Photoshop Tools Explained

Move tool: Only one tool allows you to move items in the document window, and this is it. It allows you to move several items, including guides, objects and shapes in shape layers,and text objects.

Shape Selection tools: These tools allow you to quickly select areas of the document. Using rectangle, ellipse, row, and column shapes.

Lasso Selection tools: These tools allow you to quickly select areas of the document by using the mouse to draw a lasso around them.

Quick Selection tools: These tools can intelligently select areas of the document by detecting areas that are similar to those selected by the mouse.

Crop and Slice tools: The Crop tool lets you select an area of the document to keep and remove the area around it.The Slice tools are used for creating clickable hot areas for Web images

Eye Dropper/Ruler/Note/Count tools: This tool set is a catchall. The Eyedropper tool is used to select foreground colors directly from pixels in the image.. The Ruler tool is used to measure areas in an image. The Note tool allows you to add notes to an image that help you retain things such as to-do editing lists with the image. The Count tool allows you to count and log items in the image, which can be useful if you are working with medical images.

Healing tools: The Healing tools provide quick ways to apply brush strokes that can heal areas of an image, from removing dust and scratches to removing red eye.

Brush tools: The Brush tools allow you to apply painting techniques to repair, enhance, and create images

Stamp tools: The Clone Stamp tool allows you to select an area of the image and then stamp or brush that area into other parts of the image or even other documents. The Pattern Stamp tool allows you to apply a style pattern to an image using brush strokes.

Eraser tools: The Eraser tools allow you to quickly remove pixel data from an image.

History Brush tools: The History Brush tools are used to repair and enhance areas of an image by painting data from previous editing states of the image. For example, you could change the image to grayscale and then use brush strokes to add color to specific areas.

Blur/Sharpen/Smudge tools: The Blur and Sharpen tools allow you to use brush strokes to blur or sharpen specific areas of an image. The Smudge tool allows you to use brush strokes to smudge existing pixels into each other.

Gradient/Paint Bucket tools: The Gradient tool allows you to paint a gradient pattern onto an image. The Paint Bucket tool allows you to apply a paint color to sections of an image.

Dodge/Burn/Sponge tools: The Dodge and Burn tools allow you to use brush strokes to lighten or darken areas of an image. The Sponge tool allows you to use brush strokes to remove or add color saturation in areas of an image.

Path Creation tools: The Path Creation tools allow you to create vector paths by creating lines between anchor points.

Path Selection tools: The Path Selection tools allow you to select and manipulate vector paths by adjusting the anchor points.

Text tools: The Text tools allow you to add textual elements to images.

Shape tools: With the Shape tools, you can easily create and manipulate simple geometric vector shapes and lines as well as custom vector shapes.

3D Object tools: These tools allow you to create and manipulate 3D objects.

3D Camera tools: These tools let you to manipulate camera views when working with 3D elements Hand/Rotate View tools: Using the Hand tool, you can grab onto the image and pan by dragging the mouse. This is available only when you are zoomed in on the image, but it’s very useful for navigating around your image. The Rotate View tool allows you to rotate the canvas in the document window by dragging with the mouse. If you hold down the Shift key while rotating the canvas, the rotation occurs in 15-degree increments. Rotating the canvas can be useful if you need to align elements in the image with the vertical or horizontal axis of the display screen for editing.

Zoom tool: The Zoom tool allows you to use the mouse to drag a specific rectangle to zoom in on the image. You also can zoom in at 100 percent increments by simply clicking the document with the mouse. You can zoom out at 100 percent increments by holding down the Shift key while clicking the document. The options menu for the Zoom tool provides several buttons to resize the document view based on actual pixels, print size, and screen size.

If you have OpenGL Drawing enabled then you can use the Scrubby Zoom option in the Zoom tool options menu. When you enable Scrubby Zoom, then you can click and drag the mouse to the left and right on the image to zoom in and out.

Background/Foreground: The background/foreground area of the Toolbox allows you to see and modify the current background and foreground colors. The foreground color is used by several tools to paint onto the image. The background color is used by several tools when removing pixels from the image. Pressing D on the keyboard resets the foeground and background colors to Black and White, respectively.

Edit in Quick Mask mode: This toggles between Normal and Quick Mask mode. The Edit in Quick Mask mode option allows you to tweak selections using the brush tool to paint the exact shape.

The Truth About Scraper Pro Gold Lead Generation Software

Scraper Pro basic and Scraper Pro Gold is premiere lead generation software designed to get sales leads from the internet. There are two basic ways the software locates these leads. It can run a search for the information it is seeking by any keyword that is submitted. So, when looking for those who are interested in “weight loss” for example, this keyword can be inserted and the search begins. In a very short time it reveals hundreds of names, addresses, URLs, emails, fax and telephone numbers. Scraper Pro could also use a URL such as (an Example URL but are not allowed) to find leads as well. For URLs to work well they normally need to have a login name and password submitted, to get to the information, in the desired database.

The intention of the software is to locate and find the information readily available on the internet now. The information is obtained from some of these reputable locations: Google.com Yahoo.com Bing.com AltaVista.com

The software never hacks or steals the information obtained. It scraps the information already available on the internet.

There are many other locations available for search with the premium version, Scraper Pro Gold. It is very fast and easy to use. When information is received from Scraper Pro, it can be saved in an Excel.csv file format, to use as required. There are various filter settings available to use for drilling down to the exact nature of the search. The software is very easy to use and quick.

The leads that are generated can be kept permanently. Leads can be generated as often as required; there is no limit on the amount that can be created.

The price is very attractive, since it is a onetime amount of $197 for the basic level Scraper Pro and $297 for the Gold version. There is never a monthly charge. Updates are free as they become available. The real value in the software is the unlimited usage and the frequency of usage. There is also an affiliate program available to resale the product which is very lucrative.

Should I Upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS4?

For the best in graphic ability and versatility,  Photoshop  cannot be beat.  Photoshop  provides a lot more non-destructive methods of functioning compared to all the other image editors, and Adobe is constantly introducing enhancements to aid work being carried out quicker with much less stress.

 Photoshop  CS4 provides much more interface features and, as expected, a number of new productive functions. Overall efficiency received great deal of consideration in this edition, and for the very first time,  Photoshop  can capitalize on your computer’s graphics chip, permitting smoother display drawing, enhanced zooming, plus a new canvas rotation device.

The new Adjustments and layer masks Sections lead customers to much better, non-destructive methods of functioning, whilst producing changes simpler and a lot more accessible for customers who’re currently comfortable with them. The older burn and dodge methods are also recreated in  Photoshop  CS4. These methods now run significantly more intelegent, protecting the sculpt of the picture you’re modifying. An extraordinary new function in  Photoshop  CS4 certainly is the content aware scaling, which could discover detailed locations of a picture and leave individuals places un-tampered with when scaling pictures up and down or various proportions. Adobe Bridge, the data browser incorporated with all Creative Suite software, is really an adequate and adult application today.

Even though the price of  Photoshop  might be beyond reach for a few, the expenditure can pay off through elevated efficiency and optimum versatility. College students and teachers can consider educational pricing to get the price lower. The modifications from  Photoshop  CS3 to CS4 are absolutely evolutionary. People who work when using the program each day will certainly discover an advantage to upgrading.

Enlarging Photos - Four Steps to a Sharp, Detailed Image

In every photographers life there comes a time when you must enlarge your images. I know that with the newer ten plus megapixel cameras that are being sold today they product fairly large images when shot at the highest RAW or JPG settings. But, now I see more and more opportunities to enlarge my images to 20″ by 30″ and beyond. It seems that a lot of photo customers want larger images to display in the homes and offices.

I shoot my photos with a 15 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel T1i. It creates a file that is 13.2″ by 19.8″ (3168 x 4752 pixels). Complicating the matter further is the onslaught of camera phones. I own an Apple iPhone 3G which has a 2 megapixel camera. My friend has an iPhone 3GS with an upgraded camera to an earth shattering 3 megapixels. Now I find that I have to enlarge cell phone pictures for me and my friend before I can think about manipulating them in Photoshop or any other image editor.

Photoshop has some fairly sophisticated image enlarging functions built in. I have been using their bicubic algorithm for several years and was reasonable happy with the results, unless I got too greedy and tried to enlarge more than 200%

The enlarging process in Photoshop CS4

Step 1 Open your image in Photoshop CS4 >Choose Image > Image Size

Step 2 In Pixel Dimensions, change the Width or Height to the size you want, or In Document Size change the Width, Height, and/or Resolution to the size you want,

Step 3 In the Image Size Dialog box Check the following boxes: Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions, Resample Image; In the pull down box at the bottom choose from one of the following:Nearest Neighbor (preserve hard edges), Bilinear, Bicubic (best for smooth gradients), Bicubic Smoother (best for enlargement), or Bicubic Sharper (best for reduction)

Step 4 Press OK

The image will be transformed into a larger one, while keeping the same proportions. If you have enlarged less than 200% you will find very acceptable quality. Zoom in to the image to about 300% and you will start seeing the raw pixels (look at the edges for clues to problems). The most important options in enlarging in Photoshop is the Bicubic options and I always choose Bicubic Smoother, as noted, for enlargements. This means Photoshop uses bicubic interpolation (a mystical math algorithm that is way beyond my understanding) to produce smooth tonal gradations in the process of adding pixels.

Now, what would happen if you have to take that 2 megapixel picture you created on your iPhone, and needed to blow it up for an 8″ by 10″ photo? It will be a fairly low quality when done in Photoshop. You will need to look for another option. There are several companies that make image enlargement software.

One of those is Genuine Fractals, version 6. This is a program is part of the Plug-In Suite family from OnOne Software. Vincent Versace, an Award Winning Photographer has said “Genuine Fractals 6 was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos.” Like Versace, I have been using Genuine Fractals since version 5.

Genuine Fractals can increase the image size of a photograph over 1,000% without the loss of sharpness or detail. It uses a patented, fractal based interpolation algorithm to perform the magic inside the computer. I am going to describe the use of the Genuine Fractals plug-in for Photoshop CS4, but you can also install it as a plug-in for Lightroom and Aperture.

Using Genuine Fractals

Step 1 Open an image in Photoshop.

Step 2 Edit your image for all parts except sharpening. You will want to sharpen after you enlarge the photo.

Step 3 Choose File > Automate > Genuine Fractals Professional 6.0 Edition.This loads the Fractals window. From the right hand panel I usually choose a preset (it is “none” by default).a. Presets include the following media types: SQUARE, for sizes like 8″ by 8″, 20″ by 20″, PHOTOGRAPHIC, for common photo sizes like 8″ by 10″, 11″ by 14″, 24″ by 30″ and more, PAPER for sizes common to laser and ink jet printers, 8 ½ by 11 Letter, 11″ by 17″ Tabloid, VIDEO, for common video windows like 640 by 480, 1024 by 768, CUSTOM to create your own beyond the over 60 built-in sizes.

After selecting a preset or custom a red mask will be placed over the image to show how your image will be cropped. After moving the crop window to where you want it (you may have uncheck the “lock Crop” box to be able to move the window around. If you uncheck the constrain proportions box you can create a brand new custom size. Once you have the crop where you want it there are several other option such as Texture Control, Sharpening, Film Grain, Tiling and Gallery wrap.

Step 4 Press Apply when satisfied with your selections.

The program displays a progress bar and when finished returns you to Photoshop. You can now perform your sharpening, if you did not do it in the Fractals box.

Photoshop and Genuine Fractals have good functions to enlarge your photos. Genuine Fractals can take the size much larger with less degradation of the image. Either solution will meet your needs in a marketplace that desires giant sized prints.

The Inevitability of Image Cut Outs in Photoshop

As you flip through the pages of a glossy magazine or surf through any website, the most important element holding you to the page is, undoubtedly, the photographs or images on that page. The importance of pictures or images as an integral part of any collateral cannot be undermined; rather photographs provide the much needed depth to convey any thought.

Cut out images are photos where the object has been cut out from its original background and placed onto a clean, white background or on any other background. The process of image cut outs in Photoshop is a tricky job, which if done professionally, makes the image look cleaner, highlighting all its finer points.

Why Image Cut-Outs?

It is rightly said that pictures speak louder than words. But if the pictures you see in any medium are poor in quality, the impact of the entire exercise will be lost. Hence it becomes imperative to edit and enhance the quality of each and every image which has to be published in any medium – whether print or digital.

No matter what image you are editing, you can be sure that almost every image will require an image to be removed from its background for providing some effect or the other. Although this can be done through many software programs but in most of the cases image cut outs in Photoshop provide the best quality and the needed impact.

Image Cut-outs for Businesses

In today’s times of e-commerce portals, putting your products in the best light is the most important task, because the buyer gets to know your product only by seeing its image. The more detailed and impressive is the picture, the more inclined will the buyer will be towards buying that product.

While looking at the majority of products featured in magazines and blogs you’ll usually find them as part of “trends” or “style” features. But as most of the photos are shot without giving much attention to the background, image cut outs in Photoshop is the most effective solution to get rid of the unwanted elements of the background, or to altogether change the background.

Some products, especially women’s apparel, jewelry and other accessories often look good and explicit without any background. The process of image cut outs in Photoshop is applied to such pictures to make them look exclusive and elegant, thus helping in increasing their appeal, and ultimately sales.

Although images of most of the products need to be edited, but not all products require cut-out images. Wallpaper, flooring, interior designs etc are often displayed best in lifestyle shots. Some photos might need cleaning of the picture or the background, but do not need an image cut out in Photoshop.

The surging demand of cleaner, expressive and catchy photographs in the fast growing digital media has rendered Image Cut Outs in Photoshop an inevitable process for enhancing the image quality for grabbing the attention of the viewer and making him/her stay to see the product for longer periods.

Top 10 Tips For Working With Layers In Photoshop Elements (PSE)

In my opinion, the absolute best feature of photo editing software like  Photoshop ,  Photoshop  Elements (PSE) and Paintshop Pro is the Layers Palette. Working with layers gives you so much flexibilty to try different elements on your layout design without accidentally ruining another area of it.

So for those who are just getting used to layers in their life, here’s Ten Top Tips to help you love your layers (note: this is PSE oriented but the principles are the same for all editing software, you just need to translate the appropriate function names and locations).

10 Top Tips for Working with Layers

1. Always make a copy of your original layer before modifying it. Then if you don’t like the way it’s turned out you can discard it and easily start again on another copy of the original.


2. To create a new empty layer, click on the New Layer icon at the top left of the layers palette. A new layer will appear immediately above the layer you currently have active.


3. To duplicate a layer, activate the layer by clicking on it in the layers palette and drag to the New Layer icon at the top left of the palette


4. View and hide your layers by clicking on the Eye icon beside the layer thumbnail in the layers pallet. This is handy if you’re trying to decide on the merits of different elements on your layout. You can just toggle their visibility and invisibility so you can easily compare the look of different options.


5. Use the Layers Styles and Effects palette (usually above the Layers Palette to apply different styles (eg drop shadow, bevel) or effects (eg. Photographic effects to convert your photo to sepia or to a coloured tint).


6. If you want to rotate a layer but not the entire image make sure you use the layers command section at the bottom of the Image>Rotate menu.


7. Group layers that go together (eg. photo, matt, frame and accent) consecutively in the layers palette (just click on the layers and drag them up and down). Then you can easily select all of them with the Shift key and link them together by clicking on the little chain link icon at the top of the layers palette. If you do this then you can change the position and size of all these elements together and maintain your proportions easily.


8. Keep each individual element on a separate layer. Each time you drag a new element into your layout PSE will automatically put it on a new layer. But if you create your own elements (eg. using the Select tool to make a journal box which you can fill with colour before adding your text) make sure you do so on a new layer. That means you can move them about the page and resize them without affecting other elements.


9. Try creating your own backgrounds by placing two different backgrounds on top of each other in the layers palette. Then with the top one active , click on the blending modes pop up menu (top left of the layers palette) and play with the different options in the menu. You can create some really cool effects this way. Don’t forget you can reduce the opacity as well to control how much of the top layer dominates the overall effect. I am enjoying playing with blending using photos over a background paper such as in my Independence layout.


10. If you’re going to adjust colour and/or contrast use an Adjustment Layer. Activate the layer you want toadjust (click on it in the layers palette), then click on the black and white circle icon next to the New layer icon at the top of the layers palette. Select the type of adjustment you want to make (eg. hue/saturation) then make your adjustment in the adjustment layer. This will take effect on the layer underneath. But the beaut part about doing your adjustments this way is that your adjustment settings are saved and you can easily change them even after you’ve saved and reloaded the file.

So you can see how powerful a tool the layers palette is. There are plenty more wonderful things you can do with your layers once you get started playing. I’m sure that many of you have your own particular favourite tips that I haven’t covered here. Please feel free to add your own favourite Layer tips in the comments section.

And lastly I’d like to talk about flattening layers. Frankly I’m not a big fan of this. I know it reduces the size of the file for storage but it also removes any flexibility to go back and change it later. A perfect example is the Always Best Friends layout that I submitted to Scrapbooking Memories. In a fit of madness I flattened the image before printing (don’t ask me why) and then saved the flattened image. All my beautiful layers were lost forever. Then when I wanted to offer the template that I had made as a freebie I had to recreate it from scratch because the original was buried in the layers of my layout and gone for ever (also breaking Rule No. 1). As everyone knows, there is nothing like consequences to make you learn a lesson.

So what I would suggest is before saving your file for the very last time, you do a bit of housekeeping and drag any layers that you really don’t need into the Trash Can at the top of the Layers Palette. These may be backgound layers and elements that you dragged into your layout to see how they would look and hidden using the Eye icon beside the layer or have placed under another layer so you can’t see them. Cleaning out these unwanted layers will reduce the size of your file for storage. Always save the file in its native format (eg. .PSD for PSE and  Photoshop ). Then you can reduce the size to 72dpi and save another copy for the web or email as a .JPG.

Then if you want to modify your layout at a later date all your lovely layers will be there waiting for you.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Uninstall - How to Uninstall Photoshop CS3 Completely From Your PC

Adobe  Photoshop  CS3 Uninstall – the process of removing Adobe  Photoshop  CS3 from your computer so that you don’t have any remnants of the application left on your system. The problem that many people have is that this application will actually leave a large number of files & settings on your computer, meaning that if you want to get rid of it properly – you have to know what you need to be able to do to get rid of any parts of the software that you may have inside your system. The good news is that you can use the steps outlined on this page to uninstall  Photoshop  CS3 in the most effective way possible.

Manually Uninstall  Photoshop  CS3

The most common way that people uninstall  Photoshop  CS3 is to use the “Add / Remove Programs” feature of Windows – a central feature of all Windows systems which has been designed to help you get rid of any of the applications that you have on your system. Here’s how to use this program:

• Click “Start“, then click onto “Control Panel“


• Locate “Add / Remove Programs” (Windows XP) or “Uninstall A Program” (Windows 7)


• When this applet loads up, select “Adobe  Photoshop  CS3” from the list that appears


• Click “Remove” or “Uninstall” from the list that appears

This will basically allow you to get rid of the program using the in-built method that Windows has. The only problem here is that this often leaves a lot of files, settings & options behind that either then have to be deleted manually or by using some sort of software. We recommend using a “registry cleaner” or an “uninstaller program” to get rid of the remnants of the program after you uninstall it using this manual method.

Automated Uninstall  Photoshop  CS3

The next step it use an automated uninstall procedure for Adobe  Photoshop  CS3. This involves using a piece of software called an “uninstall program”, which is basically a tool that is able to get rid of all the parts of the program that will be installed on your system. We’ve found that there is a program called Final Uninstaller which works extremely well to remove the Adobe  Photoshop  CS3 application from your computer. You can see how this tool works here:

• Download the “Final Uninstaller” application (it has a fully functional free trial & costs $27.95 after the trial expires)


• Install this tool on your PC


• Let it scan & find the Adobe  Photoshop  program you have installed


• Click on the listing, and let it remove the program for you

This will basically get rid of all the parts of the program on your system, and stop it from loading up or returning to your PC again. This is highly effective as it will help you get rid of any of the possible issues that the software may cause if it’s not properly removed from your system. You can use Final Uninstaller regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an expert – allowing it to remove all the parts of the software you want to get rid of.

Callaway Golf Tour Pros and the Clubs They Play

The 40 or so men and women tour professionals on the Callaway Golf staff come from the world’s premier professional golf tours, including the PGA Tour, European PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.

They are elite players with extremely high standards. Who are they, and which Callaway clubs do they play?

A few are spotlighted below, followed by a complete listing of Callaway Golf tour professionals.

Phil Mickelson

Callaway Golf tour pro Phil Mickelson is currently the No. 2 ranked player in the world, having amassed 34 PGA Tour wins, including three majors. Here’s something you may not know about Phil: golf is the only thing he does left-handed. The pro known as “Lefty” began the game as a left-hander so he could mirror his dad’s right-handed swing during practice.

“I’ve been using this Diablo fairway wood,” Phil said recently about the new Big Bertha Diablo Series. “This is the best fairway wood I’ve ever hit.”

In Phil’s Bag:

• FT-9 Driver


• Big Bertha Diablo Fairway Woods


• Tour Authentic X-Prototype Irons 5-9


• X-Forged Irons 3-4


• White Hot XG #9 Putter

Ernie Els

Callaway Golf tour pro Ernie Els competes globally and has won 48 worldwide titles, including three majors. Nicknamed “The Big Easy” for his long, fluid golf swing, the 6’3″ Els was a consummate athlete in his youth, excelling in rugby, tennis, cricket and other sports.

Like Phil Mickelson, when it comes to Callaway drivers, The Big Easy swings the FT-9 Driver. Ernie also favors Tour Authentic X-Prototype Irons.

In Ernie’s Bag:

• FT-9 Driver


• X Fairway Woods


• Tour Authentic X-Prototype Irons 3-9


• Tour Milled 1 Putter

Annika Sorenstam

To say that Callaway Golf tour pro Annika Sorenstam is the greatest female golfer of all time is no stretch. Annika, now retired from tour competition, collected 72 LPGA Tour wins (including 10 majors) in her Hall-of-Fame career. She is also the only woman to fire a 59 in a tour event.

Known for her precision play, Annika has played Callaway irons throughout her career. She currently plays two models: Tour Authentic X-Prototype Irons and X-18 Irons.

In Annika’s Bag:

• FT-5 Driver


• X Fairway Woods


• Tour Authentic X-Prototype Irons 7-9


• X-18 Irons 4-6


• White Hot XG 2-Ball Putter

Graeme McDowell

Callaway Golf tour pro Graeme McDowell is an up-and-coming player on the European PGA Tour who has won four times and was a member of the 2008 European Ryder Cup team. The Irishman played collegiate golf at the University of Alabama, where he was ranked No. 1 in the United States and won an amazing six of 12 college tournaments.

In Graeme’s Bag:

• Fusion FT-3 Driver


• X Fairway Woods 15


• X-Forged Irons 3-9


• White Hot 7 Putter

Gary Player

Callaway Golf tour pro Gary Player is a living golf legend. Still active on the Champions Tour, the man nicknamed “The Black Knight” has won 163 tournaments worldwide and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Gary also won nine majors in his illustrious career and is one of only a few players to achieve the career Grand Slam, winning the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship by the age of 29.

In Gary’s Bag:

• FT-5 Driver


• Steelhead III Fairway Wood 4+


• Steelhead Plus Fairway Wood


• Heavenwood Hybrids


• X Hybrids


• X-Tour Irons 6-9


• Tri Hot 3 Putter

Complete List of Callaway Tour Pros

PGA Tour

Stuart Appleby

Cameron Beckman

Notah Begay III

Olin Browne

Ernie Els

J.J. Henry

Fredrik Jacobson

Danny Lee

Rocco Mediate

Phil Mickelson

James Oh

Nicholas Thompson

LPGA Tour

Sandra Gal

Vicky Hurst

Leta Lindley

Morgan Pressel

Momoko Ueda

European PGA Tour

Thomas Bjorn

Michael Campbell

Nick Dougherty

Niclas Fasth

Alastair Forsyth

Stephen Gallacher

Anton Haig

Thongchai Jaidee

Michael Lorenzo-Vera

Graeme McDowell

Alexander Noren

Alvaro Quiros

Robert Rock

Marcel Siem

Oliver Wilson

Nationwide Tour

Bubba Dickerson

Nick Flanagan

Champions Tour

Mark McNulty

Gary Player

Eduardo Romero

Golf Icons

David Leadbetter

Johnny Miller

Arnold Palmer

Annika Sorenstam

Justin Timberlake

Flat Screen TV Consumer Guide

Digital television has eliminated the need for the CRT monitor. For years they were the primary display for analog TV. Since analog TV no longer exists most TVs sold today are flat screens.

A flat screen TV gives flexibility in mounting and locating the screen within the room. Since the monitor is no longer a huge box it doesn’t need a piece of furniture on which to sit. Most flat screens are hung on a wall or a bracket. The brackets are engineered to accommodate the weight of the screen and to adjust for the best viewing. This requires that a suitable blank wall be set aside in the viewing room and the furniture arranged for the best viewing angle. There are stands and carts that can be used with flat screen displays but they are rare.

A flat screen TV, especially a large one, is generally used as a monitor. That is to say that they are sold without speakers built into them. Since most customers for flat screen displays also have a Surround Sound setup this is normal. Smaller sized sets come with speakers but the sound is disappointing when compared to a Surround Sound setup.

There are three types of flat screen TVs. The first to gain popularity was the Plasma TV. These screens take advantage of the properties of certain noble gases when turned into plasma by the application of voltage. The plasma causes a phosphor to fluoresce and this produces one pixel of light. The advantages of Plasma screens are a bright display and blacker blacks with a superior contrast ratio. The disadvantage to these sets is that they have higher power consumption than other flat screens.

The next flat screen TV is the LCD screen. These have been used for years in laptop computers and many small devices. Any hand-held calculator, cell phone, or other such device with a small display uses an LCD screen. LCD screens have the advantage that the technology is well developed and they use little power. They do require a light source behind them in order to be visible. This can be either a cold cathode fluorescent light, as is used in laptops, or an LED array. LED back lighting doesn’t produce the best color quality and is used when power consumption or cost is an issue.

The newest type of flat screen TV is the OLED display. These are just coming into the market but promise to be the display of choice in the future. They are currently confined to small sizes but manufacturers promise to deliver large displays which equal other technologies in the near future. The OLED requires no back lighting and uses little power. They offer better contrast for blacker blacks and will accommodate viewing angles up to ninety degrees. Manufacturing is simple and they can be applied to a number of surfaces in novel ways. The only problem that needs to be addressed is a limited life which currently would allow five years of eight-hour-a-day viewing.

Best Premier League Odds

The English Premier League is a big competition which in itself attracts numerous bets. This means that the odds are wide spread and therefore lots needs to be done before placing a bet on the matches to get the very best of the bets. The best odds are not that hard to find especially now that there are very good betting sites which come complete with odds from some of the top bookmakers.

Some of the top and reputable bookmakers from whom you can get the best odds for the Premier League include BetFred, Victor Chandler, William Hill, Coral and Ladbrokes among many others. It is very important to ensure that the site you are settling for has the best as a simple way of ensuring that you get your only hands on the best odds for the matches that you are interested in placing bets on.

The Premier League opens great chances of betting and you will find that you have the chance to choose at which point during the matches you would like to place your bets. For instance, you can choose to bet for the runner up, winner without the top clubs and the outright winner depending on which you are most interested in. However, for each of the match and the rounds, it is necessary that you will have to make sure that you go through the odds.

As far as the Premier League odds are concerned, you will have to remember that the odds can change within hours or days hence you will need to frequently check on them for the sake of your wager. The prices change from one bookmaker to another and the only time you will manage to get the best is by ensuring you are aware of any changes that take place. The bookmakers will keep updating the betting tips and odds and your homework will be to ensure you get the latest.

You will also find some other great betting offers for the Premier League among them free betting offers. It is always a good idea to take advantage of such offers since they can be easy ways of making money especially when you have a well researched and thought out bet. It is possible to find everything that you need for your Premier League betting from a good site so ensure that you choose carefully to get the very best from your wager.

Does Photoshop Seriously Damage Your Photographic Talent?

Are you a so called  Photoshop  specialist photographer who can correct an image that was destined for the ‘Recycle Bin’ and produced an image that can be uploaded and sold through Microstock?  

Do you justify your  Photoshop  expertise by explaining that the landscape shot was ruined because it had an overflowing litter bin in the foreground? Or are you the portrait photographer telling me how you had saved your embarrassment of a reshoot because they had cloned in a corner section where the background was missing?   It’s absolutely fantastic that we can all use  Photoshop  to correct our mistakes. But my question is – Should we make the mistakes in the first place? I come from the days of film and one of the first things that you were instilled to do was let your eye roam around the viewfinder.

Then when you were happy with what you saw, you took the picture. Notice I did use the term we. I admit on a bad day I am just as guilty as anyone else.   What we need to do is to pay more attention to the shooting of the image and less to the post shoot correction techniques. In other word stick your camera on a tripod if possible and let your eye roam around the viewfinder looking for anything that you can see that shouldn’t be there. It’s so easy to simply shoot what you think that you see only to find that object that has crept into the picture that is clearly visible on the monitor. How did I miss that when I took the picture? I ask myself. That’s when I also think, thank goodness for  Photoshop .  

A very experienced photographer once explained to me that when he ‘went digital’ he got lazy when taking the shots. He had heard before going digital  Photoshop  solved all your picture taking problems. Like a lot of photographers he began to rely on the qualities of such a superb piece of software. He ended up spending more time working on the images in  Photoshop  than he did actually taking the shots. He simply had taken for granted the fact that simple mistakes could be easily rectified. But he also realised that every minute spent checking the picture at the time of shooting saved him ten minutes work in  Photoshop . He began to wish that he had stuck with film and thought about returning to his old ways.  

But after analysing his situation and evaluating his photographs he realised it wasn’t the digital image that was the problem. It was his technique; he had assumed that this was how you approached digital photography. So now he has reverted back to his old style of shooting by taking more care when taking the picture. Not only has his picture taking improved but he has a lot more spare time.  

Let’s suppose that you had decided to shoot a still life set up comprising a bottle of wine, a glass of wine and a few grapes. You spent your time getting the composition looking just right and started to shoot away, changing the viewpoint and moving in closer. You must have at least ten saleable images. You transfer the files to a folder on your computer and open each file.   But your excitement turns to horror as the first image has a dirty great thumbprint on the glass slap bang in the middle of your picture. So you decide to rectify the mistake in  Photoshop . It’ll only take ten minutes or so. That’s ten minute per image time ten of course. So in fact it will take you the best part of two hours to correct something that should have been spotted at the shooting stage. Incidentally, when I shoot any shiny objects I always move the objects wearing white cotton gloves.  

What you should be doing is simply tweaking the image. Maybe giving is a slight increase in contrast or burning in, very slightly, the label on the bottle. Just the odd corrections that make a good image become excellent. Remember that you can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear. The same goes for  Photoshop .  

So maybe you can save the once in a lifetime picture by adjusting it in  Photoshop , sometimes mistakes can’t be helped. Think of the potential market for a portrait photographer that can make the model look thinner and younger.  Photoshop  has set the Industry Standard and is a superb tool in the Photographers Arsenal – Providing that the Photographer has the knowledge to use it and realise its limitations.

Where to Start with Adobe Photoshop

Anyone who has ever used Adobe  Photoshop  will tell you that there is a lot to learn in order to perform even simple tasks. You would be forgiven for admitting that you felt a little bewildered by the large array of menus, floating palettes and tools on offer.

I have been using Adobe  Photoshop  on a professional basis for the past 10 years and have seen it continuously grow. I currently lecture at a local University in this very subject and still find that during each and every lesson I find something new within this excellent photographic tool.

My students, daunted by the overwhelming size of the application, often ask ‘Where do you start?’

This article is intended to answer that very question. Whether you are an absolute beginner or a veteran, I believe that the approach outline here will benefit your further learning.

1. To Begin…Don’t be afraid, it won’t explode!

Explore  Photoshop . Feel free to open up an image and run through each menu, clicking on menu items and buttons or slide bars and submitters…EXPERIMENT!

Of course, it would be wise to ensure that the image that you are using has been back-up elsewhere before you start this expedition.

What could possibly go wrong? The only thing I could imagine that may go astray is the odd floating palette. If this happens, you can recall them by using the ‘Window’ menu. So just relax, sit down and muck around with your image.

2.  Photoshop  Navigation

In order to become proficient and effective in using Adobe  Photoshop , you must be comfortable with navigating around an image. A few tricks of the trade should come in handy here.

There is nothing worst than trying to move from one area of an image to another using the default Zoom tool and Hand tool. Using these two toolbar ‘criminals’ will MASSIVELY slow you down!

EXPERIEMENT 1: Try it out for yourself for yourself…

a. Open up an image.

b. Start your stop watch.

c. Use the Zoom tool to increase the zoom factor to about 200%.

d. Now, using the Brush tool, draw a line from the left hand side of your image across to the right

e. Use the Hand tool to reveal the next part of the canvas.

f. Stop your stop watch! How long did it take?

You’ll find it both a slow method and a challenge to keep focused on the task, i.e. pick up brush – paint, pick up hand tool – move, pick up brush – paint, etc.

EXPERIEMENT 2: Now try this:

a. Open up an image.

b. Start your stop watch.

c. Use Ctrl + to increase the zoom factor to about 200%.

d. Now, using the Brush tool (press B), draw a line from the left hand side of your image across to the right

e. Hold down the spacebar and left click and drag to reveal the next part of the canvas.

f. Stop your stop watch! How long did it take?

Firstly, Experiment 2 will only take a fraction of the time to get the same results as found in Experiment 1. Secondly, I bet you barely had to think about it! You mind was allowed to wonder onto other things.

Holding down the spacebar toggles between the Hand tool and the currently selected tool. Take you thumb off the space bar and your back to Brush tool.

Keep on practising through the above exercise.

3. So what have we learnt from this?

Using quick-keys or shortcuts are simply the best way of operating within Adobe  Photoshop . They will both increase the speed of your workflow and free up valuable brain processing power. In fact, you’ll find that if you adopt the use of quick-keys, you will soon start to work on a reactionary and instinctive basis.  Photoshop  by reflex!

I rarely have to think about what I am doing while using Adobe  Photoshop . That is, I don’t have to think about the technical runnings, just the creative objectives.

This is comparable to driving a car. I’m sure that any motorist reading this article will agree that while driving from A to B, you are not necessarily aware of all of the physical operations involved in controlling your car. You do it by reflex. Using  Photoshop  can be the same with practice.

Feel free to use this article online and in your email newsletters as long as you leave it intact and do not alter it in anyway. The by-line and resource box must remain in the article and you must acknoledge the author.

The Best Place to Start in Photoshop For a Newbie

 Photoshop  is a complex program, but anyone can learn how to use it and master is. You just have to know where to start. I think the best way to do it is to just begin playing with the program. Double click on the program icon, get in there and have a look around. Open the drop menus, look at the different toolbars, just click on everything to get a feel for where things are. Then you can delve deeper with a few options.

First of all, there are books. The different  Photoshop  programs are CS, CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4;  Photoshop  Elements 6, 7 and 8 (the older ones are practically obsolete) and  Photoshop  Premier Elements;  Photoshop  Lightroom 1 and 2; and finally,  Photoshop  Extended. There are books that are for the specific program listed and when I typed  Photoshop  into Amazon.com, I got over 9,000 results. It’s not necessary to buy a book, but you can. There is a free PDF file of the first chapter of a book entitled  Photoshop  CS Visual QuickStart Guide. Honestly, for a  Photoshop  newbie, this free chapter is a great start as it gives you a glimpse of what you need to learn.

Also, when you buy a  Photoshop  program, it comes with reading material that I suggest you at least browse through. Because  Photoshop  is so complex, there are a lot of features that you can learn to maximize what you get out of the program. Not taking advantage of the reading material, usually leads to ignored tools that you could have used to make things easier.

So, you’ve read up a bit about  Photoshop  and are ready for a test drive. All of these programs have similar basics; file, edit, image, layer, select, filler, view, window and help drop menus as well as different toolbars and tool boxes. I list these things so that you know to look for these items when you are playing with the program.

Tutorials, there are a lot of tutorials on the Adobe website that can take you through  Photoshop’s  features. Just to let you know, some tutorials are not free, but can be accessed when you buy the specific product they are for. As for free tutorials, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of tutorials that specifically teach you how to navigate the main tool box. This is what you will use to select items, crop images, add text, use the pen and the brush, alter your color palette, clone parts of an image, blur edges, erase things and so much more. One of the most important things you can learn is how to work with layers. Anytime you alter your image, you should put the changes in a new layer so you can go back and fix things one layer at a time as opposed to fixing the whole thing.

Finally, there’s the Adobe resource center and forums. The resource center has tons of links for any obstacle you might run into. The resource center and forums allow you to advance your learning and find specific answers to obscure questions you may have as your  Photoshop  abilities grow.

Overall, play with your program, read up on its features, experiment with photos, practice with tutorials and most importantly have fun. Now that you know where to look for the information that you need to begin your long-term relationship with  Photoshop , you can focus on creating a new world for your pictures, videos, sound recordings, web pages and any other thing you may want to do.