Easy, Fast, & Free Photo Editing

Featured Guest Article

by Robert Hruzek

Photo by M. Ryan

Hey, do your digital photos tend to come out looking pale and washed-out?

Mine sure do!

Are the colors not quite as vivid as you remembered?

Yep;  that’s me, all right!

The Free, Fast, & Easy Software

When it comes to capturing those great moments with today’s cameras, well, I must admit to being something of a dweeb.  I’ll tell ya; I can never figure out how to get the best out of ‘em.

The good news is, help is available! For instance, there’s a great photo-editing tool available that’s easy, fast and – best of all – free! (Don’cha just love that word?)

Trust me; it’s easier than you think.

Edit It & Store It

With just a couple of clicks I will show you how to use a free web-based photo-editing tool called Picnik to make even ordinary-seeming photos come alive. But here’s the best news: Picnik has partnered with Flickr in such a way that they’re practically joined at the hip!

(NOTE: the following steps assume you already have a Flickr account. The basic membership for Flickr is free, but there’s also a Pro membership available for $24.95 for a year. Although you can use Picnik without a Flickr membership, the ability to edit from within Flickr is, in my opinion, a big plus.)

Editing Your Photo

Here’s how to quickly edit a photo using Picnik (from within Flickr):

1. Pick any photo from your photostream. This will take you to that photo’s page.
2. OK, see all those little icons just above the photo? Click on that second one from the right: “Edit Photo”.
   
3. Now, the first time only, you’ll be asked if you want to open Picnik within your Flickr account. Click on “OK”. (Only happens your first time.) This step is necessary because the application has the ability to manipulate (even delete!) photos in your Flickr account, so they just want you to be sure. It’s OK; that’s what you want.
4. Once Picnik opens (it’ll take a few seconds), you’ll find yourself on the main edit page, which should look something like this:

Now, if you’re anything like me (and sincere condolences if you are!), then you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Ooh, lookit all the pretty buttons!” For the purposes of this demonstration, though, let’s just keep it simple for now, shall we?

Trust me, this one thing may be all you’ll ever need.

OK; only a couple more steps and we’re done!

1. Now click on the “Exposure” button there in the middle. This takes you to a different page, where you’ll see, among other things, two buttons: “Auto-Fix” on the left and “Advanced” over on the right.
2. Click on the “Advanced” button. Another menu appears just below it.
3. Now – and here’s where the instant magic happens – click on the box at the bottom, next to the words “Local Contrast”. Keep your eye on the photo so you can watch what happens.

Voila! You’ll see the photo pop to life like you won’t believe! With a little practice, it’ll take less time to edit a photo than it took to read through these instructions.

Plus, you don’t have to stop there; with a free Picnik account you’ll find a huge number of editing tools available that provide an amazing amount of creative freedom. (Remember, for the more advanced features a Premium membership is required – also $24.95 a year; this is a different animal than a Pro Flickr account.)

Before & After Photo

Here’s a before-and-after split of the photo I used, with before on the right half and after on the left half. Isn’t it amazing, the difference just a few clicks can make?

In no time, you’ll be turning your pale, washed out photos into something you can be truly proud of. And as we say down here in Texas, that’s just finer than a frog’s hair!

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Image: Say Hello to Me Mum! by Robert Hruzek

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Robert Hruzek currently lives in Houston, Texas, and is usually employed as an engineering project manager. He has travelled, lived and worked in many locations within the United States and around the world.

Robert writes on the Web at Middle Zone Musings (http://middlezonemusings.com/). It’s a comfortable place to have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. He doesn’t ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Why not drop by, take a load off, and relax for a spell…

You may contact Robert by email at: rhruzek [at] sbcglobal [dot] net