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Photoshop Tutorials – Adding a touch of finesse to your photographic art
By David Peters | September 27, 2008
Even though you’ve played by the rules, followed every instruction which the thick-as-a-block manual provided you with, you still find that there’s a distinct something that your photograph lacks. Maybe you’ve just tilted the frame too much, or chosen the wrong combination of colors for your image… you know that there’s definitely a lot you can do with it only, that you don’t have the time to re-shoot the photograph. Here’s the good news you don’t have to re-shoot your image. In fact you can transform the very same photograph into an exquisite work of art, by simply editing it. Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? In fact, that’s just a few of the many alternatives editing software allows you. Modern day photographers unanimously assert the use of editing software in creating their fabulous works of art. And the best part about editing digital photography is that you can do it by yourself, with as little or as much time you wish to dedicate to the task, once you understand the software you’ve chosen to use as well as the possibilities it offers.
Creating editing software is now a specialized field with an array of editing tools that are suited to every level of skill and expertise. From a beginner who just looking to grapple with a few basic touch-ups to a professional who is looking to transform his images, editing software encompasses a gamut of features, which can satiate your every need. Once you’ve captured your image, you need to go ahead and transfer it to your computer where you can get to work on it. But before you start, you will want to save a backup copy of your image, if ever things go out of hand!
If your photograph is centered on people, chances are that you will find many of the faces sporting red-eyes. This can be easily edited out of your picture with the most basic of editing tools, which nearly every version of editing software is equipped with. For all those pictures that have been taken at the wrong angle, you can rotate the entire image or even a part of it for incredible results. Also, as many seasoned professionals will tell you, if your photograph has too many elements crowded into it, which are actually detracting from the subject of your image, then it is advisable you trim away the edges of your photograph or ‘crop’ it. This tool is especially helpful if your subject is right in the middle of the photograph, and makes the entire look a lot more professional.
When it comes to experimenting with color, there’s barely an avenue that editing software doesn’t leave untouched. You can change the color of a certain part of your image, while leaving the rest intact, or even tint the entire image with a special hue. This tool works wonders when you want to recreate an antiquated look for your photograph, where all you have to do is just add a sepia tint. You can also convert your images to black and white or add a dull monochrome depending on the effect you wish to achieve. What’s more, you can also make your picture of hot, baking sand appear even hotter by blowing an orange hue in it or make ice seem even colder by adding a tinge of blue.
To augment the focus on the subject of your photograph, you can also blur out the images behind it. This will automatically make your subject stand out while the background is enveloped in a hazy mist. You can also sharpen the key points of your image to create an ever sharper contrast. However, this tool is not too much help if you want to sharpen an out-of-focus image no matter how advanced the software. The best results can be achieved by highlighting specific parts of the image, while leaving the rest untouched.
You can also slice your image into parts, which can then form individual images by themselves, or a part of a creative collage. Recent versions of editing software make use of a revolutionary concept called layering. Here, the software will divide your image into layers for you to work on, so that you can add effects to just one part of the photograph while leaving the others just as they are. For a more interesting alternative, you can also use different effects for different layers and create breathtaking images. The best part about this tool is that you can rework the same image with different combinations of effects and have the same photograph speak an array of languages.
The software you decide to purchase and then work on, needs to be fine tuned to your very own set of requirements. What you need to bear in mind, is that advanced versions may offer you many more tools, but also come at a much heftier price. So, you first need to analyze of you’re really going to use all the features the software offers, instead of simply choosing the most attractive version you can find. If you are simply a recreational user, you may want to opt for more basic versions like Google Picasa or paint.net which come at a much lower rate or can even be downloaded for free from the internet. However if you’re looking to take up photography as a profession, you may want to research the more upscale versions like Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter before you make your selection. So the next time you think you could have done better with your photography, ponder no longer. Get to work recreating the magic with your photo-editing software. You’ll be amazed at the masterpieces you find yourself create!
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- Photoshop Tips – One of Many Steps to Instant Photography
- Digital Cameras – Master your software, one step at a time
- A Little Imagination and a Camera
- Editing Images – Choosing the prefect tool
- Editing Digital Photography: Software living up to its promises?
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