Use IPhoto Editing to Make Your Pictures Look Their Best!

A Simple Guide to iPhoto Editing

For now, though, let's walk a typical photograph through the iPhoto editing process from beginning to end!

Here we have your standard photograph: a reasonably good close-up of a dwarf hamster (named, for interest's sake, The Hamster King). The picture is okay, but notice that it has a bit of a blur, and the hamster tends to blend into the background.

Most of the time in iPhoto editing, you're going to want to try the "enhance" tool first (it's located on the bottom menu). Generally, this brightens and improves your photograph. In this case, though, I didn't like what Enhance did to my picture -- it gave the hamster a sort of green tint and darkened the background. It's a good idea to try enhancing the photograph first, but if you don't like it, feel free to undo it by selecting "undo" from the edit menu.

After undoing the enhancement, I used the adjust menu to straighten the photo (iPhoto gives you a helpful grid, letting you align your photographs more effectively) and increase the contrast. This brightens the foreground, darkens the shadows, and throws the picture's subject into the spotlight.

Still using the "adjust" section of iPhoto editing, I increased the sharpness of the photograph to about 55%. This eliminates much of the blur, bringing the hamster's features into greater detail, emphasizing the texture of the background, and accentuating smaller details (such as the fur and whiskers).

Finally, I used the "crop" tool to cut out some of the background. Since the hamster was centered in the photograph, I also moved him down and over a bit. Generally, the subject of your photo is more interesting if it's not precisely centered. Keep in mind that the crop function allows you to constrain the proportions of your photograph. In this case, I wanted to print the picture as a traditional 4 X 6 photo, so I set that as my constraint.

From beginning to finish, these are the steps you'll want to follow to make your pictures look their best! Don't be afraid to take advantage of the excellent tools in iPhoto editing.