Grapple with the basics no more!

By: Dan Brown

Capturing picture perfect photographs has never been quite as easy as digital photography makes it. Of course, you still have to pay attention to those essentials like choosing the right light conditions, the theme and everything that comes along with it. However, with digital technology, you still have the room to edit out those unforeseen errors and can allow yourself that extra bit of space which is invaluable if you aren't quite the wiz with your digital camera. But even though you may have spent hours selecting the editing software that is most conducive to your level of skill and requirements, it still isn't much good if you have to spend ages laboring over the bare essentials you need to give your images that much-needed makeover. And hence, it is vital that you master these few basics before you move on to handling those complicated maneuvers that will eventually aid you in re-mastering your images.

The first thing to bear in mind when editing your images is to ascertain that you have a copy of the original saved. That way, even if you do end up making your image appear completely unlike what you had envisioned it to be, you still have the original to start afresh. You can copy your image by first opening it with your photo-editor and then use the 'Save As' option to retain a copy. And it is on this fresh copy that you have created, that you begin to experiment with the various options that your editing software allows you. And if you unintentionally make a change that doesn't quite match up to the final effect you're looking to create, you can undo the last change, or couple of changes, depending on what version of software you are using.

Being a pro when it comes to maneuvering around the image is vital to how quick and easy your editing process is. A popular navigating tool is the 'Hand Tool' or the 'Pan Tool' which allows you to work your way up and down the image, without making any inadvertent changes to it. You can also choose the zoom options to be more accurate in your editing process which are represented by the 'Magnifying Glass Tool'. This tool displays a plus sign as you draw in to make the necessary changes and the negative sign as you zoom out to assess the effect of your changes to the overall image. While most types of software let you left click on the image to zoom in or out, many versions also let you right click on the image to proceed in set increments.

If you happen to find your image appearing distorted when you zoom into it, it is only because the pixels become disparate as you draw closer, which separates them. However, this effect is easily reversed once you zoom out, which lets you work on your image at a pixel-by-pixel level and then draw out to review your progress. To save on even more time, without compromising on the quality of your editing, you can also use the 'Eyedropper Tool' which lets you select all the pixels of a particular color throughout the image.

The 'Marquee Tools' which you will find in your software let you trace basic shapes like rectangles and circles around particular parts of your image, and even ellipses, if need be. You can also use the freeform tool to trace outlines around more irregularly-shaped parts. This tool offers you the alternative of holding down your mouse button as you drag it around the desired part of the image, or even click points around it, which will connect once you click on the first point again. Your selection will be highlighted by a flowing dotted line, which will demarcate the selected part of the image from the remainder.

Once you're comfortable with selecting and navigating around your image, you can then move on to creating effects and augmenting your image with the enhancement tools. This can be as simple as cropping your image to draw attention to only one specific part of the image, or even using filters to tint your photograph. You can also make use of the brush and airbrush tools to paint over your image, much like you would with a conventional painting. This tool lets you add color to your image and even paint out minor flaws in your image, to reveal spectacular results.

Your skills at editing your digital photographs will be as developed as your willingness to experiment is. The more you dabble in the unconventional, the wider array of tools you use, which also increases your familiarity with the software. And once you are aware of the true potential of your editing software, you'll soon discover the multitude of opportunities it offers, thus metamorphosing your images into spectacular works to art!

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