Top Three Picture Editing Software Programs

Any decent DSLR camera – and many point-and-shoot models – can give you good photos. But if you want really spectacular shots, you'll need to use an image editor. Picture editing software allows you to express your style of photography by bringing out the best qualities in each photo.

There are many standout picture editing software choices. Here are the top three images editors, any of which can help you create art through your photos.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 13
A flexible program that is powerful enough for professional photographers, Photoshop Elements 12 is also an ideal image editor for beginners.

Pros:

• Organizer mode includes advanced face-tagging and geo-tagging as well as several auto fixes, including contrast, red-eye, color, and sharpening
• Guided mode offers step-by-step instructions on how to use the software tools, giving solid help on how to accomplish editing goals
• Impressive image importing capabilities
• Expert mode provides incredible control over image editing, with filters, layers, and a vast number of other graphic and artistic effects

Cons:

• Photoshop Elements 13 has a large disk footprint as installation takes up about 3.5GB of hard disk space
• Separate organizer isn't as integrated as other top picture editing software programs
• Importing photos is a bit slow

Corel PaintShop Pro X7
This image editor is quite easy to learn and has a user-friendly interface, offering professional-grade editing tools and features that will satisfy photographers of any level.

Pros:

• Less expensive than Photoshop Elements, but still feature-rich with many advanced tools
• Learning Center guides users through complicated photo editing processes
• Solid face-tagging and geo-tagging tools
• Fast processing to allow for efficient and quick work flow 

Cons:
PaintShop X7 is only for Windows operating systems

• No preview or image tagging on import
• Instant effects are not adjustable

Serif PhotoPlus X7
Both amateur and professional photographers find much to like in this top picture editing software program.

Pros:

• Less pricey than the powerhouse offerings from Adobe and Corel, but packs a big punch with tons of advanced imaging tools and effects
• Tutorials provide plenty of help with exploring different tools and features
• Several features not found in the competitors, such as nondestructive cropping and recordable actions
• Many photo retouching functions are easier to work with than those of other image editors

Cons:

• Interface is not as easy to learn as other top picture editing software programs
• Response time for many of the editing tools is somewhat slow
• Photo organizer function is too separate from the image editor

Any of these top three picture editing software programs can help take your photos to new heights, creating high-quality photos and artistic images to rival those of professional photographers.