Using Photoshop.
Photoshop setup/layout. (Article by Peter)
My personal preference is to setup Photoshop for basic use:-
File dropdown list – Open / Save photos, Import from scanner/camera, Page, Printer setup and Print.
Edit dropdown list – Undo changes made, Cut, Copy, Paste, Colour settings & Preferences.
Image dropdown list – Mode (colour setup), Adjust (all image corrections), Image and Canvas size plus orientation, (mainly used when printing).
Layers dropdown list – Enables Layers options within Photoshop.
Select dropdown list - Deselect/Reselect captured regions, Inverse actions to selected region within an image.
Filter dropdown list – a large number of filters that alter, change and improve the quality of your photo.
View dropdown list – Check photo prior to printing, set Rulers & Snap to grid.
Window dropdown list – Selects the layout of Photoshop as seen on your PC monitor. I prefer to have, Tools, Options, History, Layers & Status Bar.
A brief overview of Photoshop tools that can be used to improve or edit your photos.
It is advisable to select Layer > Duplicate Layer before making changes to your photograph, this will leave the base layer unchanged and allows for a quick comparison using the Layers history list. When you have finished making adjustments to your photo, the layers should be flattened if the image is to be saved in JPEG format, other wise it will be saved as a PSD file, a Photoshop file that includes all of the layers information. If Layers are not used, the file will automatically be saved in the format found when it was first opened.
The changes are made permanent after Save has been selected, Cancel will revert the photo to its original state, Edit > Undo reverses the previous change that has been made.
No matter how experienced you are at taking photographs, inevitably you will find something that you are not totally happy with. It may be the picture is too dark or light, not sharp enough. You may find some object in the photo that you do no want, a lamp post coming out of the top of some ones head is an example. Possibly the perspective is wrong, wide angle lenses can distort straight edges within the photo that may need correcting.
Photoshop is the most popular image editing software on the market and is used by the professionals as a result it is very expensive to buy. There are alternative software packages on the market, some less expensive, some free, but you get what you pay for Photoshop can not be beaten for functions and speed in operation.
The following procedures are written for Photoshop,
Alternative software packages have similar tools but sometimes named differently.
Examples of alternative Image editing software:-
Jasc Software – Paintshop Pro (Slightly cheaper than Photoshop)
Serif Photoplus (Often offered as a deal, latest version Costs £40.00).
GIMP (Free to download and use, good functions but a bit slow to use).
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