Learn Photoshop Now - An Overview of Adobe Photoshop CS4

It appears that Adobe products are getting better and better. CS3 brought us new features such as non-destructive smart filters, quick selection, 3D compositing, enhanced RAW image processing and HDR support.

Adobe’s new software, Creative Suite 4, is intended to meet special challenges such as effective collaborations between designers and developers, embracing new media, reinventing publishing and embracing the explosion of connected media. Chad Seigel, Group Manager for Creative Suite has been quoted as saying, “Adobe is trying to break barriers and integrate all products.”

Changes to  Photoshop  CS4 include an improved interface with the entire application enclosed in the frame which means dual monitor users can have more than one application running. The workspace switcher is for swapping between applications such as Camera RAW 5 and Bridge.

Other welcome enhancements include zoom ratio which is less likely to show jagged or pixelated lines and also possesses a flicker free zoom. Now you can rotate the canvas without jagged lines and the brush size can be previewed directly on the document. Now when the tool is placed over the image it can be moved in size and you can preview it before you use it.

Another tool that has been improved is the Dodge/Burn tool, now when you’re adjusting the shadows, midtones or highlights the tool won’t impose on the other two. When adjusting the saturation on the sponge tool it won’t move out of acceptable gamma.

Adjustment has a dedicated window with all the tools found in the area such as levels, curves, brightness & contrast and exposure. The preview window is in the tab instead of a new window that overlaps the image. This means your picture can be viewed in its entirety and as an added bonus tools such as curves can be adjusted directly on the image for localised amendments.

The icons have been simplified for well-organized use; now you can see what you need to use much faster than before.

The mask panel allows you to choose an area which can be manipulated and even inverted which is good for selective color images.

The mask panel allows you to select an area which can be manipulated and even inverted which is good for selective color images.

A feature I really like is content aware cropping. The feature works by first masking the areas you wish to retain in the picture. The image can then be resized and the parts that are protected won’t be cropped into. The program will start to remove areas in between which is an amazing feature to see and use.

An improved blend layer mode has been added and is great for techniques such as focus stacking. The program adjusts the exposure and color automatically so there’s no need to mess about first.

The images must be loaded in as layers and highlighted. Once you have done that click on Edit>Auto blend layers and the images will be composited together. The process can take some time so be patient.

It can also be useful to create HDR images if you prefer the ones without the ethereal effect that most systems produce.

Bryan Hughes,  Photoshop  Product Manager, is adamant that this isn’t a HDR tool though, as it doesn’t give a full high dynamic range in all areas so the familiar ethereal look of a HDR image is absent. He did add that if need be, it could be described as a clipped version of HDR.

The Extended version of  Photoshop  CS4 also features support for 3D. Two dimensional images can be changed to 3D by giving them x, y and z co-ordinates and these images can also be wrapped around imported 3D images.  Photoshop  CS4 also works in conjunction with Google 3D warehouse where you can import thousands of 3D images. Merging a 2D image onto a 3D image is simple as the only command you need use is the Merge button. The 2D layer acquires all the 3D attributes such as decay detail, color and reflections. The 3D image can be manipulated as well and you can also enjoy features such as creating cut-outs, adding detail or changing colors to the interior of the cut-out.

As an added bonus, a feature has been added for help with people who are colour blind. Colours in  Photoshop  CS4 can be adjusted for true colour blindness.

One feature missing in CS4 is the quick tools from the image window bar. When you’ve opened an image, right clicking on the header bar has brought up five options of duplicate, image size, canvas size, file info for metadata and page set up. I often used these, especially file info, and to find it’s not there has added time to my workflow.

At the press release for  Photoshop  CS4 I was bursting with excitement when I saw the features it could do. The newest features such as the auto blend and content aware croping feature are astounding. I also enjoy using the localised adjustments on Lightroom 2 so it’ll be really beneficial on  Photoshop  CS4.

Look at the noted upgrades box and see if you’ll use all those extra features. Add to that the efficient zooming and 89 percent less drag on the mouse making it move across the screen faster.

Bear in mind that the list is for the Extended version which supports the 3D applications. If you don’t need those then don’t bother with Extended but as far as I’m concerned this new version is the best one yet.

Photoshop CS2 Tutorials for Beginners

 Photoshop  CS2 tutorials will play a big role on how far you can go with your  Photoshop  installed in your computer. This will enable you to maximize the different features of the program and benefit from it.

 Photoshop  CS2 Upgrade

The basic  Photoshop  program has an upgrade now in the  Photoshop  CS2. With this at hand there are a number of things that you can now do. It now comes with neat features that make artworks more enjoyable in the computer.

Here are some of the features that you can now enjoy from the  Photoshop  CS2 version.

o Adobe Bridge

It is now easier to view and manipulate your various photographs and artworks through the Adobe Bridge.

o Remove Red-Eye Instantly

The older  Photoshop  version would take some time before a red-eye is removed. With  Photoshop  CS2, this task can be done more easily.

o Spot Healing Brush

The Spot Healing Brush in  Photoshop  CS2 will allow you to get rid of imperfections. With just the click of a mouse, your spot will definitely get a good repair.

o Accurate Printing

 Photoshop  CS2 tutorial can let you explore the improved workflow of printing with the program. You can easily learn how to configure the printer for more accurate colors in the output.

o Font Viewing

Fonts can now be previewed as to how they would actually appear from the drop-down menu. Now, you do not have to keep on clicking until you find the right one.

 Photoshop  CS2 Tutorials

Buying the  Photoshop  program and enjoying its features would be fairly easy. However, it is a completely different matter to be able to learn the many ways of operating the program to create illustrations and graphics.

Thus, it is best to explore the many options for  Photoshop  CS2 tutorials. Here are some of your options to learn the basics of the program.

1. Online  Photoshop  CS2 Tutorial

Buying your own  Photoshop  CS2 program will give you access to the online tutorial. It will also give you venue to ask your questions and get some tips on how to properly use the program.

2. Utilizing the Demo Version

Most of the  Photoshop  CS2 tutorials on the Web are provided for a fee. However, there are options for you to get a demo version of such tutorials.

You can get this demo version free of charge. This version will only include a few chapters of lessons. This will give you a good preview of how well the tutorial will go. You can evaluate its features before purchasing the full version.

3. Purchase the CD

 Photoshop  CS2 tutorials can also be accessed by purchasing the CD. You can get this for less than $100 and you can explore everything you need to learn about  Photoshop  CS2.

4. Download a PDF File

There are also PDF files available on the Web that you can download. This can provide you the foundations of  Photoshop  CS2 that you need to learn.

5. Video Tutorials

You can also explore the internet for sites that offer  Photoshop  CS2 video tutorials. If you are completely clueless about  Photoshop  CS2, then the video will be able to guide you in every step of the way.

Conclusion

The  Photoshop  CS2 tutorial is a good option for you to maximize the use of your program. With skills you can gather from here, you can surely go a long way with your artworks and creativity.

How to Use Photoshop Revealed

You have probably heard of Photoshop as being this most amazing piece of software that can be used to perform the most amazing digital photo edits. You may not be aware that virtually anybody can use Photoshop Software, so if you fancy the idea of editing your digital photos like the pros do, then read on and learn how to use Photoshop…

Photoshop is a computer program used to generate and alter images. You can use their vast array of tools to create images from scratch, or you can download photos, scanned artwork, or Internet icons to Photoshop and change them however you want. To the novice, the breadth of Photoshop’s functions can be daunting, but after spending some quality time with the instruction manual, even the beginner should be able to take advantage of Photoshop’s many features. Online tutorials are also available to guide you through any part of Photoshop you with to go.

There are four main components that will appear on your screen when you open Photoshop. These will be the main tools you use to create and edit images. These tools are:

-Menu Bar

-Drawing Canvas

-Toolbox

-Palettes

We’ll start with the familiar first. The Menu Bar thankfully looks like the menu bar in most other applications. You can save, get a new screen, copy, and paste; all the functions with which you are already familiar.

The next component of Photoshop with which you should familiarize yourself is the Drawing Canvas. The drawing canvas is the large white area in the middle of the screen where you will draw or edit your images. You can set the size of your drawing canvas to limit the size of your image. The drawing canvas title bar tells you the name of your image, as well as the zoom and what mode you are in. It is possible to have an unlimited number of drawing canvases open at a time and to set them to all different sizes.

The Toolbox is your main arsenal for creating and editing images in Photoshop. The toolbox holds twenty different tools that allow you to draw and modify images on your drawing canvas. You can draw lines, fill in colors, erase images, select parts of an image, and so much more. For every function you select in your toolbox, Photoshop changes the shape of your pointer in hopes of helping you to remember what tool you have selected.

The final main component of Photoshop is the Palettes. By default, five palettes will come up on your screen when you open Photoshop. These palettes are: information, brushes, layers, command, and color. More are available in a drop down menu on the menu bar. The palettes are what give Photoshop its versatility. Each palette modifies the properties of the tools in the toolbox. For example, the brushes palette allows you to change the thickness of line your brush draws. There are a lot features in each palette. As you are familiarizing yourself with this function, make sure to check out all the tabs and fly-out menu options.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the basic functions of Photoshop, you should get to know all the tools in your toolbox. The best way to do this is open a new drawing canvas and start to draw with each tool. If you can do this with the instruction manual open in front of you, you will both be able to read about all the properties of each tool as well as see what you can do with it on the canvas. After you become well-versed in the basics, it is time to move on to more advanced Photoshop applications.

Photoshop Services

In this period of influence of Photoshop services, almost all specific images need to have some acquaintance of glamour intensification before they are obtainable. The spotlessness of genuine mirror image in camera is not at all times proficient to influence the demand. Images have turn out to be obligatory and deepest part of a scrupulous statement. The continuing pressure of images in advertisements and sales makes clipping path very enthusiastic occupation.

Clipping path is not about changing an image ineffectually or entertainingly. Clipping path and glamour augmentation necessitate Photoshop services experts powered with profound understanding about photography and communication as well. The graphic designers observe the image thoroughly. Stumble on the ways to make it more having an important effect for a better account. Work on a variety of attributes of photograph and try to make photos good to improved and better to most excellent.

Entice up the appeal, it is an exceptional service to make the image stand out. The graphic designers at photoshop services companies keep in mind, the appeal or it will distract the viewer. By scrupulous surveillance and Photoshop Services they try to find out the tediousness and spots. Photoshop Clipping path is very complex and involves knowledgeable eye and arty mind.

The specialized Clipping path service provider ask clients about where they are going to use the image and what do they think about altering it. After the information is gathered from the clientele the graphic designers make use of the Photoshop services. With best care and aptitude, the skilled graphic designer can make livelier an image with the skillet. It will articulate more than its substantial demonstration with this service and of course, soon you will get fervent feedback from your clientele and viewers.

Features of Adobe Photoshop

Adobe  Photoshop , commonly called  Photoshop , is one of the leading image-editing software in the market today. The software was developed by Adobe Systems and has been one of the standard applications of many web developers, designers, and advertising agencies around the world.

With  Photoshop’s  powerful features, you can have unlimited possibilities in image editing which makes it standout among all other graphic software in the market. It has all the necessary tools that can be used to enhance and alter images.

Image editing is a method of altering any image, either an illustration, digital or analog photographs.

Adobe  Photoshop  Features:

Selection – This is the most basic but powerful feature of  Photoshop . You can select only part of an image wherein you want changes to take effect. This method is done with the use of the tools like the marquee tool, lasso, and pen tools.

Layers – Layers is a set of different stacked elements that contains different parts of an image. This is one of the best features  Photoshop  created. Layering lets you work on different parts of a photo and put them together for a dramatic finish.

Image size alteration – This feature enlarges or reduces an image as needed.

Cropping – Cropping lets you select a portion of the image you want to retain. It deletes the rest.

Sharpening and softening –  Photoshop  features the power to render a sharper or blurred effect on images. This feature is done by selecting the main subject and applying sharpening or softening effects. This feature is mostly used in portraits to create a better focus on the subject.

Merging images – This features allows two or more separate images to merged as one.

Removal of unwanted elements – This technique involves the use of clone tool to maintain the texture of the image. This is useful when you want to get rid of distracting objects in an image which gives more focus on the subject. This feature can enhance close up portraits, to erase acne marks in a face.

Selective color change – Using this feature lets you alter the color of certain parts of an image, keeping the rest of the colors original.

Slicing – This features the ability of slicing a whole image into parts and is labelled with different files and later on used as contents of a website. This feature is automated and widely-used in creating mock-ups of websites.

There a lot more features of this great software which you just have to discover and will greatly help you do your image editing task faster and efficient with professional looking results.

Learn Photoshop Fast - Top 10 Tips to Help You Feel Like a Pro

Do you feel intimidated when you are trying to learn  Photoshop ? Are you getting frustrated every time you open  Photoshop  and try to do something?

Here are the top ten tips to help you feel like a pro, Fast.

1. 
   Double-click to open documents: To open a document in  Photoshop , just double-click on the grey  Photoshop  window background and hey presto.


2. 
   Hiding the Palettes with the Tab key: Need more room on the screen? Hide the palettes by pressing the Tab key. Get them back by pressing Tab again.


3. 
   Full screen mode: Need even more space? You can toggle between a full screen mode with and without menu bar, and normal editing mode just by clicking the F key.


4. 
   Nudging: Want more precision on your moves?. Hold down the Control key and use the up, down, left and right arrows to move the layer 1 pixel at a time. To move the layer by 10 pixels at a time, hold down the Shift key as well.


5. 
   Moving whole layers: An easy way to move a whole layer is to simply hold down the Control key and click and drag on your layer with the mouse


6. 
   Copy layers between documents: You can copy a layer from one document to another simply by clicking on it in the Layers palette and dragging it across to the second document window


7. 
   Use Layer Sets: Layer sets let you organize your layers into folders – very useful if you have lots of layers in a document! An example of this may be a vector background with a complex foreground mosaic. You could make a folder for each the background and the foreground. To create a new Layer Set, click on the folder icon at the bottom of the Layers palette, then drag layers on top of a layer set to add them to the set


8. 
   Choosing colors quickly: Press I to bring up the Eyedropper tool, then click on a colour in your image to make that colour the foreground colour. Press the ALT key and click to make the color the background color instead.You can also press the D key to reset the foreground and background colours to the default (black and white), and the X key to swap the foreground and background colours.


9. 
   How to get straight lines: Constrain movement of the mouse to the nearest 45-degree or 90-degree angle just by holding down the Shift key while you click and drag with the mouse.


10. 
    I Made a Mistake, What do I do: Try pressing CTRL, Z to undo the last command. If its older than the last then open the History Window from the Windows menu. From here you can see all the changes you have made. Highlight the change you want to undo and then click on the rubbish bin.

OK so now you should be a little bit more comfortable with using  Photoshop . So get going and create.

Photoshopping Tutorials - An Enlightening Experience

  Photoshop  is a valuable tool to enhance photographs as well as to create original art online. First of all, it is an excellent tool to edit photographs on the computer. It can be used to remove noise, correct lens distortions, sharpen images and adjust the color and brightness of a photo. Its more advances features include the ability to straighten a warped image, darken an overexposed portion of a photograph while leaving the rest of the photo unchanged, and even moving an upraised arm and placing at the subject’s side.

There was a time when photographs with blemishes would have to be discarded. A finger partially over the lens would ruin a shot. Now, with  Photoshop , most errors can be corrected. Modifications range from simple ones, like enhancing the contrast or removing “red-eye”, to more intricate ones like removing the errant fingerprint and replacing it with background or another object. A set of tutorial videos are available to teach you these techniques in only two hours.

 Photoshop  can also produce images from scratch on the computer. It allows you to paint freely on the screen as if you were painting with brushes and paints. It allows you to introduce textured brush strokes and also to create High Dynamic Range images. It has a mixer brush available to blend colors on the image.

David Peters has assembled a remarkable set of video tutorials that will take you step by step from the simplest  Photoshop  functions to the most incredible things that  Photoshop  can do. In two hours you will go from being a novice to being so adept with  Photoshop  that you will impress your friends and relatives.

If you are going to be processing any photographs on the computer or creating images entirely with  Photoshop  it is essential that you learn all the possibilities available with this powerful program.

Creating a Fire Breathing Dragon With Photoshop

When I was young I constantly doodled. I doodled a lot of things…but mainly I doodled dragons. Fast forward a number of years…well…a whole lot of years…and my twin brother is showing me pictures of his pet iguana…pretty cool looking creature…. Then it occurs to me…what a perfect dragon the iguana would make…and now I had the ultimate doodle tool… Photoshop !

With PhotoSshop pictures of an iguana become a photograph of a fire breathing dragon!

 Photoshop  is an incredibly powerful tool of alchemy…given the right raw materials any new photographic reality can be created. Without those raw materials  Photoshop  can be an exercise in frustration and a road to mediocrity. To make sure that I have the raw materials to create my photographic visions it helps to begin with a sketch. Once I have the sketch I can systematically photograph those raw materials, comparing them with the sketch, until I know I have the parts to complete my stock image.

My brother brought in his iguana to my studio and we did the necessary photography. I also had a pile of cobblestones that had been dug up form the street in my San Francisco studio (I have since re-located to Sausalito). I used those to create a “perch” or “roost” for my dragon. For the background I went through my own stock files and found an image of the Teton mountain range shot near Jackson Hole, Wyoming while on a family vacation. For a final detail I found an image of a castle I shot in Spain to put in the distant background.

With all the raw materials shot and scanned (this project was before digital capture had reached it’s now exalted state) I set to work.

To create the long neck of the dragon the tail can be manipulated by creating a clipping path around it, converting the clipping path to a selection, creating a new layer from that selection, and then using the warp tool and the liquefy brush to reshape it. Free Transform can be used to position and size the new “neck”. The same tools can be used to stretch the jaws of the iguana into a more “dragonesque” look.

Once again those tools can be used to convert the spines of the iguanas back into dagger-like teeth and fangs. The flap of skin under the iguana’s jaw can be selected (again with a clipping path…I believe the most important selection tool in  Photoshop ), turned into a new layer, and then reshaped to become the dragon’s wings.

Each element, be it a leg, claw, tail or whatever, can be selected with an appropriately hard edge (usually a 1-pixel feather when converting the clipping path to a selection) and then “faded” into it’s new adjoining part by using large soft brushes and a layer mask.

I find it truly increases the effectiveness of an image by using adjustment layers and their accompanying masks to add shadow and lightness to enhance the dimensionality of a given part. I mostly use “curves” (usually again with an adjustment layer) to adjust the density of a part in order to match the part with its new neighboring parts and environment.

An adjustment layer using Color Balance can help with fine-tuning color variations…and sometimes Hue/Saturation for major color changes. Of course, throughout the project I use the clone tool as necessary. A wonderful new feature of  PhotoShop  CS4 is the “preview” that is shown through the brush as it is moved over the area to be cloned. That alone might be worth the upgrade!

Once the image is looking complete I “Merge Visible Layers” with the option (Mac) key held down thereby creating a new layer that is a composite of all the visible layers. This gives me a final image in one layer facilitating dust-spotting and other touch up work without losing the ability to go back and revisit the underlying layers if need be.

The final result is a realistic photograph of a dragon breathing fire, a professional grade high-quality stock photo. You’d swear it was real.

10 Time-Saving Photoshop Shortcuts

1. Adjust brush size. With the Brush Tool activated, rather than accessing the dropdown menu at the top of the screen, press the right bracket key, ], to increase the size of the brush and the left bracket key, [, to decrease.

2. Adjust brush hardness. Along with size, brush hardness frequently needs to be adjusted. Holding shift + ] (right bracket key) increases the hardness of the brush while holding shift + [ (left bracket key) will decrease the hardness. Now you can keep the brush tip where it belongs, in the middle of your image, instead of making frequent trips up to the properties bar.

3. Copy to a new layer. Again, keep the pointer on the artboard. Duplicating a layer is as simple as pressing CTRL + J (PC) or Cmd + J (Mac). This will create a copy of the active layer in the layers palette. It will also copy an active selection onto a new layer, leaving the current layer intact. Also, pressing CTRL+ Shift + J (PC) or Cmd + Shift + J (Mac) will cut the current active selection from the active layer and paste it onto a new layer. If you name all your layers, simply adding the ALT (PC) or Option (Mac) key to either of these combinations will open the New Layer dialog box so you can name the new layer on the fly. You can also adjust the opacity and blend mode of this new layer right in the New Layer dialog box, saving you an extra trip to the Layers Palette.

4. Fill the layer or selection with color. Press CTRL + Backspace (PC) or Cmd + delete (Mac) to fill the layer with the current foreground color. Press ALT + Backspace (PC) or Option + delete (Mac) to fill the layer with the current background color. These same commands can also be used to fill a selection. Bonus: To change the foreground and background colors back to the default colors (black for the foreground and white for the background) simply press the D key.

5. Undo. No need to visit the History palette. CTRL + Z (PC) or Cmd + Z (Mac) will undo one step. Pressing this combination again will redo (or rather, bring you back to before the undo). Need to go back further than the last step? Simply hold CTRL + Alt (PC) or Cmd + Option (Mac) and press Z. Every time you press the Z key, you will move backwards one more step.

6. The Hand Tool. Forget the scroll bars at the edges of the document window. To quickly navigate around the image, hold down the spacebar to temporarily activate the Hand Tool. Click and drag with the Hand Tool to move the document. To deactivate the Hand Tool, release the space bar.

7. Favorite Tools. Learn the keyboard shortcuts for your favorite tools. For example B = Brush Tool, V = Move, J = Spot Healing Brush. As you become familiar with these, you will notice that groups of tools all share the same shortcut key. For example, the Spot Healing Brush, the Healing Brush, the Patch Tool and the Red Eye Tool all share the same shortcut key – the letter J. By pressing J, you will activate the last used tool in the group. To cycle though the other tools in the group, hold Shift + the letter for that group of tools, and the active tool will cycle to the next tool in the group.

If you find yourself continually using a command that doesn’t have a keyboard shortcut, you can easily assign one. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. Find the command on the list and assign the key combination you would like to use. If you try to assign an already used combination,  Photoshop  will ask if you would like to reassign that key combination. This dialog box is also a great place to find out what keyboard shortcuts are assigned to all commands.

8. Layer Opacity. To quickly change the opacity of the current layer, simply press a number key. Pressing 5 = 50% opacity, press 3 = 30%, etc. To narrow the opacity to a percentage more specific than a multiple of 10, press the two numbers quickly. For example, pressing 5, 5 in quick succession will set the opacity to 55%. (To get back to 100%, quickly press 1, 0, 0.) Please note, this shortcut will not work if one of the tools in the second group is active.

9. Zoom in and out. To zoom into an image, press CTRL and + or Cmd and + and to zoom out press CTRL and – (PC) or Cmd and – (Mac).

10. Scrubby sliders. Most settings in  Photoshop  provide a slider to adjust to your liking.

Click and drag on the name of the setting to active the Scrubby Slider. Sliding to the left or right will adjust the setting value up or down without having to open the slider. You will know that a Scrubby Slider is available when your cursor turns into a little pointing finger with arrows to the left and right.

Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut for good, old fashioned practice, but once you’ve memorized these shortcuts, you’ll be well on your way to finishing projects in record time! As anybody who sells their stock photos knows, it’s important to maximize your revenue in every way possible.

Article written and contributed by Karl Rosencrants.

Get Into Photoshop Contests

Photoshopping is a process of manipulation of digital photographs. It has become more popular after a fall in price of digital imaging software and hardware. It is now a widely popular pastime on the internet. Many of the editors considers this image fakery to be a form of new creative art, when photoshopping is applied as a means of funny spoof. It is although a good pastime of part-time pixel pushers; even working persons are getting involved into this act to shape up their talent and to take a break from the seriousness as well as from the monotony of the scheduled work.

 Photoshop  contests, or commonly called as Photochop contests, is a game played online, in which the person using an internet forum or website sends an initial image generally a photograph and then asks other candidates to manipulate the images. Such editing of images can be done by using some commonly used image editing software, like Corel Photopaint,  Photoshop , Paint Shop Pro, The GIMP etc. The players of such online  Photoshop  contests find it very interesting not only as their favorite pastime but also as a means of earning quick money.

In such  Photoshop  Contests, the users are generally asked to edit the image in a funny way, or if specifically mentioned then according to the given theme. Then, the users move away and manipulate the image as asked and send the resulting image back to the website. When versions of the image are submitted by all users at the website, they have to vote for the best image. The candidate whose resulting image gets the maximum number of votes wins that  Photoshop  contest.

In many such  Photoshop  contests, a major element of the humour involves the practice of clichés. Such incredible repetition of a joke from an image often results in the replacement of the initial joke by the clichés itself. Such pictures can also sometimes become major internet phenomena. Most commonly used clichés are as follows:

o Domo-kun

o A foreign tourist on the WTC with an airplane about to hit the building.

o Admiral Ackbar and his phrase “It’s a trap”.

o A picture of untidy James Brown.

o “All your base are belong to us”.

o An (often obscure) reference to goatse.cx.

o The famous O rly owl.

o A picture with the captions ‘X is watching you poop.”

o The usage of a photo which looks like a lolcat.

o The famous Preved Bear- from the customized John Lurie’s work of art, Bear Surprise, is to be found in videos, photographs and pictures

Nowadays, such  Photoshop  contests are able to find increasing candidates in a large no. of blogs. The  Photoshop  contests are gaining immense popularity, mainly due to the underlying humor or taunts which are generally associated with the edited images. They act as a stress buster for many and a source of income for some.

Photoshop Tips and Tricks

Ever wondered why the fashion photo shoots of glamorous models that get printed on the cover of illustrious magazines are so picture perfect? Most magazines deny it but it is common knowledge that these photos are altered or should I say “photo shopped” as the popular term goes.  Photoshop  is revolutionary software that lets you do almost anything with graphics and photos as evident from the name. It’s a premier graphics editing tool developed and published by Adobe systems incorporated.

 Photoshop  has a complete generic suite of features and tools which are very descriptive by themselves and designed to be user friendly. The software since its inception has undergone major changes which are all for the better. It won’t be untrue to say that with the palette of robust tools,  Photoshop  puts at the disposal of users; their imagination is the only limit to their creativity.

There is a minimal learning curve to study  Photoshop  which is the primary lure and major reason for its popularity and world wide acceptance. A novice can learn quite a few things by simply referencing  Photoshop  tutorials which are found in abundance on the internet. There is no requirement of being familiar with a programming language; all you need is seeking out proper howtos and you could be well on your way to creating eye catching graphics and images using this magnificent software.

So without further adieu, let’s discuss a few simple tips and tricks which every novice can start off with! Let’s start off with something very basic and rudimentary like altering the colorization scheme of a photo.

First of all, locate the colorization effect which is present under the image tab, in the adjustment menu. Provided along with this effect are the hue and saturation sliders which work just like a scroll bar. But before you can use the hue and saturation bar, click and check the small box at the bottom of the dialog box. Checking this box in combination with the sliders would allow you to produce a unified color scheme for the entire image. This tool can come in very handy when attempting to match a particular image’s color scheme with another seamlessly. There you go! Your first photo alteration using  Photoshop ! It’s pretty easy, isn’t it?

Another very remarkable feature which is incorporated in Adobe  Photoshop  is creating the blur effect. This effect is used to depict a body in motion, blur out edges and create scenes which require haze. To begin copy the desired image or figure onto a new layer, now with the selection still activated, fill a layer below the original image with color of your choice. Now locate filters menu and from there select motion blur filter; this would enable you to replicate movement by creating lines that represent motion. All of this is done without in any way altering or disturbing the original image.

With the flexibility and array of tools available, the user is encouraged to try out different techniques like varying the distance and angel of the motion to see what other blur effects can be added.

These are only some very basic tricks you can perform with Adobe  Photoshop . Like mentioned earlier, with  Photoshop  you are only limited by your imagination.

Top 5 Photoshop Alternatives

For many, the Adobe  Photoshop  Creative Suite provides everything one needs for photo editing and manipulation; it is user friendly, highly customizable and highly versatile. However, it’s incredibly expensive. Some users may even have problems with its interface or its overall compatibility. Regardless of your reasons, there are plenty of other programs to consider that are a safe, affordable and a simple alternative to  Photoshop . Many are open source, which will save you a bundle. Here are the top five  Photoshop  alternatives.

1. GIMP (GNU image manipulation program): When it comes to getting the most out of a photo editing software, GIMP has all the features you need to create a variety of stunning effects. If you miss  Photoshop’s  unique structure, another similar alternative includes GIMPShop, which is a form of GIMP that is quite similar to  Photoshop . In terms of navigation, it has almost identical tools featured in  Photoshop  and allows them to be accessed with ease. Not only is it compatible with a variety of operating systems, but best of all, it is an open source program; which means it can be download for absolutely free.

2. Paint.NET Paint.NET: This is a Windows based photo editor that is perfect for users who want something simple to work with. Out of all of the  Photoshop  alternatives in this article, this is quite possibly the most basic. Just because it does not have the same bells and whistles as the more ornate programs this software is in no way less efficient. Packed with a variety of simple, user friendly features, it is for photographers who prefer to focus more on taking photos than editing them. Also an open source program, it is simple to download for free.

3. Splashup Splashup: An in-browser based photo editing program, there are no downloads necessary. Simply “Jump Right In”, as the site dictates. Boasting a streamlined elegant user interface, it features a wealth of popular tools, features and applications available. However, much of what it offers is rather advanced. Splashup Lite is a great alternative that allows you to get the job done without getting bogged down looking through tools you might not necessarily need. Best of all, both versions allow you to share finished photos to websites, such as Flickr, Facebook, Picasa and more, without a hitch.

4. FotoFlexer FotoFlexer: Another one of the  Photoshop  alternatives that runs through a browser. It is the perfect solution if you wish to tweak a photo before sending it off to Flickr or Facebook. However, unlike Splashup, this is a very bare bones program. While it has most of the tools you’ll need to get the job done, don’t consider it a complete  Photoshop  replacement. Instead, consider it a convenient additional tool.

5. PhotoLine PhotoLine: The only Mac exclusively based editing program on this list, it provides you with a wealth of features designed to make editing and fine tuning your photos a breeze. It’s not the most attractive of interfaces; nevertheless, it is user friendly enough to make the job easy. While not incredibly well known at the moment, it is definitely a program to keep in mind when it comes to simple and reliable photo editing programs.

Equipped with these tools you will make short work of any photo. It all starts with great photos, so get out there and start shooting!