Introduction

  • Photoshop elements v2.0 offers an incredibly useful means of improving photographs called "Quickfix"
    Select Enhance —> Quickfix.

  • Remember two things before you start:

    1. Only work on graphics saved in Photoshop format (.psd).
      Try not to edit JPG graphics unless you are working with images from a digital camera.

    2. Duplicate the image before starting to enhance it (Image —> Duplicate Image). That way you can recover from any cock-ups.

    3. Save your enhanced image in Photoshop format (File —> Save) before doing a "Save For Web"
Example 1
 

1. Original graphic. Problem is that foreground and background are dark because it is exposed for the sky.

 

2. Color improved but image still dark

Quickfix:
1. Adjustment Category : Color Correction
  2. Select : Auto Color

3. Improvement, but the foreground is still dark

Select Enhance —> Quickfix 1. Adjustment Category : Brightness
  2. Select : Fill Flash
  3. Apply : Lighter +10

4. Adjust levels to fix this

Adjust levels to miss out big peak at right
Select Enhance —> Adjust Brightness/Contrast —> Levels

 
Example 2
 

1. Original photo was taken inside without a flash. Hence yellowish tint

 

2. Let's make colors more saturated

Select Enhance —> Hue Saturation : Saturation +10

3. Let's now have a look at Levels

Select Enhance —> Brightness/Contrast —> Levels .

Now look at each color in turn: Red channel:

 

Green channel:

 

Blue channel:

Moving the left pointer to beyond the peak as shown improves color balance

4. Final adjustment. Make it brighter with Fill in Flash

Select Enhance —> Adjust Lighting —> Fill in Flash: Lighter +10