As a blogger who incorporates images for every blog post I write, finding and composing images is something I do in a jiffy. My task is made simpler thanks to a few web-based tools that have surfaced lately, especially the kind that lets you edit images online via a web browser. No need for Adobe Photoshop or the likes! Since my MacBook Pro weighs like a ton of bricks in balmy Singapore, I often find myself relying on locked-down PC desktops at work or in public settings (e.g. national library), so online photo apps such as Snipshot and more recently, Picnik (hat tip to Photojojo) are really god-sent.
When I first used Snipshot, it was quite life changing, since I was liberated from my laptop for basic editing needs. The key word for Snipshot is speed. Simply grab the URL of the image in question (on the web or flickr), then edit it by means of cropping, rotating and resizing (love the live pixel count!), or adjustments like contrast, brightness, saturation, sharpness and hue. Once done, you can then save it as GIF, JPG, PDF, PNG or TIF, or even back onto your Photobucket or Flickr (yay!) account. I love the integration.
I just started exploring Picnik and I must say it’s the prettiest web app I’ve ever laid eyes on. Being Flash-driven, the interface is definitely droolworthy, but certain basic human interface issues such as scrolling is a pain. This becomes especially so when you’ve authorized it for Flickr access and a ton of your images start pouring in. Still, Picnik offers much more features than Snipshot and allows importing from several places, including Flickr, from your computer, web search (including filters for Creative Commons licenses!) and get this… your web cam (thanks to Flash components again). While all is said and done, it performs similar functions as Snipshot, yet seems more sluggish being a bigger app (due to Flash?).
For me, I’ll be sticking with Snipshot… the speed is impeccable. I believe that Picnik would appeal to the general web user, while Snipshot would be more for the power users who just want to get down to the chase. Try both online photo editing services and let me know what you think in the comments.
