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Digital
imaging - Give Photoshop a chance
by
Gordon Beddis
Reproduced
from in focus 70 (February
2001)
See
also: COMPUTERS
: SCANNERS & PRINTERS
: FINE TUNING by Gordon
Beddis
and
DIGITAL SLIDE SCANNERS & SCANNING
by Brian Pitkin
In this issue I am steering away from the hardware side of
digital imaging, focusing on software. While there are many
Programs for sale, one in particular stands out and just seems
to get better with every version released. It is Adobe Photoshop,
now released in version 6. While it is one of the most expensive,
it is also the most comprehensive. It is used by most professionals,
for image manipulation and is known as the industry standard.
I
still use other software programs especially on the PC for
quick printing, (this is down to my laziness and not a fault
of Photoshop or the PQ; a good example is Photosuite 4, (on
the Mackintosh Computer I don't have any problem and Photoshop
prints fine).
Such
is the depth of Photoshop that no one person knows every thing
about this program.
Beginners
don't be put off by the complexities of Photoshopi The author
of the reference guide 'Photoshop for Dummies"' described
the program as having a Jeckel and Hyde character. His interpretation
is of a nice, easy-going side, that is friendly and one with
which you feel at ease. The other side has a darker, deeper
more complex feel that seems to lead you astray and leave
you with a sense of being out of control. In fact totally
bewildered!
PHOTOSHOP
has usually more than one way of doing a task: an easy .way
and a complex way, for example:
Colour
Manipulation:
Colour
Balance is the easiest way to alter colours, by use of simple
slider controls.
Variations, has thumbnail photos of the photo you are working
on at that time, showing all effects of colour variations,
including the original and current print.
Selective
colour has more slider controls, which act on individual as
well as primary colours; includes black and white.
Replace
colour, does what it says, but also altars Hue, Contrast and
Lightness. Be sparring with adjustments.
Level,
is the hardest, using small slider controls and graph curves
to adjust colour. You soon lose your way here and become totally
bemused...
Channel
mixer, will just (as my college students say) "Do Your
Head In" and I tend to agree: leave well alone, until
you have grasped the basics.
There
are many other examples all to numerous to mention here and
some of little use. Thankfully, all have a preview option,
which acts on the main screen so your improvements can be
assessed, before you press the O.K button. Also you have a
"History of actions*, which allows you to go back to
any previous adjustment.
Some
of you will be saying, "Is this not a form of cheating!
To make your work look better, via digital means?" May
I remind the sceptics among you, that that is exactly what
specialised processing houses can do to conventional photographic
media: Dodge, Burn, Copy on to different films, the list goes
on... So to display or show your work at its very best potential
is it wrong? I leave you to decide. Please give Photoshop
a chance, you might even like it...
See
also: COMPUTERS
: SCANNERS & PRINTERS
: FINE TUNING by Gordon
Beddis
and
DIGITAL SLIDE SCANNERS & SCANNING
by Brian Pitkin
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