Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard application for photo editing, retouching, compositing, and digital painting. It works with layers, masks, adjustment layers, filters, and selection tools to give you full control over every pixel. Recent additions include AI-powered features like Generative Fill and automatic subject selection. Available through Creative Cloud subscription. Windows and macOS.

What it does

Photoshop is built around a layer-based editing system. Every element of your image (text, adjustments, imported graphics, retouching) lives on its own layer, and you control visibility, blending, and opacity independently. Layer masks let you hide or reveal parts of a layer by painting with black or white, which makes non-destructive compositing straightforward. You can combine dozens of photos into a single scene and go back to adjust any element at any time.

For photo retouching, the Remove Tool erases unwanted objects and fills the space with surrounding content automatically. Curves and Levels give precise control over tonal range. Camera Raw handles RAW files from virtually every digital camera, with adjustments for exposure, white balance, lens correction, and color grading before the image even enters the main editor.

Generative Fill uses AI to add, extend, or replace content based on a text prompt. Select an area, type what you want to appear there, and Photoshop generates it blended into the existing image. Subject selection now works in a single click, accurately detecting people, animals, and objects for quick cutouts.

Who it is for

I consider Photoshop the default choice for photographers, graphic designers, and digital artists who need professional results. If you only crop photos or adjust brightness occasionally, free alternatives like GIMP or Photopea will do the job. But once you need advanced compositing, precise retouching, or RAW editing with full control, nothing else matches what Photoshop offers.