One of the great benefits of digital photography is that you can edit the shots you have taken and vastly improve the images before you print them out. This puts the ultimate responsibility for the final photo output in the hands of the photographer instead of a processing lab, and lots of people like it that way. So here are a few ideas on how to use your photo editing software.

Actually many digital cameras will let you make some basic image adjustment within the camera itself, including rotation, removing red eye from flash shots, and some basic cropping. But beyond that you will need a digital photo editing software program to take editing to the next level.

You may have gotten a photo editing program bundled with your digital camera when you bought it, so be sure to check through the package and know what the manufacturer provided as some of these bundled software programs can work very well for you. If you didn’t get a photo editing program with your digital camera there are still plenty of other options, as there are several good free photo editing software programs available on the internet for download that will let you do more advanced editing including cropping and file resizing, color adjustments and much more.

For the average or above average photographer, there are two programs that you can also buy for around $100 that will bring almost all the features you will need to any photo editing task and they are Adobe Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro 9. Either of these programs offer more advanced features including incremental control over brightness, contrast, sharpness, color saturation and much more. They are also fairly easy to learn and use.

And then for the most demanding of photographers or professionals who work with digital images, the ultimate photo editing program is Adobe PhotoShop itself. There is almost nothing that you can’t do with this program. It is extremely powerful, but also has a fairly steep learning curve, so if you don’t fit into this small circle of high end users there is no real need to pony up the hundreds of dollars that will be necessary to get such an advanced program. The choices mentioned above would be a better bet for the vast majority of folks instead.

So as you can see there are several choices to be made when it comes to how you plan on editing your digital photos, and there are also plenty of digital photo editing software programs that can help you accomplish almost any editing task that you could want simply, quickly and easily. Just choose the program that best fits your individual needs as outlined in this article.

By: Thad Pickering

Pop art has been used in the production of wall art and posters for years and various different styles of pop art have been developed. Ranging from the most famous of all, the Warhol style, to the more revolutionary Che style based on the Che Guevara posters and t-shirts proudly displayed and worn for many years. The great thing about turning your photograph into a piece of pop art is that you can then have it printed onto a range of incredible looking, great fun personalised photo items.

Pop Art Photo Gifts

Giving personalised photo gifts is a treat that is perfect for any occasion and can be given to any recipient. By first converting a photograph of them into a pop art reproduction, it can add fun and colour to any of the great range of gifts that are already available. As well as pieces of wall art, including pop art posters and canvas prints, you can have a pop art reproduction added to any of a long list of photo items.

From Warhol To Che

Before you get to choosing the type of photo gift that you want to print to, though, you will likely want to decide on the type of pop art.

Andy Warhol was the most famous proponent of the pop art style and of al his work, the most famous was the four panel print of Marilyn Monroe. Not only were the prints colourful but they were modern and striking.

Che Guevara posters have adorned the walls of student rooms and flats, as well as t-shirts, for years. The use of a single colour screen behind a portrait really makes the image stand out and again allows the infusion of colour into any piece.

Another, perhaps less well known, method of transforming a photograph into a piece of pop art is the posterising process. This process sees several different colour washes and prints applied to the black and white outline of an image to create an American rock and roll style.

Add Extra Colour To Your Photographs

Regardless of the style of pop art you choose, it allows for a very unique and extremely striking use of colour with your photographs. While some software attempts to recreate these styles through the use of automated processes, the effects are rarely as good as they are when a professional art worker or designer completes the process by hand.

Printing Your Pop Art

Once your pop art print is complete, you can opt to have it printed a a poster or photo canvas to display proudly on your wall. Alternatively, you could have it applied to a handbag, laptop bag, or even a personalised apron. Not only are personalised gifts that use pop art ideal to keep for yourself but they can make extremely unusual, unique, and great fun gifts for any family member or friend celebrating any occasion. You can really let your imagination run wild in choosing the photograph, style, and item that you want to personalise.

By: Matt Jackson

Ever want to know how to make a photo life size cutout of something or someone, but never could figure out how? It’s easier than you might think. And you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to do it.

The neat thing is that you can make just about any photo you want into a photo life size cutout. But there are a few basic tips that you need to know to get the best quality, to make your photo look as realistic as possible.

The very first step you must begin with is a good quality photo. You can use a 35 mm photo or any digital photo, with no less than a 4 mp. Remember, the higher the quality photo, the better your photo life size cutout will be. When taking your photo, its best done as close as possible, instead of zooming in. The photo will be much clearer when you re size it. Just don’t cut off the feet in the photo.

The next step is to get a top performing program to use with your printer. Its best to use a good software to use on your computer along with your printer. To make the project as inexpensive as possible, the program should be one that prepares individual sections that are put together like a puzzle.

Once you take your photo and run your printer using the software, you need to decide on what to use to adhere it to. There are a number of options to chose from.

#1–The first option is cardboard. It is the most cost effective and holds up very well. Not the best for outdoor use.

#2–Next is foamcore, this had been the old way used and allows clean cuts, and white edges.

#3–Then is coroplast which is good to use outdoors. Very strong, stable, and lightweight. Good for quality, but corrugation lines tend to show a bit.

#4–And maybe the ultimate is PVC. It is the best to use outdoors and strong and durable, not the cheapest, but maybe has the longest lifespan.

Just remember to use a top quality photo, a good printer software along with your computer, and the best backing for your purpose. Just follow these few basic tips how to make a photo life size cutout, and you’ll be happy and proud to show off your finished project.

By: Donald Paquin