My Favorite Photo Tools

On this New Year’s Eve, I thought I would share some of my favorite photo tools. The reason? I have photos on my mind today because tomorrow I start a yearlong photo-a-day challenge!

And now, on to the tools…The first three are not only free and easy, but they are also quick, for you can use them with or without creating an account.

BeFunky.com

My go-to online photo editor is BeFunky.com. It is fast and has many features for making photos beautiful. Some of my favorite effects are watercolor, oil painting, impressionist painting, underpainting and cartoonizer. Here are some samples…

Impressionism Effect
Using the Cartoonizer Effect
BeFunky.com Watercolor Effect

BigHugeLabs.com Mosaic Maker

Mosaic making has become a favorite for me. When I want to show a linear progression between photos, I make a one row mosaic. I wrote a blog post about how to create a mosaic from a Flickr set–easy! Here are some of the different mosaics I’ve made this year.

Photovisi.com

This is my favorite for making photo collages and a surprise winner for making text posters. What a cool site! I’ve included some of both kinds of collages I’ve made.

Flickr.com

The most important tool I’ve discovered this past year is Flickr. I have been using Flickr Creative Commons pictures and teaching my students to properly use them and cite them. Thanks to Sue Waters at Edublogs for teaching me the importance of CC images and making it understandable with this post about enhancing posts with images from Edublogs Teacher Challenge.

We are getting much mileage out of Flickr now, both as consumers and now producers. We used it so much that I now have two pro accounts on Flickr. One is for my own personal photos, and the second is for my students to upload their photos. Here is a post that Shiann wrote about how we have become contributors.

More Photography in 2012

Last year revolutionized photo taking for me! I used to lose my camera or carry it in my purse with a dead battery. On the rare occasion that I needed it, it would not be available and I wouldn’t have known how to work even the simplest point-and-shoot features.  Now, I love to look for possible images, I have read the manuals that came with my cameras, and I rarely leave home without a camera with a charged up battery!

I will look forward to seeing what 2012 brings for me in new photography tools and skills as I take on the challenge of a photo a day.

What are your favorite photo tools to use?

Do you want to consider a photo a day in 2012 too?

How about joining a small group of teachers who will be encouraging each other in the challenge? We are the #T365Project group on Flicker. You are welcome to join!

6 thoughts on “My Favorite Photo Tools

  1. Hey Denise!

    I love those sites you posted here on your blog. I hadn’t heard of many of them. I am looking forward to trying them out.

    Here’s to a successful 365!

    Tia

  2. Thanks, Tia! Yes, I’m excited and looking for my first photo today. I should have asked what other photo tools are your favorites? Maybe I’ll go back and add that question here. What do you like to use, Tia?
    Denise

  3. I just started using an app called Photo 365. It appears to be a good way to catalog pictures by day/month. I can see that there would be many uses, not just a 365 photo project.

    One idea for classsroom use – take a picture of the same thing (like a tree) each day and have a photo record of the changes over time.

    Love the photo tools you shared. I plan to check many of them out! Great idea for a post!

    Kathy

  4. Thanks, Kathy! That is a great idea to have an app for a photo a day. I can see that would save some steps and help one keep up. Are you taking a photo a day in 2012?

    I am not in the mobile app world yet, but when I am I will remember that one! For now, I just use my camera and computer. It makes a couple extra steps for me, but I hope I can keep up.

    I am trying your classroom idea this year in life science class. Here is an example of one of my student’s work. http://www.flickr.com/photos/krebsclass/6302897396/
    We are loving taking walks to a nature trail near us.

    Thanks, Kathy!
    Denise

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