Enhancing Photos

[Guest CJS2]

Thanks for the kind words mate.

 

I also use Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 - which I prefer in some ways to Adobe Photoshop 7.

 

Elements 2.0 has a quick fix for red eye - the dearer Photoshop 7 hasn't!

 

Elements 2.0, to some extent, has a better layout to Photoshop 7.

 

As I said before, Photoshop Elements 2.0 is supplied with many high end Canon cameras - it's almost worth buying a high end Canon camera just for the free software!

#

 

Charlie,

Did not want to muddy the water, but its strange, I have E2 and E4, prefer 2 over all. Layout of 4 reminds me of the old PS Delux, which I also liked although a little basic and laborious. But 'Elements v.4' has RAW which I will have a go at? some time! I think?

[Charlie Bettell]

#

 

Charlie,

Did not want to muddy the water, but its strange, I have E2 and E4, prefer 2 over all. Layout of 4 reminds me of the old PS Delux, which I also liked although a little basic and laborious. But 'Elements v.4' has RAW which I will have a go at? some time! I think?

When all said and done, if your photo/art software can do what I explained in my initial post, it's worth having.

 

For those that do not have any art/photo software whatsoever, or have software that is not able to perform the tasks that I mentioned in my initial post, it must be very frustrating seeing photos that 'appear' to be slightly out of focus and have no means of enhancing them.

 

Colour Balance, Contrast, Brightness, Resize and Crop, are nothing, in my opinion, without Unsharp Mask.

 

For that slightly out of focus photo, Unsharp Mask, or Sharpen, is a must have - as is History.

 

Even with Canon IS L lenses, a steady hand, using the correct Tv and/or Av, it is hard to get a perfectly focused/sharp photo.

 

Out of every 50 digi photos I take, there are probably only ever 5-8 shots that I'm over the moon about - the rest usually get binned.

 

The key to quality shots, using DOF, Av and/or Tv, is to use a tripod and a shutter release cable - or even better!

 

I have a 'Remote Controller' (RC-1) for my Canon 300D - fantastic!

 

Why on earth did they not allow for a similar 'Remote Controller' to be used on later Canon cameras - like the 10D or 20D.

Edited June 10, 2006 by Charlie Bettell

[Newt]

For those who have some time and don't want to spend much money, GIMP is free and very similar to the full Photoshop package. Takes some learning but solid software.

[Charlie Bettell]

Charlie,

 

I'll give "your" way a try and see how it goes.

 

Colin

Hi Colin

 

It took me a while to get my head round why the boat you 'resized' to Width: 7in x Height: 5in by 254 Resolution looked grainy in your second image capture.

 

The second image is being viewed at 33.33% (see bottom left of capture) - which is a very large photo still and would not be suitable for www.

 

Let me explain...

 

For the www., you need to resize and crop photos to 100% - see my image captures (bottom left) - they are all being viewed at 100% - what you see is what you get (!)

 

To view your second 'resized and cropped' photo at 100%, the photo would be massive - and not viable for use on the www - it would be too large in size and KB.

 

Your second 'resized and cropped' photo would Print at 7in x 5in @ Resolution 254 as you said - but would be no good, in my opinion, for showing on a web site or forum - it would be far to large when viewed at 100%.

 

I hope I have explained myself OK?.....!

[Colin Brett]

Hi Colin

 

It took me a while to get my head round why the boat you 'resized' to Width: 7in x Height: 5in by 254 Resolution looked grainy in your second image capture.

 

The second image is being viewed at 33.33% (see bottom left of capture) - which is a very large photo still and would not be suitable for www.

 

Let me explain...

 

For the www., you need to resize and crop photos to 100% - see my image captures (bottom left) - they are all being viewed at 100% - what you see is what you get (!)

 

To view your second 'resized and cropped' photo at 100%, the photo would be massive - and not viable for use on the www - it would be too large in size and KB.

 

Your second 'resized and cropped' photo would Print at 7in x 5in @ Resolution 254 as you said - but would be no good, in my opinion, for showing on a web site or forum - it would be far to large when viewed at 100%.

 

I hope I have explained myself OK?.....!

 

Charlie,

 

Thanks for your explanation, but I'm OK with resizing for the web which I do via image-image size-etc etc. and make sure resample is ticked.

 

You can also resize by unticking resample and then making your changes the file size stays the same. Not any good for the web though!!

 

As you said there are many ways of doing the same things via Photoshop. There must be something we both do the same

 

Colin