Edit Your Photos With Adobe Photoshop - Simple Ways to Make Them Look Professional

Do you love photography so much but you just can’t seem to produce great looking photos? Do you want your amateur looking photos to look like it was taken by professional photographers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will need the Adobe  Photoshop .

First of all, you need to remember that most professional photographers today use Adobe  Photoshop  to edit the digital photos they take. You need to remember that not every photo they take is perfect and some will have the common mistakes in photography, such as the red-eye phenomenon, finger over the lens syndrome and even the hand shake syndrome. Poor exposure is another enemy of photographers.

Whatever it is, professional photographers are able to fix these mistakes by just using Adobe  Photoshop . In fact, some professional photographers even edit the photos they take of models with Adobe  Photoshop . If you read magazines, and you noticed the near-perfect bodies of models and very smooth skin, then you have an idea on how professional photographers manipulate the photos they take with Adobe  Photoshop . For example, if you take pictures of someone who has an ugly looking zit on their face, then you will be able to make their face look perfect by removing the zit or pimple with Adobe  Photoshop . In fact, you can even use Adobe  Photoshop  to make someone fat look like a supermodel.

Here are some of the basic ways on how you can make the photos you take look more professional.

The first is by eliminating the red eye from the photos. You need to remember that even if you are using the latest SLR digital camera with red eye reduction, it will still happen. Adobe  Photoshop  has red eye tool that will identify and completely remove the appearance of the red eye from the photos you take. It will even remove the red eyes from your pet cat or dog.

Secondly, you will be able to create brighter and clearer photos with more vibrant colors. Adobe  Photoshop  is meant to be a tool to help clean up an image as well as improve its appearance. With the color enhancing tools and adjust brightness and contrast tools, you will be able to turn dark photos in to something that looks like it was taken in perfect lighting condition. Basically, the tool will allow you to manually adjust the image’s color settings that will result in the sharpest and cleanest appearance of the image as possible.

Another great editing feature of Adobe  Photoshop  is that it will even allow you to remove unwanted objects in the photos you already took. For example, if a seemingly perfect photo was just ruined by a trash can on the background, you can easily remove the trash can and replace it with something else as if the trash can wasnâEUR(TM)t even there at all when you took the picture. You can even crop out people from the photos you take and even replace the background.

These are just some of the great things that you can do with Adobe  Photoshop . As you can see, even an amateur photographer like you will be able to take professional looking pictures. With the help of Adobe  Photoshop , you will be able to make your photos look as if it was taken by a professional photographer.

Get this free report and discover our totally unique step-by-step video training system, designed to make any newbie user completely competent with the basics of any Adobe  Photoshop  Software in record time.

Photoshop Elements - Pop Art Image

I love to create pop art paintings, so I need a pop art print to base my painting on. I find the easiest way to get this effect is to start by adjusting the image in  Photoshop  elements. It is extremely easy to create a pop art image from any photograph using these simple steps.

First, Open  Photoshop  elements, then up load your image into  Photoshop  by clicking, File then Open, Choose the picture you want then click Open.

Second, Make sure you have the photo in the Edit, Full tab. You can check this by looking to the right of the page, at the top you will see in orange Edit tab, in purple Create tab and in green Share tab. Click on the orange Edit tab. Below the Edit tab you have 3 tabs, Full, Quick and Guided. Click on Full.

Once you have checked this, go to the orange Effects tab and just below there are 4 options, Filters, Layer styles, Photos effects and All effects, click on All Effects.

You will then have a series of different pictures showing the different effects possible. For this pop art effect you will need to scroll down using the side bar on this section until Cutout is high lighted. This is the effect we are going to use. Click on the Cutout effect twice to be taken to a new screen or you can select the Cutout picture and then press Apply, this will appear just below.

Third, A new screen will appear and you will have your original picture in a large box on the left and the options to adjust the setting in a smaller bow in the top right corner. Here you will see 3 slide bars, Number of levels, Edge simplicity and Edge fidelity. By moving the cursor arrow over the center of these levels, clicking down and holding the left mouse button. You will be able to move the levels left and right to adjust the effect on your original photo. For my pop art paintings I tend to use the settings, Number of levels 4, Edge simplicity 3 and Fidelity 2. Play around with these settings until you achieve the desired effect and then simply press OK. Then you can go to File, and then Save as and chose a name for the file. By selecting Save as, instead of simply Save, you will insure the effect is not placed on the original photo. Leaving you free to play with the different effects as often as you wish.

I hope this helps you achieve the pop art effects you want.

How to Use the Photoshop Gradient Tool

The gradient tool is an intermediate level function in Photoshop, and you really do need to know how to use it right from the word go. It allows you to create a seamless color or shading scheme. For example, the gradient tool will create a rainbow in which the colors blend from one to the next. It also allows you to make one edge of your drawing black and have it fade slowly until the other edge is white. While the basic task of the gradient tool is simple to master, there are so many option and variations that you can never stop experimenting.

For starters, you will find the gradient tool behind the paint bucket tool. You can either click on the paint bucket or wait for the fly-out menu, or hit G then shift + G. Then click on the place on your drawing canvas where you want the gradient start, drag your cursor to the place where you want your gradient to end, and release. To keep your gradient lines straight, hold down the shift key while dragging. This will fill your selected area with the default gradient (G) option. Couldn’t be easier, right? However, selecting your own options or creating a custom gradient takes a few more steps.

Once you have selected the gradient option, a gradient palette will appear to the side of your drawing canvas. On the gradient palette there are a number of drop-down menus to allow you to change the default gradient options. The first menu says normal and determines the way your G is blended. The opacity function controls how transparent your G is (i.e., how much of the lower layers will show through your gradient). The gradient option has sixteen preset gradients stored on it, however you have the option to create your own gradients and add them to the list. Deselecting the transparency box will make your gradient completely opaque. You should select the dither box, as this will reduce the effects of color banding. If you select the reverse box you will swap the beginning and ending colors on your G.

Once you have tweaked all of your settings, you can again select the portion of your canvas that you want to put your G on and click, drag, and release. But what if you don’t like any of the preset G options? It is possible to create your own custom gradient.

Start by clicking on the edit button in your G palette. A new gradient editor box will appear. You can either duplicate a preset gradient that is close to your desired custom G or open an entirely new gradient. First, select a name for your G. Then select the radio button to adjust the color. You will be able to add color stop boxes to the bottom of your G panel. Each color stop box marks the place where that color is true and not part of the G. Between the boxes the colors will seamlessly change. If you select the radio button for opacity, you can add opacity stop boxes to the top of the G bar. This determines the transparency of your gradient. After you are done making changes to you G bar, you can save it to the gradient menu on the G palette and use it for this and future projects.

3D Rendering Versus Photoshop

Most people know about Adobe Photoshop. In fact, it may even be the most popular PC software ever. People use it for a lot of things-making greeting cards, editing their photos, making websites, distorting pictures for funny effect and much more. Photoshop is also commonly used in designing websites and other graphics applications. However, in recent years another graphic technology is beginning to make noise – 3D rendering.

Many people study Photoshop and soon get jobs as graphic artists. The same thing is true for 3D rendering. So if you plan to become proficient in a graphic software to make some money from your skills, should you study Photoshop or 3D rendering? This article will help you find an answer to that.

Differences between Photoshop and 3D Rendering Software

Photoshop as we know is a photo editing software on steroids. It has too much muscle for an editing software and people love it. With Photoshop, people are able to place their rendered photos on different backgrounds, increase their muscle mass and make themselves look beautiful. However, in the end Photoshop is just photo manipulation software so you can’t create pictures with it – all it does is just change the picture.

On the other hand, 3D rendering software can manipulate photos and create pictures from nothing. If Photoshop is a photo editor on steroids, 3D rendering software is Photoshop on steroids-that’s the difference. 3D rendering is used a lot in construction business and architecture. Architects for example imagine a house design and create that design in a photorealistic fashion on their PC using a 3D rendering software.

Difference in difficulty

Everyone says Photoshop is difficult. The learning curve is quite steep and there are too many buttons and functions to remember. That is true as anyone who has ever tried Photoshop can attest to the fact that it can be frustrating. However, when it comes to 3D rendering, it’s double the difficulty. It has more buttons, more functions, and steeper learning curve. So if it’s difficult why would anyone use it or learn to use it? The answer lies in profitability.

Profitability differences between Photoshop and 3D rendering

People who are good at using Photoshop make money, there’s no denying that. They are in demand specially on the web, graphic design, and advertising industries. But remember there are already too many Photoshop professionals around so the competition may be very steep.

3D rendering, on the other hand, is an emerging technology. There is currently a great demand for 3D rendering professionals because many industries need them-mobile phone companies, car manufacturers, construction, architecture, landscape designing and many more. 3D rendering is used to create and not just edit physical designs of products. The next concept car you see may have been designed using a 3D rendering software.

If you have talent in design and art and want to learn graphics software, should you study Photoshop or 3D rendering? The answers is up to you, but remember, 3D rendering will be around for a long time.

Master Photoshop

How to Master  Photoshop 

Mastering  Photoshop  takes time, discipline, and a great deal of patience. Many newbies attempt to learn  Photoshop  but end up frustrated and angry because they cannot create what they desire. Most of these newbies look up tutorials on popular websites and find a couple of hints and tips that tell them how to achieve a specific effect.

The problem with this approach is that instead of learning how to reach desired outcomes, the users end up learning how to copy and never truly understand the fundamentals and WHY certain buttons and settings will create something.

Instead of learning how and why, newbie Photoshoppers mindlessly imitate, and when it comes time to make something they want to make from scratch, they won’t even know where to start. That is the problem with random tutorials, they may help you reach an outcome immediately, but in the long-run, are you really learning  Photoshop ?

The Solution

In order to completely understand and possess complete freedom in your  Photoshop  learning, it is essential to have a guide that is extensive and comprehensive. With a guide, the  Photoshop  newbie can learn skills from scratch and build on strong fundamentals. Instead of delving in to a complicated tutorial immediately upon purchasing  Photoshop , beginners need to have a solid foundation that teaches them exactly how to use this powerful program.

Beginners, however, are not the only people who can benefit from guides. Many experienced users, strictly using random tutorials, have learned only one side of  Photoshop . With a guide, experienced users can experience  Photoshop  in a new light and have true freedom to create anything you want.

GIMP - The Best FREE Alternative to Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is undeniably the number one choice of professional photographers and image and design professionals when it comes to editing photos. It’s a given that Photoshop will be the program they’re using.

But while Photoshop is the top choice of professionals, it comes at a hefty price tag which leads many non-professional photographers to ask if they really NEED to use it.

While the answer to that question can really only be answered by each person individually, there is a serious alternative to Photoshop that should be concerned. GIMP, despite it’s funny sounding name (which stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program), is a powerful, full featured, open source photo editing program that can do a lot of what Photoshop can do.

If you’re not familiar with Open Source software, it’s fantastic stuff. Basically it comes from very talented people who donate their time and skills to create software alternatives that are available free of charge. GIMP is a great example of excellent Open Source software that delivers top notch performance.

Similar to Photoshop, GIMP has a customizable interface so that the user can set it up the way he or she chooses. GIMP modules can be organized, arranged, opened or closed, to accommodate the users workflow and their individual needs.

GIMP allows for a lot of automatic photo enhancements too. Often a click of a button can yield great results. Tools like the Clone Tool and the Healing Tool allow for advanced editing, similar to what you’ll find in Photoshop.

Files can be saved in a full range of formats including TIFF, JPEG, PNG, PSD, and GIF. Files can also be saved in formats like zip to optimize hard drive space.

GIMP can be run on a range of platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

If you haven’t tried GIMP, and you’re debating about whether or not you need to purchase Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, give GIMP a try. It’s a free download, so you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The GIMP community is big and very supportive. The software works great, and you may decide you don’t need to spend the money on Photoshop after all!

Become a Photoshop Expert in 10 Steps

After working with Photoshop since version 4 in 1999, I realize that nobody really knows every thing that Photoshop can do. This makes it a great toy and tool, because there’s always something new to discover. But you can learn most of it and keep learning. I recommend the following habits if you want to become a Photoshop Expert.

For this article, I’m defining expertise as being able to:

• imitate something from real life (e.g. how shadows and light really work, how glass and water bend light).


• guess with reasonable accuracy how a particular effect was created by someone else in Photoshop.


• troubleshoot your own errors as well as someone else’s.


• manipulate pixels non-destructively.


• work efficiently through the proper use of shortcuts, panels, actions, and tools.


• know how and when to use most of the features in Photoshop.

Here are the 10 things I recommend you do if you want to be a Photoshop expert.

#1: Own the latest version of Photoshop

It’s pretty hard to really experiment with Photoshop if you don’t have your own copy at home. Having the latest version is important too. Particularly with the last two versions, CS3 and CS4, new features are added all the time. These features usually either make your job easier (like the Adjustments panel), or give you tools that didn’t even exist in prior versions (like some of CS4’s 3D capabilities).

I do recommend you purchase your own copy. Please don’t used pirated stuff. If you are a teacher or student who is not using Photoshop for commercial purposes, you are allowed by Adobe to purchase the educational version at about half-price. It is as fully-featured as the non-educational version. You can usually buy this version at college book stores, or online at sites such as creationengine.com.

You are allowed to run your Photoshop software on two machines. I have one copy on my desktop PC and one on my laptop for travel.

#2: Play and Make Mistakes

Experimentation and play is the key to learning something beyond the basics. Try out all kinds of tools and filters, and see what they do with different settings. You can’t really ruin Photoshop. And if you do, you can reset all the defaults by closing Photoshop, then pressing and holding the Shift+Ctrl+Alt keys (Mac: Shift+Cmd+Opt) while Photoshop restarts.

Take a bunch of photos from your camera (or online) and throw them together. See how blend modes change an overall image as layers are moved around. Try all of the layer adjustments, and every filter combined with another filter. Don’t worry if it’s ugly. You’re learning. And there’s always the History panel to allow you to back up several steps and try something else.

#3: Take a Class

To be honest, I had an awful Photoshop teacher. He did little beyond schedule what we were supposed to complete in the textbook. I stopped going at one point. I had learned how not to teach, and four years later I was teaching Photoshop. What a good teacher can do is give you assignments you never dreamed you could do (and enjoy!) More importantly, a good instructor can give you personal guidance when you don’t even realize you made a mistake, or there’s a typo in the textbook, or you accidentally skipped something, and something goes wrong.

Finally, a good instructor will give you projects to do that give you real-world scenarios and specifications. This prepares you for making real money with Photoshop.

#4: Go to Seminars

Kelby Training provides absolutely fantastic seminars all over the United States. I have had teachers such as the amazing Bert Monroy and Dave Cross. These seminars have increased my creativity and efficiency in Photoshop beyond belief. The day-long seminar is always fun and very inspiring. Go to one of these seminars if you can, or find something comparable in your area.

#5: Read Photoshop Magazines

Photoshop User Magazine from NAPP is the undisputed master when it comes to American Photoshop publications. You can find it for $10 at book stores, or you get an automatic subscription when you become a NAPP member. You will need that NAPP membership to access the tutorial files online. Each issue has a bunch of tutorials at all levels, plus reviews of products and news about the industry. The magazine caters to photographers, designers and hobbyists alike.

Layers Magazine is great too, but does not cater just to Photoshop users. It addresses almost all of the Adobe design products. It only has a couple of Photoshop tutorials per issue. If you work with Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, and Dreamweaver as well, this mag’s for you.

I also like to buy those really expensive ($15) imports from the U.K., such as Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative. These can be found at book stores too. Unlike Photoshop User, they include a CD-Rom with every issue that provides all the resources for the tutorials, plus brushes, textures, and the like. These magazines sound like an awfully big expense at first, but they are so worth it. The tutorials are always very well done, and gorgeous to boot.

#6: Read Photoshop Books

Some Photoshop books out there are not so great, but most of them are really top-drawer. When considering a Photoshop book for purchase, look for three things:

• Are the images really beautiful or interesting? I have a book here I taught from before I really evaluated the images. They are bordering on ugly. Find a book that makes you feel like you can’t wait to create those images.


• Is the book written to your level? It can be really frustrating if the instructions are too easy or too hard for your experience level.


• Does the book match your learning style? Some books use blocks of text and others make each step into a bullet point. Some have more step-by-step images than others. Decide what works best for you and look for books written that way.

I do have three specific book recommendations. Each of the books below contains wonderful tutorials, and is written very well.

“Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature” by Matt Kloskowski

“Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook: 62 Easy-to-Follow Recipes for Creating the Classic Styles of Great Artists and Photographers” by John Beardsworth

“Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-on-One” by Deke McClelland

#7: Do Online Tutorials

I love doing online tutorials. Some good places to find Photoshop tutorials are psd.tutsplus.com, good-tutorials.com, and tutorialized.com. If you work with online tutorials enough, you find some favorite writers. Look for tutorials writers who provide enough images, proofread their work, and don’t leave steps out. You should be able to create a result that looks much like the one promised by following exactly what they have written. As with books, look for tutorials written to your skill level. But push yourself to do more challenging stuff than you’re used to.

#8: Be a Community Member

This can take many forms. Sometimes I like to check out online Photoshop forums and see if anybody needs a question answered. I often find cool ideas for myself as well. I also hang out on Twitter, and follow a large number of fellow graphic and Web designers. They are always feeding me new links to incredible online resources. I have RSS feeds I read from my favorite design blogs, and I comment on all of the articles that move me. I read everything by smashingmagazine.com and minervity.com.

There are design communities in the offline world too, of course. I am a member of the local group called ADAC. When I had more time a few years ago, I was even a board member. Real-world design clubs are a great opportunity to learn all about design in addition to some of the business aspects of freelancing (ADAC once had a great talk from an intellectual property attorney about copyright law for artists.) More importantly, you can come away inspired with fresh ideas by looking at the works of others.

#9: Learn Other Adobe Programs Too

Photoshop rarely works in a vacuum for most designers. There are many times when a Photoshop project is enhanced by the contributions of artwork done in Illustrator, for example.

Learn how to save your work for the press using Acrobat. Learn how to create vector artwork in Illustrator and import the paths into Photoshop. Learn how to place your Photoshop files into InDesign. Learn how various Photoshop plugins can expand your design horizons or make your work easier. These are but a few examples. A thorough understanding of Photoshop must include an understanding of how well it plays with others.

#10: Teach Photoshop

I wasn’t a Photoshop expert when I started teaching Photoshop. I am now, thanks in part to having taught it. Teaching Photoshop helped me develop my expertise in ways that no other experience can. When you have to communicate how to do something to someone else, you come to understand it in a way that sets it in concrete in your brain.

I often get my students to find something new to learn, and then have them turn around and teach it to another student. And when both students make mistakes during this teaching process, they both learn more. Writing tutorials – and finding out if someone can follow them – takes this concept step further.