Life After Picnik

I have just about got over the shock that Picnik will be closing (or technically moving over to Google+ but losing a few bits) and I have managed to look at some other photo editing websites without feeling like a traitor. After all Picnik doesn't close until April 19th so there is still plenty of time. In the meantime there is a Brucie bonus, all features are now free, and *wipes brow* if you have paid for an upgrade you will get a full refund even if you only have 1 day left on your membership.

I have read a couple of other posts about alternatives which I have played around with tried and tested for you. While doing this tough job, I also found a couple of other sites which I thought you might like to consider.

So here is Five Go Blogging's FREE photo editing roundup broken into 2 lists; the first is for one-clickers and decorators and the second is for those who are a bit more technically minded and want to play with levels, layers, dodging and burning.

So for the one-click wonders ;)

Flauntr:
Pros:

• loads of filters and overlays which are super easy to apply with one click
• Easy to apply stickers, drawing and text (although the range of stickers isn't as good as Picnik)
• Adjust you photo to take on the palette and style of a famous painting
• Simple and very easy to use

Cons:

• You need to upload your photos, save them in an album, then click and drag the image into the workspace (it wasn't obvious)!
• No animation features
• No collage feature
• Not able to create layers so you can't merge images

Summary: A simple tool to enhance your images and decorate them.

Pixlr Express
Pros:

• Masses of pre-set filters, overlays and frames, applied with one click.

Cons:

• No decorations or text
• No animation features
• No collage feature

Summary: great for simplicity, filters and overlays but nothing else to sell it!

Pixlr O-Matic
Pros:

• Loads of preset filters to give your images a retro feel

Cons:

• That's all it does, only retro filters.

Summary: Really simple but probably too basic

Befunky
Pros:

• Filters and effects to fill your boots with many times over
• A degree of advanced settings for levels and saturation etc.
• Stickers, text and doodling features
• Additional artistic effects

Cons:

• No collages
• No merging of multiple images that I can see or work out
• No animation
• Text fonts are limited on the free version

Summary: Probably the closest to Picnik in functionality and in that you can pay to upgrade and get additional features.

Phixr
Pros:

• Filters and effects as you'd expect
• Can make collages
• Can do basic merging of photos but can only cut out in eclipse or square cropped sections
• Has stickers, text and drawing functions

Cons:

• Can only upload limited picture size and will resize your image to fit (but quality is still fine for blogs)
• Interface is pretty basic and is certainly not slick
• No animation

Summary: Has a good range of effects, stickers, frames etc and is simple to use but the limit of picture size could be a problem.



And now those of a slightly more geeky persuasion ;)

Lunapic
Pros:

• Has animation features! Sparkling effects, reflections, ripples
• Easy to make slideshows
• Can freeform cut out images and paste onto other pictures
• Range of filters and effect
• Can create a twitter mosaic of your followers
• Has tutorials for the more advanced features.

 Cons:

• Limited image size to 930x930 although fine for blogs
• No decorations other than text
• No click and drag collages but can cut out and paste onto a new image to create merged pictures.

Summary: This looks pretty cool for animated and transitional images but probably not ideal for just adding effects for blog images.

Photoscape
Pros:

• It pretty much has it all (except layers as far as I can see)
• It has the geek factor for fiddling with your levels and curves
• It does collages (yay!)
• It has stickers and text and drawing (but not as extensive as Picnik)
• It has filters pre set which you can then adjust to suit you

Cons:

• You have to explore to find what you need, no easy one-click buttons here
• There isn't a facility to merge photos

Summary: The almost full package on you machine. It has to be downloaded so it sits on your machine as a programme.

Aviary
Pros:

• This looks and feels very much like Photoshop so is definitely one for those of you who are comfortable with some technical terms but, as such, offers a lot of scope.
• It has filters, effects and frames
• You can cut and paste to merge photos

Cons:

• No decorations in terms of stickers
• No animation features
• No collages

Summary: Good as a free photoshop alternative but not for the fun features

Pixlr Editor
Pros:

• Nice interface following the style of the other Pixlr products
• Very like photoshop in the editing features it offers
• Has filters, effects and frames

Cons:

• No decorations in terms of stickers
• No animation features
• No collages

Summary: Good as a free Photoshop alternative but not for the fun features

Fotoflexer
Pros:

• Easy to navigate
• All the toys: collage, layers, filters, frames, stickers, insert a face,
• Glitter text (brought out the princess in me!) and glittery stickers.
• You can paste a whole image onto another
• Using 'smart cutout' or 'smart scissors' on the 'geek' menu you can cutout selected areas to paste onto another image.

Cons:

• Slooooow to upload and apply effects. Don't play with this if you are under time pressure.
• Because it is slow I couldn't actual draw a line, it produced a series of dots instead of a continuous line.
• The slow speed also meant that using the smart cutout I could not easily shade the area I wanted to select so it was very rough.
• No overlays and limited frames and filters.

Summary: Of all the sites I have reviewed this comes closest to meeting my needs which are filters, stickers and other decorations, merging images and making collages. Not 100% there but pretty close. 


I have to admit that I am still undecided. I like Befunky for its simplicity and the range of effects, and I like Fotoflexer for its geek features. Given I used photoshop for photo merging and then add effects in Picnik, I will probably still end up using more than one of these sites to get the 'perfect' image.

There are so many other sites out there that you may prefer but there is only so much photo editing a girl can do! If you find something else that you think we would like to try please feel free to link it up here.

Please note I was a first time user to all of the sites I have featured here so it is possible I missed something or just didn't get it. If I did and you feel something should be corrected please let me know. Thanks x

Snap Slappers Week 11

I have shed some tears this week, my friends. I have mourned the loss of a dear comrade, a supporter of Five Go Blogging and I might even go so far as to say that without them, Five Go Blogging would not be what it is today.

It is because of their strength, versatility and damn clever simplicity that Snap Slappers even exists. You might think I am exaggerating but I am not. Everyone that they touched would say the same. I know because I have seen them weep too.

Our relationship has been all too brief. We could have done so much more together, me with my snapping skills and you with your fine array of effects. We were perfect together. Oh Picnik, what will I do without you?

I know you have associates out there who follow where you have led, and so desperately want to be like you. Maybe, in time I will be able to play with them too. But right now the wound is so fresh, so raw and it needs time to heal before I can move on.

But in the meantime, oh Picnik, I wish you well in your final few months. I hope the end is your finale, your finest hour and if you could just check on the progress of my refund, I'd appreciate it. Ta.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Picnik!

Not your typical Snap Slappers this week but I hope you will forgive the indulgence in my grief.

Have you got a photo that you have edited this week? Link up and while you are at it have a gander at the other entries.



<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 10

Hello my lovely Snap Slappers!

Have you been having the glorious sunrises and sunsets that we've been having in Lincolnshire? There I was out on the pavement in my dressing gown and slippers the other morning taking this photo.

I'm sure the neighbours think I am mad, especially as the children (also in their PJs) were intent on seeing what I was trying to photograph. Sorry to any neighbours who were trying to have a lie-in!

But anyway, lovely sunrise as it is, and being addicted to Picnik, and being a mother to 3 who on occasion can find life hard work, I had to have play.

Snap slappers, I give you Gin O'clock!

I raise a glass(after 5pm)  in your honour!

Care to join me? Either in a glass of gin or as a Snap Slapper? Link away x



<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

The Gallery - Phone Cameras

Can you remember the first time you ever took a photo on your mobile and how amazed and excited you were?

I can. I was in total awe of the technology and took photos of so many things. The quality was pretty poor back in the olden days and you had to seriously squint to recognise what or who the photo was of. But it was still gobsmakingly cool!

On my mobile I have the built in camera which has loads of effects and filters you can edit your pictures with. I didn't even realise you could do this until one evening when I was a bit bored and started playing.

Then I discovered RetroCamera, a free app for android phones, with which you can choose between several retro cameras including polaroid, The Barbl, FudgeCam and my favourite Little Orange Box. It automatically adds an effect to give the impression of a picture developed by that old camera. So many of my photos on the blog are taken using this app.

Then came my discovery of Picnik.com, the free online photo editing programme which you may *ahem* have noticed I quite like and have a weekly linky Snap Slappers along this theme *wink wink*.

Then came January 1st this year and I decided to start a 365project.org album where I take a picture a day for the whole year (yes I know there are 366 days this year but this site has been going a few years). I started following a few fellow photographers and noticed someone using the Vignette app. I knew the effect from picnik but this app can do so much more including.... drum roll please...  double exposures.

Playing around I took this (these) photo of The Princess and then double exposed it by taking a picture of our floorboards (as you do) and then (as if that wasn't enough) added the Vignette filter to it, and then (pauses to catch my breath) decreased the exposure a bit. Phew. All on my mobile phone. What will they think of next? You'll be telling me you can talk to someone on my phone. What's that ringing noise?

I'm off to see what pictures my fellow bloggers have been taking on their mobile phones at Sticky Fingers - The Gallery. Care to join me?

Snap Slappers Week 9

There he was, happily playing while I was clearing up after the Princess who had been painting, I come back in the room and find the Wee One sitting on the dinnig table stacking paint pots, as you do!

My revenge (!) is to picnik his photo. Seems fair to me.

So here he was, sitting like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

And a short while later he had a small army of insects crawling up his arm. Bless him, he kept very still through the whole invasion :)

Have you taken a 'normal' photo recently and then tweaked it, teased it, and pimped it into submission?
Link up below and join in with the Snap Slappers.





<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 8

Welcome to 2012!

We are 3 days in and I think I am starting to wear the year in nicely, only a couple of small blisters but otherwise I think this year will be quite comfortable.

I've been playing with my Picnik upgrade again and the joy of mashing a couple of photo's together has been all mine.

I started with these 2 pictures:

And with a pinch of photoshop and a heavy dash of picnik I ended up with this shot.

I wonder what he is thinking?

Now it's your turn to join in. Add your post to the linky below and lets marvel at the magic of photography :)




<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 7

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and that Santa bought you everything that you wished for.

Top of my list was a Picnik upgrade, and guess what? I must have been good, or at least fooled Santa well enough because I got it. Oh yes. Semi-pro me! More effects, more fonts, more stickers, more lovely juicy photo editing opportunities, who could ask for anything more?

So Ladies and Gentlemen, twas the night before Christmas and the children left a note for Santa...

Problem was, so had every other child on the planet and Santa was getting just a little bit drunk...

Have you been editing your photos this week? Come and join in. Silly, arty, exhibition worthy, add your post to the linky.




<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 6

And I think it is appropriate to call it the Christmas Edition. No?

Only 5 sleeps to go. Feeling festive yet?

I had to wait until we had our Christmas tree well and truly decorated before the Christmas jingle hit and I found myself involuntarily singing carols to myself and frightening the dog.
We had the inevitable moment of anticipation to see how many fairy lights had smashed or blown in the 11 months in the loft and I am happy to report there was only one casualty and that was due to the iron flying pig on our hearth being a little too eager to nuzzle up to the berry lights.
After straightening out the angel's wings the tree was well and truly decorated. Well not quite. I found it 'needed' a little help from picnik. Sadly I cannot Picnik it in real life so I can either make do with the original...

or print this photo out magnified by about 1000% and tape a few reams of paper together.

 

Have a great Christmas and don't forget to come back next week. I'll be here wearing my Christmas jumper and eating yet another turkey sandwich xxx

<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers - Week 5

I really should get on with preparing for Christmas.

How many sleeps to go? Answer: not enough!

But the problem is I just keep being distracted by photos. I have spent hours going back through my photographic archives (when I managed to find them) and I could improve every single one of them if I had the time, by tweaking and adjusting and playing with effects. I just LOVE it. And to make matters even worse I've started playing with photoshop too. There is so much you can do with it, but it is significantly more compicated and as I haven't quite sussed it yet I'll save you from my painful endeavours for the time being.

The subject of my photo fiddling this week is a sculpture I found at Burghley Sculpture Gardens in the summer. As is the norm, here is the before picture which managed to adopt a strange tint to it.

 And then I added a couple of effects (I can't actually remember which ones, it was all a holga, tint blur).

Now it is your turn.

Grab the badge below and add you photos to the linky and share the picnik love :)




<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 3

Welcome back to Snap Slappers. Good to see that you haven't seen sense yet and admitted your addictions!

I'm going from strength to strength. So far my record for Picniking is about 4 hours in one session. You know, when you get sucked in, tweaking and adjusting and doodling and then you look up and not only has your tea gone cold but your children have redecorated the sitting room, and there appears to be someone asleep on the sofa.

When I left it, the sofa looked like this:

But 4 hours later, it looks like this:

<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers - Week 2

Hello.

My name is Five Go Blogging and I am an addict.

I hereby declare this meeting of Picnik-aholics Anonymous open.

Thank you MelkshamMum for pointing out my addict status on twitter last night. I have previously been in denial but this is the natural course for addicts I have found. Denial first, realisation and then the cry out for help.

HELP fellow addicts! HELP ME!

I don't want help to overcome my addiction though. I want your help to populate this linky.

Pick a snap, any snap. Slap some effects on it and post. Then link up here for mutual admiration and 'oohs' and 'ahhhs' at the madness and artistic delight.

This is a pic I took in the summer (the clue is the sunshine, bright clothing and lack of raincoat).

 And by the magic that is Picnik I have transformed it to this.

I can't wait to see yours so don't forget to link up, grab the badge and tell your friends.
The more the merrier x




<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

Snap Slappers Week 1

Welcome to the inaugural Snap Slappers blog hop, inspired by a little competition I set on Twitter with Mammasaurus, Motherventing and BlueBirdSunshine and the fantastic photo-editing site Picnik.

This is where you can get as creative or artistic as you can with your photos.
Post up a before and after editing photo on your blog and link up here.
If you would like to reveal the processes you used to create your image so others can have a go to create the same effects, feel free. If you wish to keep your creative tools a secret, that's your privilege.

So my entry this week is a fun one. I threw some lovely effects at it and then had a little doodle too.

Here is Misty Moo looking gorgeous, slightly suspicious and definitely ready to be pimped!

And here she is in all her glory (inspired by Lady GaGa).

I can't wait to see yours so don't forget to link up, grab the badge and tell your friends.
The more the merrier x




<a href="http://fivegoblogging.blogspot.com/search/label/snapslappers" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/fivegoblogging/snapslappers.jpg" border="0" alt="Five Go Blogging Snap Slappers"></a>

The Most Ridiculously Over-Edited Photo Competition

I read a really informative blog post from Mammasaurus (I know, who would have thought she could be informative as well as hilarious) about the FREE photo editing website Picnik. I had discovered it's remarkable capabilities a few months ago and have spent many a happy hour playing with the effects and creating a hopefully memorable image from a snap on my mobile phone. (Feel free to have a wander through the archives and admire my excellent photography and talented writing style. Or not.) You can upgrade on Picnik, with a monthly subscription to enable you to load more photos in one go and access some more advanced features, but so far I have 'made do' with its standard set of image enhancing settings and got some hilarious, and stunning effects out of it.

Yesterday in twitterland, I set a challenge to Mammasaurus, Motherventing and Bluebirdsunshine to see who could use the most effects on one photo and to post the results today. Not being the competitive type *ahem* this is just a bit of fun but you absolutely have to go and see their efforts creations and come back here and tell me that mine are the 'best'! Okay?

So the brief: See how many processes, effects, stickers and text can you use in one photo using only Picnik.

Hahahahaha.

So from this original, straight from the pocket camera shot:

To this:

I used Heatmap Infrared, Gooify, Posterize and Adjustable Threshold. You can literally overlay one process on top of another to build up surreal images.

Then a different set of effects:

For this image I used used Hypnotic, Boost, Vignette, HDRish and then, for good measure, Ortonish.

Finally, one last little play with a few more effects:

For this one I used 1960's, Seasonal Space Textures, and Amalia Scissored and Solar System stickers.

Obviously Picnik can be used in a little less extreme way to adjust exposure on your snaps, improve the colour balance and if you subscribe you can edit our those annoying little blemishes too as well as gaining many more effects to use. It is seriously easy to use so go and have a play. If you want to join in with this little bit of fun, link up your entries into the Most Ridiculously Over-Edited Photo Competition in the comments section below.

Who knows, this could start a regular linky!

UPDATE: A new linky there shall be. Have a look here.