Digital Cameras – Unlock the marvels your software promises you

With the advent of digital technology, photography has finally come out of its ivory tower and is now the prerogative of even the most inexperienced amateur. While this in no way means that you are exempt from paying attention to all the intricacies, which range from light conditions to color themes, it also does mean that you can afford to make a few mistakes while capturing the image, without having to worry about all the dire consequences if it doesn’t end up like it’s supposed to. And here’s where you need to pay attention to not just choosing the best version of editing software, but also to mastering the basics for it is only when you are a natural with these key functions that you will be able to move on to the more complicated procedures which you will eventually graduate to, in the course of your foray into the world of editing.

Before you set out to edit your image, always make sure that you have a backup copy of the original with you. That way, even if you do make a complete disaster of the image, you still have the original to get back to, and rework from scratch, if need be. To do this, you first need to open a copy of your image with the editing software, and then click on the ‘Save As’ option, which will copy a replica of the original to a convenient part of your computer. You can begin to experiment with the copy of the image, once you’ve ensured that the original is intact. Almost every photo-editor encourages you to be as experimental as you can, with the ‘Undo’ option close at hand if you need to erase any changes you’ve made. Some, more advanced versions even allow you multiple undo options to save only the changes you want to and discard the rest.

Your ease with using your photo-editing software also depends on how comfortable you are with working your way around the image. One of the most basic and most commonly used tools is the ‘Hand Tool’ which is also referred to as the ‘Pan Tool’. As the name suggests, this tool is shaped like a hand, which you can use to maneuver around the image without the fear of altering it. To ensure more accuracy, you can also zoom into your image to make specific changes and then zoom out again to view the overall effect. To do this, you need to use the ‘Magnifying Glass Tool’ which will display a plus sign when magnifying and a minus sign when drawing out of your image. Many types of software will also let you right click on your image to zoom into it in set increments while others are designed to let you left click to zoom in and out.

Although your image may appear unclear and hazy when you zoom into it, it does not mean that the final image that you create will appear quite that way. This distortion appears only because the pixels of your image get separated and hence, more distinct, which also gives you more precision. You can even use the ‘Eyedropper’ tool which lets you select only pixels in a specific color, without having to worry about skipping a minute part of your image when you are in the process of editing it.

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.

These basic functions set the stage for the more advanced tools which you can use to create spectacular effects and even make discreet changes to enhance your images. The easiest and most foolproof technique to augment the focus of your photograph is to crop the edges off with the subject in the center. You can even hue your images with a subtle tint to imbibe it with a special theme using the array of filters that your editing software provides you with. You can also paint brush strokes over your image, just as you would with a physical painting, to add color and even paint out slight blemishes in your image.

Modern-day editing softwares can be as effortless or as complicated as you want them to be. As a rule of the thumb, remember that the more experimental you get, the easier your navigation and use of the software will be. And nothing works quite as well as practice does. Once you have these fundamental basics mastered, you’ll find it a lot easier to learn your way around those more sophisticated features and very soon, you’ll realize that photo-editing software isn’t quite the enigma you make it out to be!