I present a guide of internet tools that will help make your way on the dazzling path of photography.
Pixlr
This is one of the most popular photo editors online. It has cool painting tools, easy-to-work-adjustment settings, and helps you edit your pictures quickly. It is limited on export/import options, but definitely one of the best choices if you think in usability and ease of use.
Photoshop Express Editor
The king of image edition has its own online photo editor. It resembles another Adobe software called Ligthroom. There, you can edit contrast, color correction and exposure, and has other nice features -like some nice effects- you should check out. Is very easy to use and intuitive, I strongly recommend using it.
Dropbox
This is one of the best services online. Lets you store all your files on the cloud, and you can watch –or edit- them from your PC, Mac, Smartphone or Tablet. There is a free version with 2GB of capacity -and if you have a new Samsung Galaxy they give you a free 48GB bonus-. Also, there is a pro version 9.99 USD/month which gives you 100GB on storage.
Google+
The Google’s social network sometimes lacks of popularity. However, it has one of the biggest photography communities online; There are thousands of great photographers with a Google+ profile. Also has lots of useful qualities: the interface is photo-friendly, and since Google bought Snapseed, added its best photo editing features to the platform.
IFTTT
When it comes to promoting your work online there are many shackles that could be a problem. But when you use IFTTT those trammels go away.
This tool “Puts the internet to work for you”; and they are right to say it. It is a service that lets you take advantage of the internet with “recipes” that connects web applications. Uses easy formulas to connect services based on this statement: “If This then That”. As examples: you can automatically post a picture on Twitter from Instagram; or every time you post a Facebook photo it can be saved on Dropbox without human intervention; and much more.
Google Images
The Google image service is good for searching images. But when you work with photography or photojournalism and want to know where an image came from –without knowing the author-, you can use the “search by image tool”. To me, is one of the must-use online tools.
Feedly
When you know dozens of photography blogs it is hard to keep them on track. The best way to organize your feeds is with an RSS reader. I mostly recommend Feedly, cause it looks like the old fashioned Google Reader. But you can try out other services like Digg Reader, or the Hootsuite’s RSS plugin.
Snapsort
Snapsort is a cool web service that helps find the right camera for you. You put the price, then the specifications that suits you, and voilá; the website generates offers that matches your requirements. It also has a Comparison tool. It’s good for a beginner who wants to take the first step into photography.
Image Forensic
There are a lot of tools that let people know if an image is altered or not. Image Forensic automatizes this task, for free. It is aimed to image forensics investigators and security professionals, giving privacy when you upload a photo to their services. But anyone can use it.
Photosnack
This is a very cool tool that helps you create amazing slides. It is very easy to use, and creates HTML5 slideshows, letting you import images from your favorite social networks as Facebook, Flickr and Instagram. It is also compatible with mobile devices. A must for internet lovers, bloggers, photographers and social media enthusiasts.
So… What do you think? Which amazing web tools would you recommend?
Article by Gabriel Mata-Guzmán