Photo-editing programs offer countless ways to touch up snapshots. You can alter colors, lighting and more to turn photos from bland to breathtaking.

However, photo editors present a steep learning curve. Faced with numerous options, you may not know where to start. Even practiced photographers may be confounded by software.

virtualPhotographer makes it easy to add professional effects to your digital photos. It's a collection of filters that plugs into editing programs such as Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. The filters allow you to add polish to your snapshots without learning hundreds of menu options.

With virtualPhotographer, you can simulate the look of different types of film and film speeds. You can instantly apply tints, such as blue for night shots. You can also fade shots to black & white or anywhere between.

Many of virtualPhotographer's presets bear descriptive titles. For example, Reminiscing turns photos black & white and adds softness to the lighting. Dreamy adds an ethereal glow to ordinary scenes. Landscape revives colors washed out by bright sunlight. You can customize virtualPhotographer's presets to your tastes.