Katya Lavorovna

The following applications are free:
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G.I.M.P. The GNU Image Manipulation Program has a lot of the features found on high-end commercial photo editors such as Adobe’s Photoshop. It’s perhaps the best and most featured of the free image editors available, and as such will enable many artists on a budget to reach their potential. It’s FREE, people!
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Paint.NET A good basic image editor. Stable (at least on my systems). REQUIRES .NET Framework. (read the requirements)
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RealWorld Paint.COM A very basic,but competent editor. They have paid apps too.
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IrfanView “IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 , 2008, Vista, Windows 7.” As recommended by RB’er Frisson . Thank you.
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Blender Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License. I haven’t tried it, but I know others who do use it. Get into 3D for free.
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Free AAA 8bf plugins Photoshop plugins that are well worth a look. Created by a fellow named Jim Clatfelter. He has a ‘buzzer’ which renders painterly effects on images.
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About.com’s Top 10 Free Photo Editors for Windows Check ‘em out, folks. There are some there I didn’t think of. (see also this list at Basic-Digital-Photography.com

Paid applications worth a look:
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Topaz Simplify Plugin at this writing it’s $39.99 I tried the trial and it’s on my list of wanna haves. Topaz Simplify is a Photoshop plugin. Topaz sort of fills the gap left by the demise of BuzzSimplifier (see below).
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NeatImage Noise filtration software available as photoshop plugins or a standalone application. I have the pro version of the standalone application which, when I bought it several years ago was around $89. It is perhaps the state of the art noise reduction software available. They did have a fully functional free version of the standalone which was prohibited by licensing requirements from being used for any commercial uses (read for sale images). It was fully functional. If you sell your work, you must pay and register.
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Terragen Terragen is a 3d landscape generator capable of stunningly beautiful output. Like most 3d apps, it has a learning curve. From the website: “You are required to register your copy of Terragen if it is for commercial use, as specified in the License Agreement presented to you when you install or first use Terragen. If you only intend to use Terragen personally, on a non-profit basis, registration is optional and you may continue to use the unregistered version of Terragen free of charge.” Registration for Terragen Classic is $100. Still a lot less than Bryce, Hexagon, etc., which are high-end commercial apps.
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Other informational or service related sites:
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PlugsNPixels “where you can get one-stop, organized information about creativity and productivity software and related educational materials more quickly and easily than from any other source.” -quote from the site.
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MyFreeCopyright A copyright registration site that gives you a digital fingerprint of your work so you can prove infringement if it occurs. I don’t use this service, but I see it being used by others here on RB and elsewhere. Check it out and make up your mind.
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A couple of sites added by RB’er Syd Baker
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So sad, here are some very good things we have lost:
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optikVerve virtualPhotographer plug-in formerly at www.optikvervelabs.com this was a really ‘neato’ photoshop plugin and it was free. If anyone finds that this has been picked up (legitimately) by another vendor, let me know (no warez links, please!)
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Buzz Simplifier What a loss that Fo2Pix is out of business! I wanted this one and never ‘got around’ to buying it – my procrastination has cost me so much over the years…..(sighs…)