BEST PHOTO EDITING TOOLS THAT SAVE YOU TIME AND HELP WITH PRODUCTIVITY
Ah, editing, the biggest foe for most photographers. This task seems to be daunting at one point or another to every professional photographer. Today I am sharing the best photo editing tools that have changed my life (seriously) and the health of my body as well. Keep reading to find out which is my favorite out of the best photo editing tools on the list.
1- ERGONOMIC CHAIR
Okay, this is starting with a bang, this is the biggest and most expensive product on this list, but hear me out. I had a pretty, cute, and fashionable chair that made my office as cute as a button, but that cute chair was killing my productivity (and my back).
The wheels didn’t roll well, it wobbled a bit, and it was just flat-out not comfy for long-term sitting. I knew it (sadly) had to go. Cue in the spreadsheets, countless YouTube videos, reviews on Amazon, and so on, It took me a while to make this decision.
Here are a few things that were on my must-have list: Comfort level, durability, quality wheels, adjustability, lumbar support, and ideally, sustainability. Oh, and it HAD to look pretty too because I need to feel inspired by my surroundings.
The Ergonofis Youtoo chair fits the bill to a T! It also comes in multiple colors and finishes to choose from, which I love. While I don’t have an affiliate link for that chair, the runner-ups were: Herman Miller (a Silicon Valley favorite, that can run you $$$ if you get it brand new but every editor that recommended it said it changed their life) and the Branch Ergonomic Chair.
The best features of this type of chair are the adjustability of the seat, arms, and the lumbar support, it also adjusts how far it leans so all in all you can adjust pretty much everything. I personally also love that the arms can be adjusted to be “out of my way” when I don’t need it, but with the press of a button, it’s there for me. Hint: It is also the perfect height for a small dog to rest its head while on your lap
Ergonofis is a Canadian brand focused on sustainability and they are known for their gorgeous standing desks so it can take a while to get to you and you have to pay for shipping.
2- ELECTRIC HAND WARMERS
This is one of those items I bet you didn’t see coming. If you’re anything like me, your hands FREEZE while you’re grasping your mouse for hours on end, and while I considered heated mice in the past, I was not able to find a safe and quality alternative I wanted to buy (they also had to be wired in).
The next best thing (and useful for more than just editing) is an Electric Hand Warmer. They’re rechargeable, have multiple settings to reach your desired level of heat, and you can also take them with you when you go outside. I keep mine next to my mouse on the lowest setting, and when I don’t need that hand, or from time to time, I grab the hand warmer to bring my frozen fingers back to normal.
Tip: cup your hands on each side of the hand warmer to warm them at the same time or purchase a set of two and keep one in each pocket.
3- LOUPEDECK+
One of my best secrets and one of the best photo editing tools ever! I do 99.99% of my editing in Lightroom, and the Loupedeck+ is a plug-and-play console that integrates with so much more, even your operating system itself.
How does it help? what makes this one of my all-time best photo editing tools is the fact that the knobs allow me to equally use my left hand for adjustments, it also allows me to ease back on so much clicking. It gives my index finger and my wrist a rest, and when you couple it with the MX mouse AND the Ergonofis chair, this has been a life-changing combo for me.
4- LOOP EARPLUGS
This one is for the folks who have a hard time concentrating, have noisy environments, or get overstimulated easily. The loop earplugs I primarily wear for wedding receptions, but I now always have them with me in my purse, and when things get a bit too loud, or too noisy, I pop these babies in, and in no time I have relief.
It works by blocking the background noises while allowing you to still hear others and hold a conversation. These were gifted to me by another photographer and I cannot recommend them enough for anyone who wants to tune out. They also have two other options I have not checked out that allow for even further sound suppression.
5- LOGI MX MASTER
In 2022 I rushed to the chiropractor with severe finger, wrist, arm, elbow, and shoulder pain. Yeah, no fun there. So I knew things had to change stat. After getting adjustments and paying lots of money for medical bills, I decided to invest in myself and my health.
If Private editing was going to be a viable long-term option for me, I needed to stay healthy for as long as possible so that I could do this for many years.
I went on the hunt for my next mouse. I tried a couple of different models, an upright mouse, one with the ball-bearing style clicker, and finally, the MX Master by Logitech, and this is the Ferrari of mice guys. It is much larger than my previous mouse (which was itty bitty), and it allows me to keep my hand in a more optimal position while editing.
I absolutely looooove the magnetic wheel, holy cow, you just have to feel it to know what I am talking about but it rolls like butter and when you flick it, the magnets allow it to keep rolling almost infinitely. It also has customizable buttons for your thumb and index fingers which are handy too. Mine go to my calculator, minimize everything on my screen, open my Windows key, and copy and paste content.
There is also a side-to-side rolling bar and the mouse can be paired with up to 3 devices and interchangeable with the click of a button on the bottom. I have two laptops on my system so this is very handy to toggle between the two. this mouse is also rechargeable and one charge goes on forever, I have never had any issues whatsoever with it except a cosmetic one. I purchased the white version and I have icky stains from my fingers that I can’t seem to fully remove.
6- COMFY BRACE
Another change in my lifestyle in 2022 and one of my best photo editing tools is my shoulder and back brace. I also wear this on wedding days and while editing. It has helped me as a reminder to tighten my core, but also creates tension so that I can’t roll my shoulders forward like I tend to.
Forward shoulders mean lots of pain for me, on my shoulder blades, clavicle, and my rotator cuffs as well. Just make sure you start slow, follow the instructions on the box, and don’t tighten it too much also wear soft clothing, I noticed that when I wear scratchy tops, I can’t wear them as long.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These products have not been tested and used by me so I personally cannot attest to how amazing they are, but they are highly rated by other pros, editors, and photographers alike.
“This post contains affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link and purchase that product or service, that means I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, these products or services are used or thoroughly researched by me and I intend to bring you useful content and an easy way to find any products mentioned. I have not been paid to promote or endorse any of these items. These are my honest opinions and thoughts and all products were purchased with with my own money.”
