Online Photo Editors
The power of online photo editors is on the upside, and there are a number of popular applications that are trying to keep up with their demanding user bases. These editors are used very commonly on social media and also to create video presentations. One of these applications that has really stood out to me is Fotor.
What is Fotor?
Fotor is one of those online photo editors which also works as a collage maker and comes with a full feature desktop application that offers RAW conversion support. Depending on which of Fotor's functionalities you need, you could choose either the online or desktop version. The desktop version is much more heavy duty. The choice will depend however, on how much functionality you need If you need functionality for RAW conversion then it is probably best to go for the desktop. If you only use the tool to do some light editing on JPEG and PNG files, the online editing tool is ideal.
RAW Support - Desktop version
This is where Fotor starts to contest against its well known counterparts photoshop and lightroom. Compared to those two, Fotor is much more affordable and comes with all the key features you need. The RAW support available on the desktop version brings fotor in the league of photoshop and lightroom, and while it is not as powerful, it serves the purpose without being decked with unnecessary features.
Editing, Collage making and Design
Fotor has 3 different modules for you. The editing module allows you to put captions, logos and touch up photos as required. As the name suggests, the collage making module will allow you to put together a bunch of images to look good together. The design module allows you to create graphics from scratch, powerful enough to get through a few of your smaller personal projects. Using these tools together allows you to make quite a range of image content.
Edit Module
If you are a photographer, this will be the module you use the most. It is perfect for retouching and editing photos to bring them closer to how you want them to look. The application has been made simple so that even a first time user can figure things out fairly quickly.
1-Tap Enhance
One of the things that makes Fotor stand out is how easily and quickly you are able to enhance your photos. If you have no time to spend, you can use this feature and rely on fotor to use its automatic editing features to work on your photos. The feature produces varying results and may not always get it right. Ideally, the enhancement tool should be used along with manual editing to get the results you want.
Other Fotor Features
Fine-Tune
You can use the fine-tune features of fotor to work on aspects of your photos such as shadows, exposure and highlights. These features are great for post-production work and changing the nuances of a photo.
Colour manipulation
Play around with the hues, saturation, temperature and tint on your photos. You can change the way a photo looks quite dramatically with these features.
Crop and Resize
Possibly one of the most used features of any editing tool, Fotor has kept this classic feature in-tact and mixed it up with extreme user friendly interfaces.
Effect
There are so many options to choose from in the effects panel. Use this to give your photos a different look, with smudges, grayscale and a host of other effects. You can use this effect to give a seasonal touch to photos. Fix blemishes, even out skin tones and do a lot more with effect tools.
HDR Images
One of the features that make Fotor a powerful tool is its ability to work with HDR images. Previously, this feature was largely restricted to expensive and high end photo editing softwares.
Fotor Mobile App
Use the mobile app to make sure you can edit photos anywhere on the go. The app also allows you to edit photos you've just clicked so that you can populate your instagram and facebook feeds while on the move with content that is relevant and stunning.
Conclusion
Fotor is powerful without being overwhelming. It has all the features necessary for work with school projects and other small personal projects. It is best used by photographers who do not have the time to learn the skills needed to work on more advanced and heavy duty softwares like photoshop and lightroom. With Fotor, it is easier to focus on your photography and make sure you are able to make the edits you need without much hassle. Definitely give the free version a shot, and if you like it, the pro version has a lot more features which you can use to give your photos the facelift that you think they need.
