I have been using Photoshop regularly for years to tweak images and photos… but being only an enlightened amateur I only use very simple features, and always the same ones. That is why I regularly test simpler and more user-friendly alternatives, both online tools and software. Recently, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Wondershare who offered me to test their suite of photo editing tools, Photofire Editing Toolkit. This article is therefore intended to present to you the functionalities offered by this software and to describe my impressions following the use of this tool.
First observation, it is a tool intended for the general public and I like that.
When launching the software, you will arrive at an interface that allows you to open the 5 tools that make up this software suite:
One of the basic principles of Fotophire is to be easy to use. The software's editing features are relatively simple, but allow you to enhance your photos with tools very similar to those you can find on mobile applications. That way, you won't be disoriented!
So, on the photo editing side, you will be able to use more than 200 customization effects including all kinds of filters, frames and borders, but also overlays (lighting effects, paper type, etc.).
Obviously, you will be able to play on the classic settings: brightness, contrast, colors… you will be able to crop your photo or adjust its tilt if like me you have trouble aligning yourself with the horizon…
It is also possible to add text to your photos.
All of these editing features are perfect if you like to post your photos to social media from your computer!
Without a doubt, removing the background from photos is the feature that impressed me the most in this software…
I have already spoken on this blog about several tools to do this online, but with Fotophire the process is much more efficient and flexible.
Indeed, you will be able to very simply remove the background of a photo. You have two brushes at your disposal. A green one to define what you want to keep and a red one to mark the places to delete. No need to color everything, the tool tries to distinguish the object you want to keep from the background.
To achieve a good quality result, however, it will be necessary to adjust the different ones a little... In the photo below, for example, I had to color the white stripes of the coat green so that they would not be confused with the snow in the background.
Once the fund is removed, you have the option to add a new fund… ideal if you want to make your friends think you're sunbathing on a Caribbean beach…
Removing unwanted objects
Nothing is more annoying than a successful photo that has been taken by a object or person undesirable…
Fotophire offers a feature that will allow you to make people or objects that bother you disappear (in photos, I mean!).
Here again, you will have several tools (brushes, lasso, etc.) to select the object to be made to disappear. After a few turns of the grinder, the software will make the intruder disappear...
This type of very practical retouching nevertheless has its limits, if the object is in front of a relatively simple background, no worries, the result will be perfect… on the other hand, if the decor is more complex you risk not being satisfied. Nothing surprising, the software cannot invent the background.
However, in some cases, especially with small objects, the feature can be very practical.
In the same tool, Fotophire offers you the possibility of cloning an object or an individual… I'll let you imagine the possibilities!
Handy to have in your toolbox, this photo enlargement feature will allow you to increase the size and/or resolution of a photo. The application has predefined settings and algorithms, but you will also be able to tweak certain aspects such as sharpness, noise reduction or film grain...
Again, we are reaching the limit of digital, enlarging a photo will never be perfect (or until artificial intelligence has progressed a lot), but it can help improve the appearance of a photo that is too small or a detail of a photo that you want to focus on.
Improve blurry photos
Here again, Wondershare offers a doubly useful tool: you will be able to sharpen slightly blurry photos, but you will also be able to add artistic blur to your photos.
Regarding the improvement of blurry photos, the result is correct, but once again, no miracle, you will only be able to have a satisfactory result if the blur in the photo is only slightly marked.
On the other hand, the blur works very well and you can very easily select the areas to blur!
To conclude, a simple and effective software, but a little expensive
In the end, this software convinced me quite a bit, because it offers a fairly interesting toolbox for the general public and we find features that have made smartphone applications successful, but this time directly on your computer. The use of these features is really within everyone's reach and that's what makes this software strong!
Finally, if you want to use Photofire Editing Toolkit You will still have to pay €49.99/year... The price is relatively high, but Wondershare offers effective software that is a good product for people wanting to do simple editing on their photos... If you have more advanced needs, move on and prefer professional software, which is more expensive, but much more complete.
If you want to test the software before buying it, it has a 7-day trial version that will allow you to take a look at its strengths and weaknesses...
As a forty-something dad fascinated by the web, I spend a lot of my time keeping watch to find you the best news. Tips and tricks, humor, websites and high-tech are the main subjects I want to cover here… but I will not fail to offer you good deals gleaned here and there on the web…
