Picnik.com

I never knew my requirements for a photo-editing tool until I discovered Picnik.com. Before Picnik, I used installed photo-editing software ($$$) for all my editing needs (including, but not limited to, removing demon-eyes, fixing lighting badness, sticking random heads on bodies, adding funny text to pictures, painting mustaches on enemies, cropping, etc.)  The major problem being: the software was not intuitive and I would be lost and mumbling to myself in a sea of “layers.” It wasn’t pretty.

Then, I found Picnik.com and my heart leapt.

Picnik.com is an online photo-editing application that is designed for technically-challenged folk like me. It is ridiculously easy to use. None of this complicated layers crap. I can add text, stickers, frames, and sick effects like that.  I just upload my photos from my computer to my online account (or you can transfer photos from photo-sharing websites like Flickr, Picasa, etc.) and then go crazy. I absolutely heart the effects – there’s a retro one that makes photos look like they were taken in the 1960s, complete with washed out colors and rounded edges. There’s another that makes photos look like they were taken from film clips. There are so many cool fonts for text and loads of “stickers” to add some festivity.

Did I mention the website is gorgeous?

Oh! Oh! There’s also this new Touch Up set of tools that allow you to –get this—add highlights, sunless tanner, add mascara, remove wrinkles, whiten teeth, airbrush. I KID YOU NOT. I tested some of these on a recent picture of the kids and, let me tell you, they look glowing with those blond highlights and sunless tanner! Who needs to look good in real life when you can just fake it?

You can use Picnik.com for free, or you can buy a Premium subscription (sold in 1-month, 6-month and 1-year varieties) that gives you more special effects, more fonts, priority customer service, and an unlimited photo history in an ad-free format. I have a Premium subscription which I love (although I never used the free version so can’t compare the two.)

So, my requirements for a photo-editing tool are: Intuitive, Fun to use, Lots of capabilities, Sick effects, Responsive, Can make you look better in photos, Hip, and Does not require a PhD to use.

My only negative is that I haven’t figured out how to just free-hand draw like I used to with Photoshop and its cousins. This limits my mustache-drawing.

Still, I’m a HUGE fan.