Whether you have been taking photos for decades or days, chances are good that you have caught onto the creativity bug.
Taking photos can be even more exciting when you edit your photos in a process that professionals refer to as simply "post." Photoshop (an Adobe product) is the "post" industry-standard software.
While you can download inexpensive or free software to help you crop and recolor your photos, Photoshop allows users to manipulate photos pixel-by-pixel. Here are some fun Photoshop editing tips to use before you upload your shots to your photo sharing site.
With your photo open in Photoshop, click on "Filter" from the header menu and scroll down to "Artistic."
Under the "Artistic" submenu, you will see a variety of options that will significantly alter the look of your photo. You will want to select the right option that satisfies your end goal. (It may take awhile to play around until you find this option, so get familiar with what's available to you.)
For example, if you would like to turn your image into a graphic that resembles a watercolor painting, simply click on the "watercolor option." A window will pop open that will provide you with a variety of options for manipulating your watercolor-photo art.
You'll be able to adjust the brush detail for larger or smaller brush strokes, shadow intensity, and texture to create the perfect watercolor image.
If you would like to share your watercolor photo in your home or office, simply print the image onto texturized paper (which can be purchased at any arts and crafts store), sign the photo, and display it in a nice frame. Chances are good that only the carefully observer will recognize that your artwork began as a photo!
Note: there are multiple options under the Filter menu, such as Sketch, Pixelate, Colored Pencil, and Charcoal. Select the filter that best matches your artistic vision for your photo sharing project.
For example, if you would like the end result to look like a charcoal drawing, then manipulate your image using the charcoal filter. Just as with the watercolor filter, you can decide how thick or thin the lines are on the end result.
If you select a filter that you're not happy with, simply undo the filter using the history tool and try another. After all, trying multiple looks on the same photo is part of the fun of using Photoshop!
