“Don’t throw it away right away” are words to clean the house by, especially when the garbage relates to photography, because even the worst photograph can sometimes transform into a masterpiece. (or at least a better photo)

Take this picture on the left for example. It is under exposed, a little crooked and pretty damn ugly. The dark scene is of a secluded stairwell residing quietly in an upscale shopping mall at Caesars Palace. (Las Vegas)

I am not sure why I shot this odd picture, maybe the decorative sandstone arch caught my attention, but when I arrived home and previewed it my finger went straight to the delete button. Then after a quick moment of hesitation I decided to send it to a junk folder instead.  A year later, with a bit of fancy Photoshopping and two additional photographs layered onto it, the once dismal snapshot resurrected into a grand staircase leading into the beautiful Mojave desert.

For those who do not have Photoshop or assume it’s too difficult to learn or too expensive to buy, Adobe offers a wonderful alternative program called Photoshop Elements. It is very affordable at around $140 dollars or less. I have seen it priced for as low as $79 dollars and if you find a store that is selling older versions the price could go lower still.

Elements is very easy to use and is equipped with all of the photo tools you might need to repair and enhance your photographs. It includes a straighten tool (in case you were falling down when you snapped the shot) a crop tool, color tools and a list of quick fix tools that will correct exposure, color, dark shadows, etc. with one click of the mouse. Plus, Elements also includes layers, so your creative mind can explode with possibilities.

I hope those who love photography, but haven’t explored creative options, give this little gem of a product a chance. Also, there are many other features of this program not mentioned here that are sure to amaze you.   

CLICK HERE to visit the Adobe website.

—————————————————————————————by SG 2011