The 8 Basic Steps to Photo Editing

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6

Editing an image can be looked at as a series of basic functions or steps that can be accomplished in any editing software program. This tutorial will

focus on accomplishing these tasks in Adobe Photoshop Elements version 6.

The 8 Basic Steps to Photo Editing1. Step 1: Rotate and Crop2. Step 2: Fix Flaws using the Clone Stamp

Tool3. Step 3: Expanding the Tonal Range using

Image: Adjust: Levels4. Step 4: Add Contrast using Image:

Adjustments: Curves5. Step 5: Adjust Color using Levels6. Step 6: Improve Sharpness using Unsharp

Mask7. Step 7: Save8. Step 8: Compare

Step 1: Rotate and Crop

Your first step is to rotate and crop the image.

Rotating lets you straighten the image. Cropping gets rid of any image you aren't

going to be using.

It’s important to rotate then crop!

Step 1: Rotate and CropCropRotateChoose Image: CropSelection area will

appearDrag the crop tool to the

new size you desire then double click area to crop

Choose Image, Rotate: Free Rotate Layer

Grab the small squares in the corners to rotate image

Double click in this area to accept the rotation changes

• You can adjust the size and shape by dragging on the control handles, the small squares located in the corners and on the sides of the crop box.

• The shaded area indicates what will be cropped out.

• Reposition the crop box by dragging inside it.

• To accept the changes click the green check mark at the bottom right.

Step 2: Fix Flaws using the Clone Stamp Tool

The Clone Stamp tool lets you fix flaws in an image by painting over them with samples drawn from other areas of the image.

Step 1: Choose the Clone Stamp Tool from the Toolbar.

Step 3: Expanding the Tonal Range using Image: Adjust: LevelsDigital cameras are limited in the range of colors they can capture. This can be compensated for using the Levels command.Choose Enhance: Adjust: Lighting: Levels.

The mountain in the middle of the dialog box is actually called a Historgram.

Historgram

Step 3: Expanding the Tonal Range using Image: Adjust: LevelsA histogram is a graph of all the tones in the image, ranging from the darkest to the lightest. The triangles beneath the histogram represent the range of colors that the output device is capable of reproducing.

Step 3: Expanding the Tonal Range using Image: Adjust: LevelsIn the histogram you typically see a gap in the lighter tones (on the right) and a gap in the dark tones (left). There is no information there for the printer or monitor to use to reproduce these tones. Drag the white triangle towards the left, Drag the black triangle towards the right. Leave the middle triangle alone. Watch the image carefully to see how the adjustment effects it.

Dark TonesLight Tones

Step 4: Add Contrast using Image: Adjustments: CurvesThe Curves command is one of the most

powerful features of Photoshop. It allows you to change specific ranges of colors while leaving others untouched. For example, in Step 3 we adjusted the shadows and highlights. They are as we want them to be and we don't want to change them.

In this step we will add contrast to the image by adjusting the shadow, highlight and mid tones.

Step 4: Add Contrast using Image: Adjustments: CurvesChoose Enhance: Adjust Color: Adjust Color Curves… dialog box opens.

The Adjust Color Curves dialog box will appear

Adjust Color Curves dialog box

Step 4: Add Contrast using Image: Adjustments: CurvesSelect the style of curve that works best from the

Select a Style presets.

Make additional adjustments by using Adjustment Sliders

Step 5: Adjust Color using LevelsWhen colors in an image are shifted towards

a color that isn't intentional, this is considered to be a color cast. Fixing a color cast using the Levels palette will be very intuitive.

Step 5: Adjust Color using LevelsTarget the specific channel in the

Levels palette by choosing it from the drop down menu titled Channel.

Click in the middle arrow a drag it

up or down, depending on the requirements of the image.

For example, if the image is too red, you can target the Red channel and reduce the red by dragging downwards. If the image is too green, you can reduce the amount of green by dragging upwards in the Red channel, or by dragging downwards in the Green channel.

Every image will be slightly different, and will often

require slight adjustments in all three channels (Red,

Green, Blue).

Step 6: Improve Sharpness using Unsharp MaskThe final adjustment is to sharpen

the image. Every time you scale, rotate, or

change the color of an image, you add slight blurring to it. This is in addition to any blurriness that existed in the image before you started working with it. You can compensate for this to a certain degree using the Unsharp Mask filter.

Choose Enhance: Unsharp Mask.

Step 6: Improve Sharpness using Unsharp MaskThe settings for each image will

differ, but generally the Radius and the Threshold will be under 5 pixels, while the Amount will be greater than 50%. Move the sliders for each setting while watching the results in the image.

The goal is to make the image appear crisper and less blurry without over-sharpening. Oversharpening can appear as "haloing" or mottling near areas where colors contrast sharply, or as an overall "plasticy" appearance.Amount

RadiusThreshold

Step 7: SaveSave your edits as a new file. By doing this you will

preserve the original image. Later, if you determine the edits were not adequate or different edits need to be accomplished, you will have the option to re-edit the original photo.

Click Save As, select JPEG as the Format from the Format drop down menu

Format drop downSelect JPEG

Step 8: CompareThe last step is to open the original file and

the edited file side by side and compare.

Original Edited

The 8 Basic Steps to Photo Editing REVIEW1. Rotate and Crop2. Fix Flaws3. Expanding the Tonal Range4. Add Contrast5. Adjust Color6. Improve Sharpness7. Save8. Compare