Owning the right digital camera improves pictures dramatically – you can quickly take pictures with better focus and control over colors and lighting. While my pictures are better, they still aren’t perfect. Photoshop Elements lets me get a lot closer to perfection.
What is Photoshop Elements?
Photshop Elements (PSE) sharpens focus, corrects color and lighting issues and makes it easy to apply artistic and fun effects to photos. And so much more. You can let PSE do most of the photo correcting work with Quick Edits. Or you can use Guided Edits to do the work step by step and learn what PSE is doing in the Quick Edits. It includes templates for scrapbook pages. You can make calendars, collages and photo books.
Here is an example. Every mom wants an adorable naked baby shot to record every dimple and chubby kiss spot. So, here is an example of my BigGirl when she was a baby, before I had my Olympus Digital SLR and before I used Photoshop Elements:
Pre Digital SLR/Pre Photoshop Elements
Now, photography skills are lacking in this one for sure, in spite of the fact that she is one of the cutest babies ever. The composition is off – her face right in the middle of the shot is boring. Taking a picture in her crib made for an odd angle and busy backgrounds. Plus the flash is too bright on her face and the color is funky.
And here is a naked baby shot with my current BabyGirl, taken with my digital SLR camera.
This is the unedited shot:
Olympus Digital SLR/Unedited
There are lots of things I like better about this shot, even though it’s still not perfect. First, I captured her whole cute naked body and a smile! (No shutter delay with that Digital SLR). I used the natural light coming in from a window to my advantage and there is little flash glare on her face.
But, check this post-Photoshop Elements version out!
- Olympus EVolt 500 Digital SLR/Edited in Photoshop Elements
Photoshop Elements Edits
First off, I use Photoshop Elements to crop the image and adjust the lighting. Then, I blurred the background just a bit to put the emphasis on BabyGirl rather than the wrinkles in the sheet I used as a backdrop.
Next, and probably most importantly, I applied a wonderful Coffeeshop Action called Creamy Toffee Latte to soften the baby and warm up the colors. I love this action and Rita at Coffeeshop makes it free to her readers!
Finally, I vignette-ed the edges and corners of the picture. This darkens those areas and leads the eye to the center of the shot.
What a huge difference! Honestly, probably only a momma would really love the first or second shot. But I could see framing the Photoshop version of BabyGirl and giving as a gift to a grandparent.
Photoshop Learning Curve
I first purchased Photoshop Elements in about 2005. And it’s only been recently that I’ve begun to get a grasp on exactly what PSE is capable of, let alone learn how to use it to its full potential. The auto edits are great, and that’s all I used PSE for at first. Being an accountant by trade, photo editing software probably isn’t as intuitive for me to learn as it is for others. I mean, QuickBooks doesn’t use Layers. Is a layer like a journal entry? What is a layer? Well, explaining layers will take a whole ‘nother post, if not 20, but they are an essential part of PSE and I sure do like using them now.
Now the thing is, it shouldn’t have taken me 3 years to learn Photoshop. Lately I’ve found great sources of inspiration and tutorials, and I’ve made 3 years worth of progress in three months. And I think that anyone can do the same and learn to use Photoshop Elements easily and quickly (as quickly as their kids will allow, that is).
