Okay, first and foremost, this is not an attack on the Adobe Photoshop (PS) capabilities, so there’ll be no discrediting going on. It’s an undisputed colossus of the photo editing world and has been such for more than two decades now, and we’re more than sure it will not be equaled in popularity or technical prowess anytime soon. However, its motion graphics processing cousin from the Adobe family branch, the super popular Adobe After Effects (AE), seems to be slightly underrated as a software for photo editing. Here’re a couple of reasons why.

It Is, in Many Ways, the Same Thing

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To say that there’s an obvious overlap in their capabilities would be an understatement. At this point, Adobe After Effects, besides its super-intuitive design and available plugins, has a pretty impressive range of editing options and available effects, most of which are also to be found in its sibling software for photo editing. Not only do they usually share the same tool designations (with some minor exceptions), their appliance mechanics are also pretty much alike (again with some minor exceptions).

Layers, Masks, and Other Exciting Things

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In both PS and AE, you have a Layer panel which allows operating with blending modes and styles, both programs offer a chance to operate with multiple layers at the same time, and both programs allow the user to create masks over these layers in a variety of creative ways. Masks can be drawn either with a pen tool or shape tool without losing any of the effects applied to the layer, but while in the AE the shape-shifting of the mask happens via the use of bezier handles, PS employs the well-known anchor points. The difference, however, is again a very slight one.

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What else? Oh, both of processing software offers you a plethora of exciting effects (“filters” in the case of PS), and while for some period AE was definitely championing the VFX category (mainly because the layers applied were editable during the work process), the latest PS outlets have renounced the “untouchable layer” mechanic, introducing a new way of active and dynamic layers. The effects are immediately recognizable and usually share the same designations, so if you know your way within one of the software, it’ll be rather hard to loose your track in the other one.

It’s Fluid

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Okay, this might actually get into the territory of offense, but since we really do need to make some comparisons solely to prove the point (that AE can function as a software for photo editing), it was kinda inevitable. No hard feelings, though, for we’re sure there’s a handful of points to rebut our viewpoint. What Adobe After Effects excels at is definitely a more user-friendly experience in general (not to say that PS is unfriendly software, but simply emphasizing the fact that AE is definitely a beginner’s way to go). What you can acquire with a ton of destructible layers (that means that any changes made to the layer will be permanent and irreparable) while working on an image in PS can be easily and, most importantly, reversible, done with a single layer in the case of AE composition. An extremely helpful option for the graphic designers, you can have a convenient split-screen mode switched on which basically allows you to work on two photo compositions simultaneously. For some rather odd reason, this feature is not yet available in PS.

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Adobe After Effects also does a lot to maintain a stable and well-paced workflow. Every element of the composition can be interlinked to each other, everything is easy to find within the list of compositional elements, and above all, every single element is changeable regardless of which stage of the project you find yourself at. Responsiveness is the name of the game here!

It is, After All, About the Effects!

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Okay, this one may also be a highly subjective statement, but hence the Adobe After Effects is originally intended for a professional motion graphics editing instead of being a software for photo editing, it comes off as a no-brainer that the effects and plugins (of which there are many) available for the software provide a considerably higher sense of realism.  And, despite some of them offering a motion picture worthy visual spectacle, the implementation of them does not require a team of Hollywood’s CGI guru’s and can be carried out rather easily. It’s here where the most powerful aspect of AE steps into the game- you can key things out.

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No “200% zoom for that one perfect cut only to mess the thing up for the 100-th time” error anymore. Need a convincing set of raindrops in the foreground? Google up the word “raindrops” and add one of the following- “green screen” or “alpha”. Put the image above your base composition, go to the effects section, choose “keying” and pick the most suitable method to get rid of the background color. We must warn you, though, that the process is an addictive one once you realize how many random objects (explosions, mountains, spaceships) you can squeeze within your picture. The options are practically endless and opened for the creation of all sorts of visual media (posters, greeting cards, photo art, etc.).

Multi-Level Creativity Encouraged

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And finally,  After Effects as a software for photo editing is really a sandbox opened for the user’s interpretation. Although this can also be easily applied to PS, After Effects offer an unbelievably democratic way of making your still shots more appealing and exciting. The ever-increasing plethora of tutorial videos available on Youtube.com provides a wide range of unimaginable ways to distort the reality within your image, while two completely different tutorials and their visual outcomes can be combined within your composition for a stunning third piece of information.

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To keep the mood light, we can assure you that most of these video instructions are very concise, straightforward and generally a good way to get into the software. During the last decade, largely due to the accessible nature of AE, a new wave of DIY filmmakers and photo enthusiasts have arisen and are still on an active search for the full potential of the software. And who can blame them? It’s a truly great solution for both photo and video processing, a real “people’s software”, so to speak. Oh, we forgot to mention that there are numerous ways to integrate your PS creations within AE, for both programs are specifically designed to be interconnected. Don’t limit your creative spectrum to a single software for photo editing and try out the best of both worlds!

Have your out-of-this-world-scenery already made? Let’s see what we can do with it! 

Der Beitrag After Effects – A Software for Photo Editing? erschien zuerst auf My-Picture.co.uk blog.