Adobe Photoshop can be used for many types of photo adjustments and enhancements. Without getting into the technical specifications of each, the list below displays just some of the many ideas and ways in which Photoshop may be used to improve the look and feel of an image. Think about these when you take your first look at your digital photo and assess which of them you might put to use to bump up the pizzazz level of your shot.
- Adjust eyes (open closed eyes, remove red eye and/or adjust color)
- Remove areas of fat (such as a double chin)
- Make teeth whiter
- Smoothen skin
- Disguise blemishes
- Hide scarring
- Add hair to bald spots
- Hide body piercings
- Delete tattoos
- Hide acne
Clever use of Adobe Photoshop can truly make anyone, in any picture, look several degrees better (the trick is to not overdo it so as to make the subject look fake; professional experts have developed a sense of what's "just right" - with practice, you will, too). In addition to the above, you can make alterations to other aspects of the picture. For example, you can change the colors of clothing on people. You can even change the background setting or remove entire people from a photograph! This comes in handy when a background object is drawing attention away from the object of the photo - with a few snips in Photoshop, you can restore the intention of the photo back to what you wanted originally.
To give a photo extra dimension or visual allure, you can also apply one or more of Photoshop's amazing filters to your image. Apply a Gaussian blur to make certain sections softer or fuzzier, cast a drop shadow behind an object, use the bevel and emboss tool, apply different hues or coloring features, cast the photo in a sepia tone to give it an old-fashioned appeal, or even add a texture like craquelure to create the effect of worn, run-down brick - the possibilities just go on and on. You can even do special lighting effects to throw a spotlight, or multiple ones, on an object.
The creative potential of Photoshop is amazing. If you take the time to learn all the features of Photoshop, you might also find yourself in high demand for freelance projects or full-time jobs involving photo retouching, logo design, advertising, and much more. People with Photoshop skills are needed for all sorts of graphic design and photo editing projects. So, you will be able to not only clean up your own pictures, but perhaps make some money on the side doing photo adjustments for other people or businesses.
