Photo editing programs are hugely popular on Mac. There are lots of opinions on which are the best. With the Photos app on Mac, some of the best editing programs have extensions so you can quickly jump in to edit your photos without having to first load them into their full-service apps. If you want to quickly touch something up or add some filters, highlights, and corrections, these great apps are perfect for your in-Photos for Mac experience.
Pixelmator
- Facetune 2 is an editing app designed for retouching portraits. It offers tools like eye enhancement, skin smoothing, filters, and teeth whitening. It also has a defocus tool.
- Jan 16, 2020 With the Photos app on Mac, some of the best editing programs have extensions so you can quickly jump in to edit your photos without having to first load them into their full-service apps. If you want to quickly touch something up or add some filters, highlights, and corrections, these great apps are perfect for your in-Photos for Mac experience.
- Jan 04, 2020 The Mac is still the best device for serious photo editing, so you need some serious photo editing apps to make an impact. The built-in Photos app on Mac offers several useful photo editing tools. You can crop, adjust lighting and color, set the white balance, add filters, remove unwanted blemishes, and a few more things.
Portrait Painter is a professional painting tool that automatically creates a finely painted gallery- style portrait from any image or snapshot then adds color, light and texture, which harmonize intelligently. Artists, Photographers & Hobbyists will love watching their subjects transcend from the l. Best for privacy. Number of IP addresses: 30,000 Number of servers: 3,000+ 3 months free with 1-year plan. Download Now. Norton Secure VPN Best for customer support. Mac OS X 10.7/10.8. Apr 10, 2020 The app features more than 50 brushes and well over 800 backgrounds and tones. Since it’s primarily designed for comics, MediBang Paint also offers 20 different fonts. On top of that, there is cross-platform integration via the cloud. This means you can start your sketch on a Mac and pick up where you left off on your iPad or iPhone. It is hard to define the best photo editing app overall as there are so many features involved. Some do an excellent job when it comes to photo import, other work well for photo sharing. Facetune – Your Best Portrait Photo Editor! This photo editing app is specialized in portrait retouching.
Chances are you've probably heard of Pixelmator. Often lauded as the ultimate Adobe alternative for Mac users, this full-featured photo editor (and its even more impressive Pro version was built specifically for macOS, allowing you to really harness the power of your Mac's unique capabilities.
With Pixelmator, you can make adjustments, add effects, and do pretty much anything else you'd expect to be able to do with an image editing program. However, you don't even have to open Pixelmator to reap its benefits — once downloaded, the app also offers an extension called Pixelmator Retouch that allows you to retouch your favorite shots without ever needing to leave the native Photos app. This includes blemish repair, complex object removal, cloning, light adjustments, color adjustments, and the ability to blur or sharpen your images.
Affinity Photo
Like Pixelmator, Affinity Photo is a pro-level photo editor often praised for its sophistication and versatility. In fact, its iPad version actually won App of the Year back in 2017. Affinity is engineered to enhance the workflow of professional photographers, designers, and digital artists, but don't let that scare you away if you're interested — its interface and tools are intuitive enough for a beginner to use, making it super easy to amp up your images no matter your skill level.
Within the app, you can do everything from editing RAW images to creating multi-layer compositions (and much, much more). The fun doesn't stop there, though. Affinity Photo also boasts six extensions that can be used within the Photos app: Affinity Develop, Retouch, Liquify, Miniature, Monochrome, and Haze Removal. Each pretty much does as its moniker describes. For instance, Monochrome allows you to create artistic black and white images, while Retouch lets you correct images by removing red-eye, healing blemishes, and getting rid of pesky extra objects. The only one that doesn't have a function easily discernible from its name is Miniature, which allows you to give your photos a cool depth-of-field blur.
Polarr Photo Editor
Polarr is a good option for those who want something like Lightroom, but would prefer to be able to try it before committing. Polarr has a free version that you can grab and use, and if you like it, you can opt for the Polarr Pro subscription, which is $2.49/mo or $24 a year. There's also a one-time purchase option for $70 if you'd rather not subscribe.
With Polarr, you'll get many of the same functions as Lightroom, and it also works with both RAW and JPEG images, so there's no issue with compatibility. However, Polarr has a much cleaner and simpler interface that is lightning fast, while still providing you with all of the tools you need for a perfect photo. You have custom filters, batch exporting, dual lens effects and adjustments, layers and blending modes, and more. Polarr is highly customizable, so you can make it entirely yours.
The Photos extension for Polarr brings many of the editing tools in Polarr right into Photos itself, so you don't even need to have Polarr open to edit with it. Edits you make get rendered instantaneously with no lag, so you don't need to wait. The only drawback is that this is destructive editing, so your original won't be available once you save any changes.
Photoscape X
For those who want a fun and free photo editor, Photoscape X is a great option to consider.
Photoscape X combines a photo editor, batch editor, photo viewer, cut-outs, collage combiner, animated GIFs creator, and more, all into one single package. It also works with RAW images too, so no worries there. The photo editor part of Photoscape X has all of the standard tools that you need, and the cut outs make it super simple to remove the background from images. And with things like batch edit, collages, and animated GIFs, it's easy to deal with multiple photos at once.
The extension allows you to harness the editing power of Photoscape X directly in the Photos app, without having to have Photoscape X open. Of course, you won't be able to do things like creating animated GIFs or collages this way, but for basic photo editing, it's great.
Photolemur 3
What if you want great-looking photos but don't have the time to edit them all individually? Then Photolemur has the Photos extension for you.
Photolemur's strength lies in its artificial intelligence, which automatically enhances any image without you having to do any legwork. With Photolemur, it analyzes images and then identifies their weaknesses, making adjustments to them with powerful and advanced algorithms. There's even a new feature called Face Finish, which will automatically smooth skin, remove imperfections, enhances eyes, and whitens up teeth. Portraits will never have looked better, and you don't need to lift a finger. There is even batch processing with Photolemur, so you can spend less time editing and more time shooting photos.
Luminar 4
Luminar 4 is the latest iteration of the powerful photo editor and browser from Skylum. It works as a standalone app or as a plugin or extension for both Adobe and Apple products, like Photos and Photoshop.
With Luminar 4, there are a ton of intelligent algorithms to help make your photo editing life easier than ever before. The AI Sky Replacement can replace the entire sky in your photo to change the overall mood of your image, which was a challenging task before, but it's now entirely automated. There is even AI Skin and Portrait Enhancer features to get amazingly realistic results on your portraits that are done outside or in a studio, all through artificial intelligence. Luminar 4 can even detect specific areas in a photo that could be better and enhances them without altering the rest of the photo. Sources of sunlight can be moved around your image too, which can give you a totally new feel to a photo.
There are a ton of other intelligent features behind Luminar 4, but those are the most impressive ones. This is a powerful photo editor that can do amazing things in just a few clicks, and it helps with your overall productivity and creativity as well.
Aurora HDR 2019
High Dynamic Range (HDR) may not be appeal to everyone, but there is no doubt that it can definitely improve an image. With Aurora HDR 2019, you're getting a powerful quantum HDR engine powered by artificial intelligence, so it only gives you the highest quality HDR.
With Aurora HDR, you get creative LUT mapping, polarizing filters, color toning, HDR Denoise, dodge and burn, details enhancer, and much more. And if you're concerned about doing a lot of editing work to get the perfect HDR, no problem! Aurora does all of the heavy lifting for you and gives you a beautifully enhanced photo in seconds. There are over 80 different HDR presets that you can use from acclaimed photographers like Trey Ratcliff, Serge Ramelli, Randy Van Duinen, and more. There are also advanced features like layers and masking, batch processing, and RAW support.
What are your favorites?
These are some of our favorite photo editors on the Mac that utilize the Photos extension. Do you have a favorite? Let us know what you're using in the comments!
January 2020: Added Photolemur 3, Luminar 4, and Aurora HDR 2019 to the list.
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Editing your photos on your iPhone is one thing, but editing your photos on your Mac can take your photography skills to a whole 'nother level.
Many of us still keep our main libraries on our Macs because of its faster processors, larger storage, and all-around bigger computing power. The Mac is still the best device for serious photo editing, so you need some serious photo editing apps to make an impact.
The built-in Photos app on Mac offers several useful photo editing tools. You can crop, adjust lighting and color, set the white balance, add filters, remove unwanted blemishes, and a few more things. However, in all honesty? It's not really meant to be a robust editing app, so If you are looking for something to really finish your photos right, we've got a list of the best photo editors for Mac right here. Let's go!
Affinity Photo
If you're looking for a photo editing app that goes above and beyond for the pricetag, while still allowing you complete creative control over your images, then it might be worth it to take a peek at Affinity Photo.
Affinity Photo supports unlimited layers, groups, layer adjustments, filters, masking, and more: you also have access to tools like dodge, red-eye fix, burn, blemish, clone, and patch (so pretty much Photoshop without all the convoluted bells and whistles). Nondestructive auto-saving makes undoing everything you've done easy, so if you need to start from the beginning, the option is there.
Play, manipulate, edit, and get hella creative with Affinity Photo whether you're a serious graphic designer or someone who's just looking to do some basic editing. Your photography will seriously thank you.
- $49.99 - Download now
Fotor Photo Editor
Searching for a super simple, straight-forward photo editing app that's there to help you edit and not confuse you to the point of ripping out your hair? Then check out Fotor Photo Editor!
With this photo editor, you can easily adjust contrast and color of more washed-out photos, add borders, tilt and shift your images, add different text, slap on a few filters, and so much more, all from the easy-to-find toolbox on the right side of the app. You can even create collages of your photography masterpieces!
The BBC once called Fotor Photo Editor 'light Photoshop', and they're kind of right! You can go above and beyond editing your images with Fotor Photo Editor without getting bogged down by more complicated editing buttons and tools.
- Free - Download now
Lightroom
When you look into photo editing software, one of the first things that'll pop up is Adobe's Lightroom, and for good reason! It's essentially a staple in the photo editing community.
Lightroom is great for photographers who need to manage a large image library, and who are prepared to commit to (and pay for) Adobe's cloud storage space. But it is purely a photography tool that's a little outside the regular Adobe design ecosystem. (Creative Bloq)
Pretty much anything you want to do with your photo, you can accomplish with Lightroom. You can blend and merge shadows and highlights, sharpen dull, blurry images so they look crisp and clear, add details and tint colors to make a photo stand out, and so, so much more.
While it is a bit more on the complicated side, people who use the program and know how to navigate it are hooked. Keep in mind, there are two versions of the app — there's the Classic version, which is more preferred, and the 2018 CC version.
If you're hesitant about the program and paying for it, you can download Lightroom free for 30 days as part of a trial period. After that, you can add it to your Photoshop CC subscription for $9.99 per month.
- Free trial - Download now
Pixelmator
Amp up your photo editing skills with a little bit of help from Pixelmator!
This particular photo editing app allows you to combine two different photos into one (while still allowing you to edit over each layer), add shapes, gradients, filters, tints, and more, and completely change and edit your photography to make it fit perfectly to your aesthetic. You can even mask and cut off certain areas of the photo, giving you more creative control over your final image.
Similar to other photo editing apps, you can also adjust contrast, color, saturation level, definition, and so much more.
It's another great alternative to Photoshop, at least according to our managing editor Lory Gil.
Best Portrait App For Mac Pro
- $29.99 - Download now
GIMP
Love Photoshop (or the idea of Photoshop..) but don't want all the complicated components and nonsense that comes along with it? Then it might be worth it to take a peek at GIMP.
Similar to Photoshop, GIMP allows you full control over editing your photos: it's an advanced image manipulation program with detailed customization for color reproduction.
You can add layers to your photos, edit and tweak colors, adjust contrast, crop, adjust saturation, and so much more. If you're someone who admires Photoshop but is terrified of the price (or just thinks it's not worth it) then GIMP might be the perfect pal for you.
- Free - Download now
Snapheal
Say 'bye-bye' to nasty photobombs, zits, perky distractions, and so much more in your photos thanks to Snapheal!
Snapheal is a little bit unique in the sense that it's more of a 'delete now, ask questions later' app. Free video burning software mac no watermark. It's more about cleaning up a photo than it is editing it and adding a whole bunch of layers. The tools can either remove large objects or smaller imperfections depending on the mode. You can even adjust the masking tool, use a magic rope, or clone stamp your way to a new photo.
If you're someone who's a perfectionist when it comes to your photography and you just can't stand that one stupid, distracting blur in the background, then Snapheal is the guy for you.
Photos App Mac Download
- $7.99 - Download now
Preview
I know what you're thinking: 'Preview? Really, Cella?'
To which I respond: 'Uh, yeah. Duh, my dude. You use it every day!'
Sure, you can't do a bunch of fancy things with Preview like add filters, adjust contrast, and fix saturation, but you can quickly crop a photo, adjust the color, rotate it, add shapes, texts, and a signature, export as a different format, and more.
Yes, Preview isn't perfect, but it is easy to use and fantastic for making small, fast changes to your photography.
- It's already on your Mac.
How do you edit your photography?
What is your favorite photo editing app for the Mac? Why does it work the best for you? Let us know what your top picks are in the comments down below!
Updated August 2018: All the choices on this list are still the best of the best!
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Best Portrait App For Mac Download
Audio and video editing software for mac 2020. Apple has announced that its newest retail store, Apple Sanlitun in Bejing, is opening to customers in the area later today.