Digital Photos and editing

[SizzlininIN]

I have several photos that I took with my digital camera and uploaded on the computer. The people in the photo look great but the background isn't and/or there is something sitting in fronot of the people (example bottle).

Is there a program or way to remove the bottle and change the background?

Thanks

 

[goboenomo]

Photoshop is a great program to do stuff like that.
If you don't have it.. or anything else, you can do it with Windows XP Paint... it just isn't a great program it you want to keep a perfect picture.

 

[SizzlininIN]

thanks Gobo.....I'll go check out photoshop

 

[SizzlininIN]

Oh.....so its a program I'll have to buy. I'll have DH check with all his computer buddies and see if they have the program. Thanks again Gobo!

 

[GB]

Photoshop is the gold standard, but the full version is very expensive. I think it is about $700 right now. You can get a lesser version which is called Photoshop Elements. I think that runs about $100. These programs are jam packed with all sorts of things you can do, but they not terribly easy to learn how to use. With Photoshop you can do just about anything you can imagine if you have the patients to learn how. I have some Photoshop books that are giant (4 hundred pages or more) and there are some classes I have looked into, but just have not had the time to take. I know how to use maybe one half of one percent of what the program can do.

There is a free program out there called Gimp. I do not know much about it, but have heard it is a great alternative to Photoshop if you don't feel like dropping $700.

 

[shpj4]

I would suggest bringing your Digital Camera to a place that sells software and computer accessories and ask them what to do. Here we have Staples and they carry a large assortment of software for editing your pictures.

 

[Aurora]

Google has a free program called Picasa which allows you to archive and edit photos.

http://picasa.google.com/

 

[NancyG]

You can download a free trial version of photoshop here

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/

 

[GB]

Great suggestion Aurora! Picasa is a great program and very easy to use.

 

[Gretchen]

Photoshop is just too much. Picasa is good. Photoshop Elements might be worth a look if you want to spend a little money. PictureIt is a versatile program that can do lots of things.

 

[kleenex]

You can download a free trial version of photoshop here

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/

The only thing the trial does is like disable the save feature.

 

[wasabi]

I agree with GB. I have Photoshop, but I don't use it because I find it very difficult to learn the program. I have a very dense brain and I get frustrated very easily, so it's a S L O W process for me.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Thanks so much everyone.......I knew I could rely on you guys for suggestions.

 

[urmaniac13]

If some simple cropping etc. will take care of your problem, probably the picture manager, which is a part of the MS Office would suffice. This will take care of redimentioning to make them fit for uploading, a few other simple features like adjusting the tones, brightness, contrast, red-eye reduction etc. If you have the Office 2000 or newer, this program should be in it. (Just make sure to make a copy when you do the modification, so the original will be saved as well.)

But if you like photography, Photoshop is really an amazing tool, worth every penny... it can do so many things that I could only dream of in the days of yore... for me learning to use it came pretty easily. (this coming from someone who still struggles with the function of MS word!) In a very short period of trial it became one of my favourite "toys". This site was very very helpful for me to get the 101 of Photshop down 4 years ago, it covers most of the basic but useful technique in a very approachable, unthreatening, easy-to-follow fashion. Worth a look for any beginners.