PHOTO-EDITING SOFTWARE

Adobe Photoshop isn't the only photo-editing option anymore! These days we want more from our software than layers and masks

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A lot of things have changed since Photoshop first came to dominate the photo editing market. We've all got much larger more complicated photo libraries now and we need software that can organize, search and share these growing collections. There's also a growing interest in more evocative 'looks' that can be applied quickly and simply.

And most of all, we want to be able to change our minds - hence the rise of non-destructive or 'parametric' photoediting, as used by Lightroom, Capture One and a whole host of other photo editors. Often you'll come back to an image and see a better way of adjusting it, or see how to tweak the settings for better results.

There's also a general mistrust amongst many of subscription software. Adobe's Photography Plans are terrific value, but many still prefer to pay for a one-off licence and not have to keep paying monthly fees. The cost of ownership is often not so different, but there's a big difference in how you pay and how long for!

What to look for in image-editing software

Everyone's editing needs are different. Here are some things to think about before buying...

Cataloguing tools