Part 3. Basic Photo Fixing

Think of this part of the book as a comfy family restaurant where you could go for your daily bread and never be bored with the same meal twice. It’s just not slick, or complicated, or arty. (Oh, we’ll go there, too, eventually.) You’d be well served to return here again and again—but these steps are so quick and easy that to do them once is to know them cold.

Up to this point, you’ve opened files and printed them out, but you haven’t changed how they look very much. If you need to fix a photo, come here first. Your quest will probably end here, and you’ll be more than satisfied. The shot that looked too dark will perk right up, crooked will become straight, and that unflattering pallor on her face will become a rosy glow.

A particularly handy new feature of Photoshop Elements 2 is the Quick Fix shortcut button, which gives you single-click access to a variety of commonly needed repairs—with automatic corrections. The first task in this part demonstrates its use.

So, if you have time to do only a few of the tasks in this book, choose some of these. You’ll be hooked, and you’ll recover a lot of shots you thought were duds.