Hi,
I wanted to spend a little time talking about Adobe Photo Shop Software today and other software programs that you can get for free on the internet.
There are a LOT of similarities out there between programs. Many of the free programs that you can get with an Google search work great. I advise that you try a few of them before investing a LOT of money in the Photo Shop Suite of Programs. Yes, they have broken it down to make more money. And they have gone to a monthly subscription fee which seems horrible at first. (More later on subscriptions to Adobe)
The thing that I always tell people who sit with me for a while to learn the basic navigation of a photo restoration on Photo Shop is to pay attention only to the tabs at the top of the software. As you compare different software out there, you will start to see the similarities between programs. Concentrate on that and you will be less frustrated by the different interfaces. I have never been a "picture" or graphic user interface admirer. I like my instructions written out. You may be different. However, as I switch from program to program to help others out of a situation, I have seen several things common to all users of all photo enhancement programs.
1. Where are my pictures? OK...this sounds weird, I know but many people do not know where the program stores their pictures. How to get around this? Well, the first way to find out is to "file", "save as" and see where they are actually going. You could use the search function on your computer as well to see the directory and file they are in but if I have already lost you, this will not help. Or, you could pay really close attention to where the program says it is putting them when you install the program to your computer.
I am an old Microsoft Hack so I use the "this pc" folder to go into my directories. (Microsoft keeps taking away the ability to know how files and directories work in computers. (It is my opinion that Apple seems to not want you to worry about much of anything that goes on in the background so you will be happy, happy, happy and tell everyone how easy it is to use your computer. I know it is a Mac.)
But, all kidding aside, you really need to figure out for your own self how to navigate the folders that contain your pictures. Even if you have to use a CD or a flash drive. Just know where they are and how to save your work to the file YOU want them saved to. This is THE most common frustration I see when I help people--the photo restoration part is a piece of cake after this!
2. This is too hard...I will never learn how to do this! Well, actually, it just takes time. You have to be ready to spend a lot of fun time working on this very satisfying hobby. Also, you have to begin to see that your pictures could look better if you learned this. OK...to the purists out there....Great...I am delighted that you want to do this all the "natural" way without any enhancements. I am seriously impressed with your photographic skills and abilities to be able to do that with management of manual settings on your camera. Very cool. But most of the people I work with just want to know how to do a few things and start to see improvement right away. They don't want to spend hours learning new tricks and tips when they can barely navigate the software...(including knowing where their pictures went when they downloaded them.) Sticking to the top navigation bar and learning what the AUTOMATIC fixes are for your picture is a great way to start. It is ok to use the recommended settings....you don't have to be smarter than the software until you have to be for an adjustment that ONLY makes sense to you for artistic expression. So, try a few things and realize that there is usually a button on top or an arrow pointing backwards to allow you to go back to where you were. Worst case scenario, "file" usually has the "exit" button. Close the computer without saving the accidental mess you made of Aunt Wilma's picture. It's how you learn this.
3. I already have Adobe Photoshop. Take a look at what you have. If you got it free with your computer or bought it for around $100.00 at Costco, it is not the Suite. If you like using it, you don't need the Suite. If you get really good using it (usually has high version numbers like 10, 11, 12...etc.) then go for it until you find the need for more. If you spent the rest of your life using it and being comfortable with the results, you would be doing just great! Don't let your friends make you feel bad if you are not using the full expensive version of Photo Shop's Big Version Suite or subscribing to Adobe.com for the full version in order to keep up the best and latest. I like the subscription program now, although I did NOT when it first came out. I think they are eventually converting all of their products to this. I am such a techno geek that I just can't be happy unless I can discover the "new" thing that makes the older version look like last year's purse styles. I just lost the male readers...sorry.
In the meantime, Go and search google for 'free photo restoration programs' and have a ball. Remember points one and two and have a ball. Once you get past steps 1 and 2, you are on your way!!!!
Thanks again for reading my blog...
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