(1)Introduction to PHOTOSHOP

 #Adobe Photoshop Features and Tricks#

Introduction:-

When image editing work stations used to cost a cool half million, digital retouching

was the preserve of an exclusive elite. Photoshop has played an important role in

bringing professional image editing within the reach of many. That is one of the

great virtues of Photoshop – almost anyone can have a go now. Photoshop brings the

power of professional image editing within the reach of the many.

Basic image parameters :-

 hue, saturation, contrast, sharpness,tone and colour space.

Colour Space:

A colour space is a model used by computers to map colours using numbers. Different computational methods use different colour spaces. There are two basic types of colour spaces —

(I)additive colour spaces like RGB and 

(II)subtractive colour spaces like CMYK. 

Additive colour spaces are used on displays and screens, with a different combination of primary colours giving the appearance of a particular colour.

Saturation:

This is basically the intensity of a particular colour. An image with zero colour saturation is a grey-scale image. Some digital cameras have a vivid or high contrast setting to increase the saturation of all the colours in an image. Far greater control can be achieved in Photoshop or other image editing software. Some image organisers and viewers also allow this option.

Hue:

Some dSLR cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Konica have a hue option for clicking photographs,

which shifts all the colours by a certain degree. You can also achieve this using an image editing software

Contrast: 

Contrast is basically an increased vividity of a colour in terms of its brightness. A high contrast is used in an image to make an object stand out against a background, or to bring to focus a wide array of colourful subjects such as in a busy marketplace or a still life photo. The greater the contrast in an image,

the better is the detail brought out.

Sharpness:

Also called acutance in photography terms, sharpness refers to how detailed the edges in an image are. A greater sharpness results in a grainier image, while a reduced sharpness yields a washed out appearance. Most dSLR cameras have an option to fine tune the sharpness of an image, and so do many digital

cameras. Sharp images are visually appealing mostly in close-ups, or with images having a high amount of detail. A high sharpness in portraits or landscapes can make the photos look unnatural.

Tone:

The tone of an image sets the mood of the picture. A warm tone tends to be redder with prominently orange, red and yellow colours. A warm tone is also more masculine. On the other hand, a cold or cool tone tends to be bluer with soft, mellow colours and is more feminine. Some dSLRs come with a tone setting, with positive or negative steps towards blue or red. A small increment in the saturation of red or blue is enough to set the tone for an entire image.

Black and white:

Black and white or greyscale images are a standard feature in most digital cameras and dSLRs. Black-and-white photographs have a definate charm to them, but this effect is often overused and abused. Greyscale images tend to produce a wide range of emotional responses in an individual, from a feeling

of desolation to nostalgia.

Sepia:

The sepia tone in old photographs is the result of a chemical used in the printing process of black-and-white photographs that allowed the photos to last longer. Modern digital cameras and dSLRs have this as an added feature. Again, this is another abused feature. While taking a photo in the Sepia mode might seem fancy, it is considered terribly amateurish and is hardly ever used effectively.

What’s new in Photoshop 7.0:-

Whenever a new full version of Photoshop is released there is a predictable debate

over whether the new program justifies being classed as a full upgrade or not. But

whatever the pundits and critics like myself write, it is going to be the Photoshop

customers who will ultimately decide if Photoshop 7.0 makes the grade or not.

Speaking as an alpha tester and someone who has had the opportunity to work closely

with the Photoshop engineering team, I can readily acknowledge the hard work and

dedication of the Photoshop engineering team that goes into each and every program

upgrade. And Photoshop 7.0 is no exception. In preparing this update to the book I

counted at least fifty feature additions and tweaks to the program. Admitedly some

of these are quite subtle, but nonetheless these have all gone to provide a version of

Photoshop that is more versatile and equipped ready to meet the demands of users

old and new.