Recent release of Aperture 3 has brought hundreds of new options and improvements to the original version. Now this photo editing application of Apple renders in seamless migration of photos from iPhoto to Aperture, managing huge photo libraries, edit photos to publish those as hardcover books, photo prints, or multimedia slideshows. Another goodie of Aperture is that it supports and hosts various third-party software and plug-ins that further enhance features and usability of Aperture.

Topaz Labs’s Lens Effects plug-in

Lens Effects plug-in of Topaz Labs will add professional look to digital photos. Differences made with Lens Effects plug-ins improve photos without compromising any elements of the photo. This plug-in features 26 effects (like Toy Camera, Tilt/shift) and has 170 presets. Best effect made by this plug-in has been dual-focus lens. If you wish to alter the look of point-and-shoot photos to an SLR shot, this option will be your ideal tool. Thus, this Aperture plug-in enables novice point-and-shooters to make their photos look extraordinary as well as lets seasoned photographers to add an old-time look (like sepia tone) to their shots.

Color Efex Pro 3.0 from Nik Software

Filtering makes pictures look more beautiful than using basic retouching. This photo filtering plug-in named Color Efex Pro 3.0 from Nik Software is one of best and simplest to use. The plug-in offers numerous options and delivers excellent results. Color Efex Pro 3.0 features over two hundred and fifty effects and fifty two filters to enable users choose from wide variety of options and edit multiple pictures simultaneously. At the same time, you can flip through photos them quickly and easily. After applying a filter to the photo, you can specify a region to keep out the new effect to make the picture in the foreground untouched and prominent.

ToonIt plug-in from Digital Anarchy

Although you can easily find a photo-editing application with cartooning features, but you cannot find as extensive options as in ToonIt. Variety of cartooning pictures in ToonIt runs in more than fifty styles such as Zombie, Graphic Novel, Faux Lichenstein etc. What’s more? You can customize your chosen preset cartooning styles using customizable controls to add animation effects to photos as you wish.

Besides you can try your hands in other Aperture plug-ins such as Rays plug-in from Digital Film Tools, Portraiture plug-in from Imagenomic, HumanSoftware’s Edit Fractals, PictureCode’s Noise Ninja, ApertureExpert’s Looks, Hydra, PhotoFrame by onOne Software.