Five Best Tools for Image EditingWriten by Kenneth C. Hoffman
Amateur digital photographers these days like to tweak their photos in an image editing software. They all use similar tools to change the images to match how we want the image to look. While some tools are considered as being for advanced use, others are so effective that it serves the amateur well if they learned how to use them.
The cropping tool can eliminate unwanted areas, emphasize the main interest and arrange the centers of interest in a more pleasing location. Most photos are taken too far away to show good impact so the cropping tool can help save these images from being mundane and less effective.
The image adjustment tools of contrast and brightness can correct over or underexposure, skin density, true black levels (when needed) and bright but detailed highlights. Unless you hit the correct exposure right on the head, these tools will be necessary to make a pleasing print. Most software feature a screen of boxes with various changes in brightness and contrast in your image from which to choose. These visual selections are a good start towards what is needed to make the picture right. Several tries may be necessary to find the right level of adjustment.
A similar set of boxes contain samples of color changes. Not all light is perfectly balanced in the camera. Faces can look bluish in cloudy weather, your white tablecloth can come out yellow and a reflection from a colored surface can do weird things to the real color in your picture. Generally, only slight changes will be needed since most digital cameras automatically adjust for color balance to some degree.
When one of your pictures would be a great shot if werent for one item in the picture that ruins the whole thing and cropping cant solve the problem, then bring out the cloning tool. Sometimes called a rubber stamp, this tool can copy one area of the image to another area of the same picture very easily. To become adept using this tool requires a little practice, but the amazing and wonderful results are worth the extra trouble. The many uses of the clone tool include: extending a background for better centering of the main interest, removing an unwanted item from the image, raising or lowering an item or person in the picture, retouching skin blemishes and cleaning up dusty areas.
Solving unusual problems in a picture is when the paint bucket tool comes to the rescue. An otherwise perfect scenic that lacks a blue sky can easily be fixed with the paint bucket tool. Just mask the sky with the magic mask, choose the lightest and darkest blue you would like your sky to be, and click on the blend paint tool for a perfect blue sky. Solid colors are even easier to replace with this tool. Even patterns can be painted on masked items in any color. Every tool I have mentioned in this article can be adjusted as to power and transparency. I recommend starting with a medium or low power with a feathered brush while you gain proficiency with these tools. Youd be surprised at the professional looking results. Youd better go out and buy the frame now, just to be ready.
Retired portrait photographer likes to photograph flowers.