Whether you use a digital camera or a manual 35 mm film camera, Photoshop is a wonderful asset to help correct or add detail to your photographs. If you have a photos with a problem, such as litter or red eye, Photoshop will turn these images into better photographs.

Years ago if you wanted to fix a photo you either had to airbrush the image or use photo-retouching techniques applied with a brush and matching dye. Today we have Photoshop and other programs that can alter a photographic image. These changes may be made in a matter of minutes.

By far Photoshop is the more popular photo editing program, but its also the more expensive. So many photographers have to balance cost versus how much you will use the program. For the weekend photographer you may decide to use a cheaper program or retake the image. For the professional photographer, being able to fix or save an image is a “must” at times.

Using Photoshop is easier with a digital camera where you download the image to the computer and click on your photo-editing program and proceed to work on the image.

With a manual camera, you need to develop the film and get the images onto a computer. This can be achieved by requesting your images be put on a disk when being developed or by scanning the photographic image and adding it to your image file on your computer.

A few of the more common reasons to use photo shop is to crop an image, take out an item from the photograph, fix red eye caused from a flash or even combine two images. Many artists use it to creatively alter an image and turn it into art. And Photoshop is a graphic artists best friend.

Learning how to use Photoshop takes time and patience.

If you have a college close by that offers a photo shop class you may want to sign up. It will save you time and offer shortcuts in learning the program. There are also several books available on the subject and a few excellent you tube videos.

Below is a beginner’s tutorial video from you tube for Photoshop. It is extremely informative but this video is over 50 minutes long so grab a beverage, get comfortable and take notes. This video takes you from opening the program for the first time to explaining and showing you how to alter an image.

Photography has changed much in the last few years and with new cameras and computer programs it continues to change almost daily.

Photoshop will add a new dimension in fixing your photographic image. And having an understanding of what all Photoshop can do for you will make photography more exciting and add to the images you create.