In my collection of Mac apps to enhance photos are a few that have no price tag. They’re free. Some have a pro version with a price tag, but the lite version is free and provides an easy and inexpensive way to add hundreds to thousands of visual effects with a few clicks (or, as trial and error often is, many, many clicks).
Tricked Out Images With Image Tricks
Apple built into Mac OS X many image manipulation tools that Mac app developers can tap into to create apps that have stunning capability and a low price. Image Tricks does just that. Many image tricks. Free.
Basic image and color manipulation tools abound. Adjust saturation, contrast, hue, and brightness. Blur and distort using twirl, pinch, and stretch. Add mosaic and halftone effects. Actually, all the effects can be blended or stacked for a nearly limitless number of styles.
The tools are easy to master. Each option for Filters, Quartz, and Generators is displayed in the left corner. That’s where the trial and error effort begins.
Oddly, the Toolbar for Image Tricks is on the bottom, but self explanatory. Moving photos from iPhoto into Image Tricks is a click. Photos can be resized, zoomed in via the slider bar.
All photographer and photographer wannabes in the 21st century have plenty of photo manipulation tools. Image Tricks is a must have.
No lite version of anything comes with a pro version, right? Image Tricks Pro has a nominal price tag and simply offers more Core Image filters (95 vs. 77), more Quartz Compositions (40 vs. 35), and Image Generators (20 vs. 13). If you don’t mind a little trial and error effort, you’ll stay busy with Image Tricks.
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