an Affiliate list for them yet? π
A quick FYI, you can get a collage tool in Picasa too. I'm still learning the Picasa ropes, going to them with the closure of Picnik too, obviously. But it gets the job done and is free! Check it out if Ribbet ever closes their doors. Just used it last night to do a monthly blanket collage for my baby girl. Too many photos and too fun in a collage format to do it any other way.
chrisanderinkeith.blogspot.com/2012/06/here-are-details-from-jayce-and-hannahs.html
Thanks, as always, for sharing all of your tips and tricks!!
Renee V says
Oh thank you so much for linking to Ribbet, I had the same overjoyed feeling just now upon seeing that it was so similar to my beloved Picnic! Crossing my fingers that it stays free and doesn't leave me again!
Wag Doll says
Ah will check out Ribbet thanks! I love photoshop but always used picnic for the collage feature which was so easy. x
heatherfig says
THANK YOU!! I've been struggling with photoshop for a while now and, like you, don't have the time. Why does it have to be so complicated? I can't wait to try these new options! YAY!
lilybloomstudio.com
Pamela says
Thanx for the heads up!
The {Prince} Family says
Thanks for the info!!!! Great clear post π
Anonymous says
Check out PicMonkey.com, it's made by the same engineers as Picnik. π
spoggirl says
The people of picnik created picmonkey. Another online editor! I really like it, but im not sure if its going to remain free like it is now. Thanks for the info here though! π
Ms. P says
I love your blog! I too cried when Picnik left. Have you ever checked out PicMonkey? It's great. SUPER easy to use and works almost like Picnik, but has a few more features, including a great "weight loss button!" You can also make great collages. Good luck and thanks for the info on Ribbit & iPiccy.
Norra says
Thanks for the tips on photo editing software! I use to be a huge photoshop junkie but I really can't cough up the money for the app just to edit my son's photos.
Unknown says
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing this!! I played with it a little this morning and it is GREAT!!
Question for you: What is the purpose of cloning? For what, why and how would you use it?
Jenn Korolewski says
I have been using picmonkey and find it very similar to picnic and very easy to use. thanks for the other options!
Shell in your Pocket says
I am so thankful you shared "ribbet"…I was just telling a friend how much I miss Picnik! Yeah!!!!
By the way, I am coming here often to check up on your post on your weight loss and eating…I can't wait till your next post..hint hint!
sandy toe
Ranelle says
I think you're a mind reader! I was literally thinking today about what photo editor I should use now that Picnik is gone, and then I saw this post. I just got back from a cruise and have some pics I want to touch up, so this post has answered my prayers. Thanks for the suggestions and tips, I'm going to try these photo editors tonight!
Unknown says
I love your blog, your pretty pictures and your great content. You inspire all around! AWESOME post. I've been using picmonkey.com (it's still completely FREE but I'll def check out your recommended sites! Thanks, again, for sharing friend (in my head), lol.
Kates says
thank you thank you thank you!!! I was devestated that picnik left π I know photoshop well, but I'm a poor college student who can't afford fancy software. Plus picnik was so simple and easy to do! I'm thrilled to know about Ribbet and iPiccy!
Whitney says
I finally broke down & purchased Photoshop Elements. It's actually fairly easy to get started and there are so many free actions out there that do it all for you. Since Picnik shut down, I've turned to PicMonkey.com as my new fave!
awholelotofschmidt says
Holy cow! Thank you, thank you, thank you! there have been SO many changes to different online photo editing software. I value your input as your site speaks for itself. I love sending people here as I know they will be as enamored as I am. π
Anonymous says
wow – i'm so glad you posted this – i'm really new to blogging – and i've also tried to use PS and it's like a terrible complicated advance physics class where my head is just spinning. I do have a question for you? I'm trying to figure out how to make a collage (outside of using Picassa) that is fun and i can play around with the different pictures – i want to create a wishlist collage but just do not know where to start!
Thank you for your post. Your girls are so cute – and I think you look great by the way!
-See
apuravida2012[at]gmail.com
apuravida.com
Anna @ Annglophile says
Thanks for the great tips! And, having only recently come across your blog I'd just like to say that I LOVE IT. Your photos are fantastic and inspirational and you seem like a fantastic person! Keep up the good work! And, like a lot of others here, I'd like to recommend Picmonkey. It's really good!
xxx
Anna ( annglophile.blogspot.com)
ShirleyRunner says
Going to try out iPiccy I am new to editing photos and still have a lot to learn. I loved Picnik and yesterday I found out about Ribbet I was really excited when I saw it too. I love how you edited the picture. Do you have more photography tutorials on your blog?
lynda says
Thank you for letting us know about Ribbet. I checked it out and really is just like Picnik, YEAH!! According to their blog, it was built on the Picnik platform that Google released as an open platform. Yeah for whoever these developers are
Rebecca says
I love your blog and how you relate to the reader so well! Your personal journey is absolutely inspiring.
Photoshop is very intrinsic…and daunting. I've been using the Adobe suite for over 10 years as a graphic/web designer, and I'm still learning new tips and tools. Although PS does have some simple tips for editing photos, like you said, it can be time-consuming and FRUSTRATING! Like Whitney mentioned, they've since created PS Elements, which is much more user friendly to new comers to the wonderful world of Adobe π
Also, if you've got a DSLR camera, and open your RAW camera files in PS, a default options box pops up with some VERY user friendly options. Hope this helps. If ever you'd like some quick and easy time saving PS tips and tricks, I'd be happy to send you some very easy tutorials.
Unknown says
I absolutely LOVE Picmonkey.com and it's A LOT like Picnik with lots of other cool features that Picnik didn't have.
WWL says
Hi, I love your blog. Did you ever get the pink ikat chair for your office? Did it work out or was it returned?
Makenzie says
Thank you for this post. I have been using Picasa, but am not loving it. I'm anxious to try some new programs.
makenziescreations.blogspot.com/
Ali says
I've subscribed to Picnik for several years and was SO BUMMED when they shut it down! After trying many online editors (including ipiccy) , I've really liked Pic Monkey. Have you tried it? The only down side (for me anyway) is that it isn't directly linked to my Flickr account like Picnik was. I have photo shop elements and I agree with everything you said about photoshop 110%!!! Try Pic Monkey, I bet you'll like it…especially if you loved Picnik! =)
Danielle Broadbooks says
If no one has mentioned it yet, Picmonkey.com is really cool too! I didn't really use picnik a lot because I just started getting really serious about capturing memories within the last year, but I noticed the general angst at it's demise and then heard about ipiccy.com and picmonkey, but hadn't heard of of ribbet yet! Something new to play with! π
Diane Perin says
Oh my gosh! It's great to find out about these new options! I use Photoshop for photo editing but finding Ribbet and PicMonkey for fast collage making is wonderful! thanks!
CJMsquared+6 says
Thanks so much for sharing… tried it. LOVED it! Sold!
Cassie {Hi Sugarplum} says
I've been using, and liking pretty well, picmonkey…but I'm going to try your suggestions, too! thanks girlie! And thanks for the reminder that quality posts are better than a daily one! π
~HS says
What resolutions are you getting on your downloaded photos from these online tools? I use Gimp (using 2.2 over 2.8) and Photoshop Elements. I even have a blog of gimp tutorials. I've been designing digital scrapbooking supplies. I like to print things out large and have my digital scrapbook pages in a slideshow on DVD – projects that require 300 dpi in order to be of any quality.
Unknown says
I like ipiccy better than picmonkey. I love the ipiccy brushes, like you said. Also, I did a comparison with quick, standard edits in both, on the same photo, and ipiccy saved my file larger. I won't use picmonkey because of this.
Unknown says
I love the brushes in ipiccy. I did a comparison between ipiccy and picmonkey, using the same photo and standard edite, and ipiccy saved my file a good deal larger. I like that ipiccy is keeping more of the information. I won't use picmonkey because of this.
Helse Qvinden says
Thx so much for the tip, I didnΒ΄t know ipiccy, but I love it. I will defently use it
π
xo Miss S
Unknown says
What a wonderful post. It's also inspiring me.