Photo Editing Tips

Some of the tips for Photoshop CS3

Image source: www.symbiansector.net

Drawing straight lines without using the line tool
Choose one of the available tools for drawing a line except line tool (Eraser tool, pencil tool, brush tool, etc) and then hold the shift key while dragging the pointer horizontally or vertically.

Drawing straight lines using the brush tool
While the brush tool is selected, click where you want to start the first point to be at. Then hold the shift key and click to the other point where you want your line to end. You may also use this technique mostly to other tools like highlight tool and eraser tool.

Tips at creating shapes
To start drawing from the center, hold alt while dragging. To create perfect shapes of a square, a circle, or when you are using the polygon tool, hold shift while dragging. If you are using any of tools for drawing like the brush tool, or line tool, and you want to move what you are drawing, hold the spacebar and drag it to where you want your drawing placed.

Closing multiple windows of Photoshop
Hold shift while going to the file menu and choose close.

Recover the Original Images

As far as editing images are concerned, you will encounter problems as far as accidentally saving them to the one you are editing. Software can easily reclaim lost or missing photographs from various cases of accidental losses of data. There are utilities that can help to demonstrate whole recovery process in an easy to use and interactive way.

There are a lot of them out there and you just have to pick the right one. Once you do, rest assured you no longer have to worry about the original file that you erroneously edited. Any software that can recover images can make sure of that.

Time and space warp

1. Open image.

2. Create new image with the same size and resolution as the first one.

3. Set Image mode to Grayscale.

4. Go to Tools palette. Choose Gradient Fill and click the Gradient Editor. Adjust the settings to the following:
Gradient type: solid
Smoothness :100%

5. Adjust the colors (those square boxes) so that they alternate black and white. The more stripes there are, the more waves you�ll get.

6. Apply gradient to blank image.

7. Go to menu bar and click Filter then Distort then Twirl. Adjust the settings: Angle: -450

8. Save as PSD.

9. Go back to the original image. Name that Layer 1.

10. Duplicate the layer. It will be Layer 1 copy

11. Create a new layer and paste your second image there. Name that Layer 2. Move this layer in between Layer 1 and Layer 1 copy.

12. Go to Layer 1 copy.

13. Click on Filter then Distort then Displace. When asked about the displacement map, choose the PSD you just saved a while ago.

14. Adjust the settings:
V Stretch 50
Stretch to fit
Repeat edge pixels

15. Apply Layer mask to Layer 1 copy. Click on the Layer mask. Make sure that the foreground is black and the background is white.

16. Use a soft-edged brush and paint over the mask. Experiment. Use black to conceal and white to reveal.

17. Adjust the second image to fit. You may use Smudge and Burn tools to polish the effects.