Everyone can learn to improve their photos with these simple steps. All you need is a photo program like: Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Fireworks, Photoshop, etc. There are also free programs out there on the web that will allow you to edit your photos to show their best. Picasa 3 is a free photo editing program. PhotoBucket even has a buit in program for editing photos as well.
I wanted to give a short tutorial on how you can edit your pet photos in just 4 steps to make them look their best. I'll be using Photoshop 11, but you can also do these steps with other photo editing programs.
Note: To view the pictures full size in this tutorial please click on them.
Here is our straight out of camera original photo:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RRvSicHl7rMYDs1Sal73G2vZD7rcpA4t9ahHPsvtE2au8ebP1jROufPYW2fbkuQmMnQkkB_RGCpXnXEA1iFU8Jql_WSktvXdwIjp1xkttkjLhOnqIdYX0KY8OM2O77SUE6oFZCko0RI/s400/original.jpg)
Step 1: Sharpening Your Photo.
Sharpening your photo will make it clearer & crisper. (It helps to pick a photo where the subject is in focus.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSkctabiwsBYoppCJoihkVVcLt5Lwl5Z7QUuNyFxU-AdlDUiLJoaEW71pV3ZAx4nGxIiPEHX3LW47fs46S0jiloFLrjkYSYzFGjAsewrPTZiztKFVlCBkawO2j2Rx-9TBV_lezhe51GY/s400/Step1_Sharpen.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4dqg06WTpkdox6FPZVChpi5S8XYUYfqItl_HLOykpoCCoo7R0LmW1JKM3CTKX4mlYm_Zl5nMmWLwTy9bOU3v-DaanXo31uNewTvShsGC-OrR0a89KjBU2515we_d1YemZ-fbzvbowTw/s400/Step1_CompareSharpen.jpg)
Step 2: Brighten & Contrast.
We need to brighten up our photo a bit & increase the contrast.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbWpLqI9uWaNi-Ibpk-rs86Oc_ogvQZ1wXc9OKiNw9nYGIEqTwqhJA1kAOpZkNQq2GQVMoanepI9vfV9JC5LhJcJKLLLm2qZH2KGgNXpBBIm2DhO3v5o66tmGq3Ajwufl8vDjz3euB3s/s400/Step2_Brighten.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLeHvSfDyfWbH_92RoIfOMuA_f9Q-Uoo6CQ2x3skgEz63w-n6OU73xRPJpGi29VS5rsdEVOy6fpMe9CF1qxRaSFI4ROlbdzoN7f-xmJm85M0Lz1_vG6u_sYVUhkn7k5SsWMsJ_9x7ptE/s400/Step2_Brighten2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMtY0MoEpjgwS17QNJqt14XsaqcMeTy09uer3d-EI8Grw0vUeo-wXFUPqWGT_Oy0J9ejBtJVyXoFyO2pLTPuv7KfHwFXfTCtpJK6KxiS2blEABYHX0Ejjf-K_x0qSpF7RiuNYrcBu_Uk/s400/Step2_BrightenCompare.jpg)
Step 3: Color Balance
I'm going to increase the color balance towards warmer because this photo has a gray overcast look to it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdCmzMISkwOGu_h4py5b-JVGcae5oKdz2lFo7RbD94fe-5phaOYl0fsWdRTuTEDYqJ_U5ld4NHyf83zi7FRDjmYDHn6t_jrATUn31lAnGlwEceF3E0-w_DjkJKq14tlltKRFGnZzBNHs/s400/Step3_ColorBalance.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb6B00RnmuEPmAkJQzw2qTUfROiuOGnXd9RopZ1Bl-SDgbkBi93XgTHKB3l_8lcXF9lrKQ75xQGPvqncPT-igLGFqV-bH2STrmDzM8sbwfD11F9ZZWzs2dPQlPf3LM0t6ZYEnoQBu9sA/s400/Step3_ColorBalance2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJKYfF9NyDiIDJJXvajcykE15tswmvarJLAyGG9J1bQxogaD5A-vPN_sDd7rB7lhUyU3Hd35YmPuTI-TPH7atHfaqb0XR2NIZzZW6g5brNWr3AX9d0h5TSTF_sMitzRrqyP0ona0BMCk/s400/Step3_ColorBalanceCompare.jpg)
Step 4: Increase Saturation
The last step is increasing the saturation to give the photo more color. This tool is usually called: Hue & Saturation.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpIhQbcwZmOPPXHCEC3ZIjXdHgMSU4k2js-2mkkJGWHZMIvE7V41sJMu17xuRPkizpaNAEjrLY6oLy_ejec4Xb5-q3XRfQ63kBDjeiDqQBch4nNTM6Km8Fh38HzDAt0yMVcqj80WwIz8/s400/Step4_HueSaturation.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOeyfpXy_SQnMW9CJE6H4T3-9iNuxW-f9Yx_Wh4cpzWMQsJ6_PwihFFkWQ0-ayALBFvYOOhNETo743eJISW3BtPMeITtl4hF44h6oKLeBpQwUSwRPj_5l3OfY-mzoub1TiQxkq9z1SS0/s400/Step4_HueSaturation2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDHs_8kKsehvhTkGhm6_vdgQDDWPIBuMgU3G9DiAfHzTjxuWuuJBAmkbLKdmfFiNV9gHxMqm-yvKpv7mtwq1UV3THDc_Eeqhs_S5RQ5yKU6i5IH1zLE13wYU-v_yvBdjsxEV0UrxJbQM/s400/Step4_HueSaturationCompare.jpg)
Now that's we've finished let's compare the original photo to the finished version:
Original:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RRvSicHl7rMYDs1Sal73G2vZD7rcpA4t9ahHPsvtE2au8ebP1jROufPYW2fbkuQmMnQkkB_RGCpXnXEA1iFU8Jql_WSktvXdwIjp1xkttkjLhOnqIdYX0KY8OM2O77SUE6oFZCko0RI/s400/original.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2d9giRVWWs2EMV0EOTO_Bm4rvQgZP-V3L2uAWvbCF25BDoEUTnC5NUWLnFB6njjiBpresZKmebw9lvXN55Q8-_HvJ8aFCyyQCAorqSA60aLs0H79n1c-qXqeBTgoBxQIh7Re5CEmWuU/s400/Finished.jpg)
1 more tip for getting clear photos. If your camera has a MACRO setting, it will help for taking close up clear pictures without being blurry.
I use a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W55 for all my pictures.
Thanks for the detailed tutorial! I found it helpful...now to just talk J in to a new camera, lol!
ReplyDeleteI want a new camera myself, but a NICE Professional one, a Sony SLR... sigh... maybe next year, haha!
ReplyDeleteWow-- too much for me to take in. Can I just hire you as my personal photographer? :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! Thanks Christine, I'm flattered. I need a more professional camera first! :-p
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I do this with ALL photos I put in the web. I'm obsessed with picture quality :)
ReplyDeleteI would be thrilled if I could just get my rats to sit long enough for a picture!! Also, I'm in the market for a new camera and there are too many options for an inexperience person like me. Nevertheless, thank you for the advice!
ReplyDelete