Organise, tag, fix and edit your photos from the comfort of a single program
Digital cameras have revolutionised photography, but the downside is that most hard drives are now cluttered up with thousands of photos, and keeping track of them all can be a nightmare. Add to that the fact that many imperfect photos can be improved with the right software and you’re left wondering how to manage it all.
In the past you’d have one program for managing your photos, and another for editing them. These days, though, an increasing number of programs – Ashampoo Photo Commander among them – aim to provide a one-stop shop for organising and fixing all of the images on your computer.
The program splits its feature set into five sections: Common, Quick-Fix, Edit, Create and Organize. All the photo management tools are found under Organize, including batch processing and renaming, duplicate finder and tools for rotating and optimising JPEG files without affecting the quality. Unlike tools like Windows Live Photo Gallery and Picasa, the program doesn’t attempt to catalogue all your pictures; instead, you select photos from your hard drive, or create albums into which you drag and drop a group of photos for easy access in future.
The Quick Fix section enables you to easily and swiftly correct problems like lighting with a single click. It also contains a number of filters, effects and other quick edits. Switch to the Edit tab for more extensive editing controls, or select Create to generate slideshows, collages, calendars, contact sheets and more.
Version 9 adds a new dual-window feature, allowing you to compare the edited photo alongside the original before you commit to any changes. Optimisation tools and video options have also been improved, and new effects added.
The trial version lasts for 10 days, but can be extended to 40 by registering for a free key after installation.
Review by Nick Peers.
