Photoshop Tips - 5 Tricks You Should Learn in Photoshop

Now of days, most of us photographers shoot digital. With digital, we are opened up to a whole new world of opportunities. If you are not editing your photographs with software such as Photoshop, you are missing out on making your images look as good as they can.

Whether you are a budding amateur photographer, or a proud parent looking to take better pictures of your kids, software like Photoshop elements can really make your images stand out above the rest. There are some very basic tools that you can use in order to get the most out of your photographs. Every image that you see in a magazine has been edited to some degree. Every professional photographer that is successful in his or her industry uses these tools to enhance their art. Notice I said "enhance," because even the best PS experts cannot save a picture that was compositionally wrong, or had horrid lighting, but with the right knowledge, you can make all of your images better. Adobe (maker of PS and PSE) offers a free trial of their software that allows you to "try before you buy." For most amateurs, I would suggest PSE, because for only $89, you get some serious horsepower, and you can always graduate to the full version later. Here are the five things that you should know how to use to get you started.

1. Layers

This is the subject that turns most users away from PS right away, it seems hard to wrap your head around, but this should help you get a grasp on it. PS offers you the ability to work on layers, in order to keep certain parts of the image from being affected by your tools. Think of layers as steps. Your base picture is your background, and then every layer that you add is like placing a plastic wrapper over the original layer. Now every tool you use will only affect that single layer. In PS, just go to layer>add new to create a new layer, or press control+J (Command+J for mac) to duplicate the background layer.

2. Levels

Your levels can be found by clicking Image > Adjustments > Levels. Levels adjusts the contrast in your images, or the difference between brights and darks. Play with it for an instant boost in your images.

3. Hue and Saturation

This can be found by using the same method as above, except you click on Hue and Saturation. Saturation affects the colors in your image. The more saturation, the stronger the color! Just be careful not to go overboard! The hue and lightness can be played with in order to change the tints.

4. Selection tools.

On the toolbar on the left of the screen, the first 4 tools are selection tools. They offer you various methods in order to affect certain parts of an image. Make sure that you right click, and select a feather radius of 5-250 pixels in order to soften the edge of the selection.

5. Filters

By clicking the filters tab on the top, you can open ourselves up to a million different opportunities, add some blur, you got it. Sharpening? No problem. You have to play with them all to see the power they offer.

If you have any questions on how to use any of these tools, or any of the other tools, feel free to e-mail me. My portfolio can be viewed at Santa Clarita Photographers

Michael Anthony Photography is a Santa Clarita Photographer

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Digital Photography - Tips and Tricks You Must Know

Digital photography can get very exciting and interesting especially if you own a good model. But even the best camera cannot give you the best pictures if you are not aware of how to use the various user controls and also certain tips and tricks which will enable you to click some great and amazing snaps. Here a few of them which I personally use all the time for taking some memorable pictures.

An important thing to remember always is to use optical zoom instead of digital zoom for clicking far away objects. Optical zoom makes use of the lens physically and makes the object appear closer unlike digital zoom which is just smart software embedded in the chip. The former is always recommended for getting sharper and clearer pictures than the latter which tends to give blurred and poor quality images. Only optical zoom will be able to give you good picture clarity which is crucial if you are intending on enlarging the picture. If you use digital zoom, then the clarity decreases as you enlarge the image.

It is best to take a few steps closer to your subject while taking a photograph especially when you are shooting children who are always a pleasure to look at. Instead of focusing on the whole body, focus on the face especially when you catch them off guard in a moment of reflection or a different expression. If you cannot move in closer to the object, then use optical zoom for a clear and crisp image. You can also zoom in on the picture later on using digital software and crop out the background to get an amazing photograph.

If you are interested in outdoor photography, then make sure that you shoot at dawn and dusk which provide great lighting for some interesting pictures. Shoot away from the sun or the sunlight falling on the image will become too bright and douse out the other colors in the photograph. While shooting people, make sure that the sun is behind your back and not in front of you for great pictures. If you are shooting in bright sunlight, then make sure that your subject is not squinting as this will reflect in the photo; professional photographers use shields and frames to keep away the sunlight from falling directly on the subject's face.

Try not to use flash all the time. Look around and analyze the lighting before deciding to use flash especially when you are shooting outdoors. Flash tends to shoot in artificial light which can take away the beauty of a natural picture. Hence avoid using this if you are shooting a sunset or a scenic location. It is best to use the flash settings for functions and events that are held at night or in a closed environment. Then you will need all the light you can get to get clear and bright photographs.

These tips and tricks can be of great benefit if you are starting out with digital photography and want to capture the best moments of your life.

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