Sunday, January 25, 2009

Photoshop and Learn Elements - Online Video Tutorials

By David Peters

Photoshop is undoubtedly one of the forerunners of all the kinds of editing software that swarm the marketplace. With the plethora of tools and features that it offers users, Photoshop is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most widely used photo-editors in the editing sphere. However, there is still the challenge that most first-time users face when it comes to maneuvering their way through the software and learning about its true potential. In fact, there is a large percentage of users who are still unaware of all Photoshop has to offer, simply because they don't know how to get it to work for them. However, there still is a brighter side to this story. Adobe has now delineated some of Photoshop's most outstanding, and most widely used features into a remarkable software they call Photoshop Elements.

Photoshop Elements is a unique blend of some of the most alluring possibilities that Photoshop has to offer. only, it limits its selection to the more commonly used functions which means that as the user, you have a lot less technicality to maneuver through, without being starved of all the tools you need to work wonders on your images. Elements simplifies a number of procedures that you may have to grapple with the more expansive version, without giving you that feeling of "That's it?" which effectively ruins your creative process. And this is the very reason why this software is such a great success with amateur photographers and digital imaging enthusiasts. It offers them all the core elements of Photoshop which have earned this software its fame, while leaving out the professional tools that they wouldn't have used anyway. In all its concise glory, Elements is comprised of an efficient photo-editor, a photo-organizer that you can use once you've added your inimitable touch to your images and even a collection of themes and templates to augment your images with.

Photoshop Elements also facilitates the process of editing by letting you accomplish some of the more common functions of photo-editing, with just one simple function, instead of having to plod through endless steps and routines. For instance, one of the most common problems that plague a majority of photographers is the red-eye effect, which ruins the best of photographs by cropping up at the most inopportune of moments. Getting rid of this effect can be very tedious with Photoshop per SE, but with Photoshop Elements, you can use the automatic Red Eye Removal feature and let the software do the laboring for you. Even better, the Quick-Fix functions let you crop images and adjust the light and color with the Auto Smart Fix and the Auto Contrast and Crop options, while also letting to take a look at the before and after versions.

Photoshop Elements also segregates its tools on the basis of the function they are designed to fulfill, so that the apprehension of wandering through a maze of options and selections is done away with. you can simply browse through the selection of tools offered under the 'Organize', 'Fix', 'Create' and 'Share Photos' categories based on what you're looking to do with your photographs. The process of selection is brilliantly simplified with the user having to simply paint over the desired section of the image and letting the selection tool carve out the edges by itself. And if you're looking for finer precision, you can also use the 'Refine Edge' dialog to smooth, contract or expand the selection edge.

You can also convert your colored images to vintage black and white souvenirs, choose from the array of styles that Elements offers and even adjust the intensity as per the effect you want to achieve. The 'Organize' section has an incredibly useful feature called 'Smart Albums' which let you pick out the images you've edited on a particular date or even the one's you've captured with a specific camera. Elements also makes it a lot easier to navigate through the software with the more prominent and larger icons it offers, while the astounding number of add-ons and tutorials you can find off the internet, make it an comprehensive and resourceful software to work with.

After you've given your best to creating the most magnificent work of art conceivable, you would also want to showcase it in a manner that gives your efforts the justice they deserve. Photoshop Elements lets you pack your images into a stunning slideshow, or displays them with pride in web-galleries. You can even transfer your creations onto contact sheets if you're looking for a more traditional perspective. And for those rush-jobs that you can't afford to devote hours too and can't compromise on the results as well, you can choose a striking backdrop or theme from the selection Photoshop offers, and simply click and drop them onto your images.

Photoshop Elements gives you a very helpful start when you first venture into the world of digital image editing. However, Photoshop has its own brand of loyalists who will insist that you cannot afford to opt for anything less than the all-inclusive version. And if you in a quandary about which side the grass is greener on, simply visit the Photoshop website and download trial versions of both varieties. Although time-bound, they do allow you a complete insight into the software and what it is capable of, giving you a comprehensive picture to base your selection on. So once you know the limits which you can scale with digital editing, why wait any longer? Download your trial versions, or take the plunge and invest in the software today and watch your images look more stunning than you could have ever pictured them as.

About the Author:

No comments: