How to Use the Mac OS X Leopard Photo Booth

Mac OS X Leopard's Photo Booth application lets users take pictures of themselves with built-in cameras on the computer. Use Photo Booth in OS X Leopard to take photos of yourself or your environment and manipulate the images with one of the special effects available in the program.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start the Photo Booth application.

2. Verify that the program is active and working by viewing a live video of yourself and checking that the camera's LED is glowing green.

3. Pose for your shot. Press the red shutter icon under the streaming video to take a still picture. Photo Booth also offers the "Burst" option that simultaneously takes four successive photos.

4. Choose a photo filter for each photo. Experiment with Black & White, Sepia, Glow, Normal, Comic Book, Colored Pencil, Thermographic camera, X-Ray, Pop Art, Custom Background and Preset Background.

5. Manipulate the new photo using the Bulge, Dent, Twirl, Squeeze, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Fisheye or Stretch effects.

6. Use the "Preview" option for photo effects and manipulations to view what your photos look like before saving them.

7. Save Photo Booth photos by clicking on their thumbnails and adding the pictures to your computer's iPhoto library or using it as your Mac OS X Leopard account picture. Delete photos by accessing the thumbnail and clicking the "X" icon near it.

8. Share your new Photo Booth photos. Access your pictures in the iPhoto library, send them via email, print them or use them in iChat, Adium or as an avatar or buddy icon in messaging applications.

9. Video yourself using the Photo Booth application. Use effects and manipulations on the videos.

Tips & Warnings

• When taking pictures in Photo Booth, three second delays usually accompany picture-snapping. Eliminate the delay by pressing the "Option" key before taking a picture.
• Select any photo from the iPhoto library to use as the backdrop for pictures.
• The subjects in Photo Booth photos are shown as flipped, mirror images of themselves. To permanently require Photo Booth to take photos that are true-to-form, visit the "Edit" menu and select "Auto Flip New Photos."
• You can't combine multiple effects and filters.