How to Make People Look Pretty With Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop has a number of tools that can help you make the people in your photos look pretty, or at least improve the look of your subjects. If you are a novice with the digital camera and photo editing software, knowing where to find these tools will change the look of your photos and win the admiration of people you photograph. Read on to learn how to make people look pretty with Photoshop.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Know the Software

1. Download Adobe Photoshop, if you don't already own it. If you are an amateur photographer, you can purchase and download the latest version of Photoshop Elements 5.0. This version is available on the Adobe website for $99.
2. Browse through the software before using it with photos. The most frequently used tools will be in a bar to the left of the screen. Also important are the drop-down menus at the top of your page, which permit you to alter and improve your photos.
3. Use Photoshop one step at a time, and consult the "Help" menu when in doubt. It is best to work with Photoshop using copies of your favorite photos. Preserve your originals on your computer's hard drive or a disk.

Try Basic Edits for Your Photos

4. Load photos onto your computer from your camera into "My Pictures" or a similar folder. Name folders by event, such as "Betty's Wedding" or "John's Graduation" so they are easier to find later.
5. Right-click on the photo you would like to edit, and then choose "Open With" from the drop-down list that appears. Choose Adobe Photoshop from your software choices and the software will open, along with your photo.
6. Crop your photo by going to the toolbar on the left and clicking on the dotted line box icon. When you click and drag the cursor, it will crop your photo to edit out extraneous background. Then go to "Image" at the top of the page and click on "Crop" in the drop-down.
7. Re-size your photo. Many photos loaded directly from digital cameras are huge, measuring 30 inches or larger. To re-size a photo, click on "Image" at the top of the page and choose "Image Size." In the dialog box, go to "Document Size" and fill in measurements for the width and length of the photo. Make sure the "Constrain proportions" box is checked. If you are planning to email the photo, re-size it to a snapshot size. Click "OK."

Touching Up Your Subjects

8. Go to "Image" at the top of your page and click on "Adjust" in the drop-down, then on "Auto Levels." This will automatically fix light and dark levels in your photo. You can also click on "Adjust" and "Auto Contrast," which will automatically fix the contrast between light and dark subjects in your image.
9. Click on "Image" and "Adjust" in the drop-down. Click on "Curves," and when the dialog box appears, fix your cursor on the line to move it back and forth. You will see how curves lightens and darkens your photo to your satisfaction, giving you more control over how people look in a photo.
10. Use the airbrush tool to improve the appearance of people in your photos and make them look pretty. This tool reduces the appearance of blemishes or other problems with the faces of people in your photos. Click on the airbrush tool in the left toolbar, which is the fourth tool from the top that looks like a pen. Use the tool wherever you want to airbrush away imperfections. Use the "Mode," "Pressure" and "Brush" settings to change the way your tool works.
11. Experiment with other tools available in Photoshop, as you progress. The cloning tool, for example, can assist you in duplicating a section of your image that you like, and replacing a section you don't like such as shadows on faces, dark circles under the eyes, blemishes and even wrinkles.

Tips & Warnings

• If you make a mistake, immediately go to "Edit" and then "Undo." This tool will immediately erase your most recent change, but only your most recent change.
• Also useful is the "Step Backward" tool, which permits you to undo all the changes you made to a photo, step by step. Go to "Edit", then click on "Step Backward" as many times as you need to erase your previous mistakes.