Picasa Tutorial
Basic Color Correction
When you have those photos that just don't quite look right, use Picasa to fix them! To download Picasa, please go
http://www.google.com/picasa">here.
Click on any photo for a larger image with the description.
After importing your images:
Click on the folder that has the image you'd like to correct
Either double-click on the photo OR click once and hit Enter to edit the image
If the color looks off (look in an area that should be white or grey and you may see a "color cast" that could be red, yellow, blue, etc), this took easily fixes that.
This photo is way too "cool" or blue.
Click on the Tuning tab (top red box)
Click on the Neutral Color Picker dropper (bottom red box)
Click in an area that should be WHITE, GRAY or BLACK
Note the overall tone of the image - if the picker didn't work, click it again and select another area
If your image has no white, gray or black, use the Color Temperature Slider just above the picker
Move the slider to the left to "cool" your image or give it more blue/less yellow. Move it to the right to "warm" your image or reduce the blue, and add more yellow to it.
Use the Fill Light, Highlight and Shadows sliders to adjust your photo
Fill Light - This will add light to your entire photo
Highlights - This will brighten only the brightest areas of your photo
Shadows - This will darken only the darkest areas of your photo
A good rule of thumb - use Fill Light to brighten if necessary THEN brighten your Highlights slightly THEN darken your Shadows slightly. The last two add contrast and make your photo pop
If your photo needs to be straightened:
Click on the Basic Fixes tab
Click on Straighten
Drag the slider to the left and right - see the red box
Look for a vertical or horizontal element in the MIDDLE of the image and use that to straighten.
In this photo, you can see that the door element in the center of the photo is straight, but the jamb is slightly leaning. You will give a better impression of being straight if something in the center is straight than on the side.
If your image needs cropping
Click on the Basic Fixes tab
Click on Crop
Select the ration you'd like to crop to - I generally suggest 4x6 as most people print to this size, unless you don't plan on printing
Drag your crop on your image and use the corners and sizes to resize.
Click the Rotate button if necessary
Click Apply when done
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