So, I've been doing some freelance photography and graphic design lately, and as anyone working with Photoshop (or other graphics programs) knows, finding the right combination of effects for each image to get the exact look you want is kind of time-consuming. But wait! We don't have to go through that each time, because some brilliant people sometimes create additional filters to use! The pros: they're awesome. The cons: some are not nearly as awesome as they sound, and the really good ones are rarely free.

Anyway, a couple months ago I went on a hunt for all the good filters I could find. I still haven't experimented with all of them quite as much as I'd like, but generally I've learned what they can do, how good the previewing system is, and how long they take to render.

My absolute favorite?

onOne's free PhotoTools software, available at http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/phototools-free/ . Unfortunately it only works with Photoshop (sorry PSP users ), but for those of you with PS, it's amazing (btw - they lie when they say it only works with CS3-5. I'm using it with CS2 and it works fine). It took a while to figure out the configuration, but the effects are AWESOME. Seriously - I cannot recommend it highly enough. It does take a while to process some effects, so if you have a really slow computer, you might be in for a wait, but the filters like HDR, Cross-processing, Vintage, Bleach Bypass...they're all pretty amazing.

I know I sound like a walking ad for it right now, but if you have a copy of Photoshop, do yourself a favor and download the filters. Even if you're more into web graphics than photography, you won't be disappointed.

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