Quick Fixes for Snapshots of People, Using Elements or Photoshop
Some of these tips are also useful for restoring very old or damaged photos.
Before you start
When taking someone’s photo:
- When posing a person for a snapshot, do not have them stand square on to the camera. Have then stand at an angle with one shoulder and one foot slightly forward, like the fashion models do.
- Have them relax and lower their shoulders. Don’t let them “hunch” their shoulders or raise them up around their ears. Like mother always said, “Stand Up Straight!”
- Don’t have them say cheese. It wrinkles up the face. We have the little kids say macaroni. It makes them laugh and relaxes their face. And most like macaroni!
- Don’t use a flash straight on. It can cause glare and shadows. For more info, be sure to attend the 2009 July LPS Summer Seminar.
Once you’ve taken the photos:
- Load the photos into your computer. Find the folder on your computer where they have been downloaded and rename it so that you can find it later on. Just having the date on the folder under “My Pictures” on your C drive is not enough.
- Just a reminder again: Right click on the Start button, go to “Explore,” and find your folder with the photos.
- If you are not using a photo editing program, you should be. Elements as a stand-alone program is under $100 and will do almost anything you’ll need.
Everyone should know how to do the following, no matter what program you are using:
- Crop
- Clone
- Adjust your levels (for some or all areas – change colors, lighten, or darken)
- Adjust hue and saturation
- Adjust shadows and highlights
- Burn and Dodge
- Click on the tools in the palate on the left of the window to see what each tool does. If there is a little triangle next to the icon, right click on it for more tool options.
- Everyone should also be familiar with the “Filter” options, as well as the options under “Image” in Photoshop and the options under both “Image” and “Enhance” in Elements.
Note: “Smart fixes” are usually overkill.
Once the photos are loaded onto the computer, open the photo file in either Photoshop or Elements.
Save it immediately with a different name, retaining the identifying number on the photo (i.e. – DSCN1234 with Nikons, IMG_5678 for Canon, etc.) For example, you would save IMG_4567 as Aunt Tillie Adjs IMG_4567)
Create a duplicate layer. Click Layer at the top of the window, and choose “Duplicate Layer.” (A layer is like a piece of acetate or glass that you put over the photo. You can put an exact copy of the photo on the layer, a part of a photo on the layer, or just have the layer be adjusted for something like the tint.) You will make all your adjustments to the duplicate layer or layers. Note: If the layer palate is not visible, click on the word Window at the top of the window, and choose “Layers.” If “Undo History” is not open, click that option also. When this palate is visible, you can undo actions by clicking on a previous step.
The following “fixes” can be done in any order.
If the photo is too dark or too light:
In Elements:
- Go to Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Variations
- Click on Midtones. Chose darken or lighten, depending on what is needed.
In Photoshop:
- Go to Image > Adjustments > Variations
- Click on Midtones. Chose darken or lighten, depending on what is needed.
If there is a color cast to the photo, click on Highlights, and choose a color adjustment.
Note: Photoshop has many more options for this than Elements does.
In Elements:
- Go to Enhance > Adjust Lighting and choose Shadow/Highlights. See if it improves the photo.
In Photoshop:
- Go to Image > Adjustments > and choose Shadow/Highlights. See if it improves the photo. This is usually helpful if the photo is under-exposed.
Follow the same in both programs as noted above, and choose Levels. Move the slides around to see if it improves the photo. Opening this window shows the histogram for the photo.
Create another duplicate layer and save your photo. Because you have multiple layers, you will save it as a Photoshop photo.
Use the Clone Tool at 100% to remove fly-away hair, unwanted background distractions, and background shadows. Use it at 50% (or more or less) for some facial flaws or wrinkles, reflections in glasses or bags under eyes.
Use the Healing Brush Tool or the spot healing brush for other blemishes or wrinkles.
Create another duplicate layer and save your photo.
Use the Filter > Distort > Liquify (or Filter > Liquify) to “unhunch” shoulders and trim love handles.
Use the Clone Tool at 100% to slim down the face, trim off more of the love handles, and open the eyes.
Use the Burn Tool and choose midtones to darken the lips, and also use at 50% or less on any areas on the face or body that are too light.
Use the Dodge Tool and choose midtones to lighten the teeth, and also use at 50% or less on any areas on the face or body that are too dark.
Create another duplicate layer and save your photo.
Crop the image to the size that you want.
Resize the image to the size you want.
Sharpen the image using Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
Change the color of someone’s outfit by using the magic wand to choose the colors you want to change, and then going to Adjustments in Photoshop or Adjust Color in Elements and choose Hue/Saturation. Move the Hue slide bar.
When finished with all adjustments, save the photo. This will save it as a PSD file. Then, go to Layer, Merge Visible, making sure that all layers ARE visible. Then save the photo as a JPG.
JUST FOR FUN
For Special Effects: With a photo open, go to Filter at the top of the window, and choose Filter Gallery. There are a variety of options that can be applied to your photo under special effects.
Experiment with other colors by using the “Replace Color” option under the above menu.
Please note that these are for snapshot fixes. Professional photographers use many more options in these software programs. But these are basic tools with which you should be familiar.
And, as with most things, the more you do it, the easier it becomes, and the better you become at it.
If you need more information on something, click on “Help” at the top of the window and type what you need help with in “Search.