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July-September 2008

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Improving a Photograph
by Paula Sanders
Graphics Writer
perpetualvisions.com

I’m sure some of you remember the “old” days when it was very hard to manipulate a photograph. I remember using straight developer on a swap to bring out a part of an image when printing black and white images. I, also, remember the “new” idea of sandwiching two slides together. With the advent of the computer, all that has changed. Now an image starts with the photograph. Few images are perfect. Where once they would have been considered OK after, perhaps, cropping, now people expect much more. Adobe Photoshop and other image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements (for about $70) is not just to correct an image and make it better, but it is software that can be used to change an image and make it into another one. All it takes is creativity and knowing how to use the tools.

I see so many photographs that are poorly composed and have numerous flaws that can be corrected by image editing. Many poor photos have excellent images in them ready to be released as well as converted into additional images by the use of filters, etc.

I have been teaching a Photoshop Workshop sponsored by the Tulsa Computer Society geared toward encouraging creativity by using the tools in Photoshop. I, also, have started a forum on my website open to everyone who is interested in improving their image editing techniques and looking toward creative ways to use their images. The WIPs (Works in Progress) section deals with taking a poor image and turning it around. Anyone desirous of putting up an image that meets with the Terms of Service (no vulgarity or inappropriate images) is more than welcome.

Below are three images. The new details in the third are a little hard to see.


I’d like to invite anyone interested to participate in the forums. http://www.perpetualvisions.com/forum/. In addition, I have been reviewing software and writing tutorials for about 18 years now as well as doing art work. I’d like to invite everyone interested to my website of http://www.perpetualvisions.com/.