by Alden Smith
One of the first things people want to do when getting their first computer is work with photographs and images. Long gone are the days when you shot a roll of film, took it to the drugstore, and then waited a week to get your pictures back. With digital cameras in use today, you get instant gratification with little more than a click of the shutter. Computers make it possible to do just about anything with an image, from retouching to sizing. Here, we will discuss photo editing, the programs available, and how to use them.
Default Programs
Windows Vista and Mac offer the ability to do basic photo editing. You have the ability to crop or resize pictures. You can change color, saturation and hue, basic steps to improving image color quality. You can adjust contrast and brightness, and there is a feature called "auto adjust" that will help set color balance. You have the ability to rotate the pictures, and also to set them as your desktop background. All these items are very basic, but meet the needs of the average user.
Mac uses iPhoto, a default program that has a lot of rich features. Not only can you do the basic editing of photos, but can organize them by event, along with date. That way, if you have a large batch of photos from a graduation or wedding, iPhoto automatically recognizes this as an event, and catalogues your photos in this manner. Apple provides you with the ability to make calendars with your photos in different formats, and you can even make hard cover books using their templates and imaging software. A search tool is provided that allows you to search for special photos using either keyword search or by date.
Printers and Software
Many new printers come with bundled software that helps you work with photographs. Research shows some of it good, some not so good. Printers can be difficult to install and often the software that comes with them causes trouble for other applications on a system. Although this is not true of all printers, be sure that the printer you buy has a good support system and very clear instructions for setting it up. HP Photosmart is a printer that allows you to preview an image before you print it, and features a 7" touch screen to help you get the most out of an image before printing. This handy feature is well worth the price of $249.00 for the printer if you plan on printing a lot of images.
Editing Photos
The number of sites available online to edit photos is amazing. You don't need fancy editing software on your computer to retouch, colorize, remove red eye or any of a number of things. One Photo service available for free is FotoFlexer, at
www.fotoflexer.com. Here, you can manipulate any image you have that needs to be retouched. The interface is very easy to use and the cost for these services is free. You simply upload your image to the site and work on it in the various retouching screens. It doesn't get any easier than that. Their only stipulation is that you must register free for the use of the site. Expect to get offers from them if you do sign up with them. I have used this service and highly recommend it.
Pixenate is another online editor that is very useful. Find it at http://pixenate.com/. It is a simpler interface than FotoFlexer, but works as well. It gives you the ability to whiten teeth, which is a very good feature. You can also remove red eye and do the customary cropping, editing, and sizing routines.
Online is a program called LunaPic, a photo editor that allows you to create special effects for your photographs. If you are comfortable with images and have a bit of experience, LunaPic is a good place to visit. There, you can colorize images, create animations such as reflections of an image in rippling water, and apply rounded borders to your photos. You can use a drawing tool to annotate photos, and there is a paint bucket to allow you to change colors. This site has quite a few options that you would only finds in an application such as Photoshop.
Using default programs and online services can go a long way with helping you with your images. If you decide to go further into photo imaging, then there are a variety of applications to assist you. Don't be afraid of these default programs. They are unique to the operating system, and are a big help.
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Far too basic to be of worth. Doesn't mention pixelation, color round off, nor the effect of TN LCD monitors on colors and contrast.