EDITING PHOTOS WITH PICASA

PICASA is free photo-editing software that is available from Google. It will allow you to edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks. To download Picasa, go to Google.com's home page. On the top left, click on on "more", then at the bottom of the drop-down box, click on "even more". On the right side of the next screen, scroll down under "Communicate, show & share" until you find Picasa. Click on it and follow the instructions to download the program.

What types of editing features are available in Picasa?
Picasa lets you fix common problems and create great effects in your photos. There are three editing tabs filled with tools to help you improve your photos.
"Basic Fixes" tab - These are buttons that work in one to two clicks to remove red-eye, crop, auto color, auto contrast, straighten and fill light photos. (There's also a Google-inspired "I'm Feeling Lucky" button here that takes the guesswork out and enhances photos automatically. Try it and see what happens.)
"Effects tab" - Effects are designed to help you turn a grey sky blue, brighten colors, and add photographic filters. There are 12 effects to choose from in Picasa including "Sharpen", "Sepia", "Black and White" (B&W), "Warmify", "Film Grain", "Tint", "Saturation", "Soft Focus", "Glow", "Filtered B&W", "Focal B&W", and "Graduated Tint."
"Tuning" tab - Here you will find the most advanced editing features to fix contrast and remove color cast. Select from Fill Light, Highlight, Shadows, Color Temperature, and the Neutral Color Picker.
What is the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button for?
The "I'm Feeling Lucky" button enhances dark and bright colors in a photo and adjusts both color and contrast to optimal levels in one click.


How do I crop a photo in Picasa?
To crop a photo in Picasa, please do the following:
1. Double-click the photo in the folder or album that you wish to crop. This will open the photo in the "Edit Picture" window.
2. Click the "Basic Fixes" tab (top-left) if it's not already showing.
3. Click the "Crop" button on the left.
4. Select the crop size you want (4 x 6, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, or manual). The manual selection will allow you to perform custom crops.
5. Click and drag your mouse over the part of the image you wish to crop. Cropping always creates a rectangular form. It is recommended that you use a starting point in the upper left of the photo. Click the left mouse button, hold it down, and drag the mouse until you have cropped the photo appropriately.
6. If you make a mistake, click "Cancel." Just click the "Crop" button again to start over.
7. When you have cropped the photo the way you want it, click "Apply."If you want to create a cropped copy of your JPG, click "Export" to save the cropped image.


How do I rotate photos?
Picasa allows you to rotate photos to the correct position. To rotate a photo:
1. Double-click the thumbnail of the photo you wish to rotate. This will open the photo file in the "Edit Picture" screen.
2. Click the "Clockwise" or "Counter-clockwise" buttons to rotate the photo in 90 degree increments. These buttons are located to the right of the Photo Tray, next to the Star.

How do I use red-eye to remove yellow, white or green spots in eyes, such as in pet photos?
Red-eye reduction is only available for JPG files. If you are editing any of the other supported photo formats, such as TIF, BMP, or PSD, the button will be grayed out. Crop, rotate, and enhance are available for all photo file types.
It is important to note that Red-Eye will literally only remove red. Some eyes will appear yellow, white, or even green. This is very common when photographing pets. Picasa cannot fix these kinds of flash issues.
To access "Red-Eye removal", double-click the desired photo to bring it up in the "Edit" view. Click the "Basic Fixes" tab, then click "Red-Eye."
Click, hold, and drag the mouse around each eye to select it. A box will appear in the area you dragged through; try to draw as small an area as possible for better results.
Release the mouse to complete your selection. The photo is displayed with the red-eye removed.
To restore the original photo, click "Undo."
To exit "Red-Eye Repair" view and leave the photo unchanged, click "Cancel." The "Edit Photo" view appears. Click "OK" to apply your changes. Picasa preserves the original photo which enables you to undo the changes you make. The red-eye changes you make to the photo can be undone. If you are still in Red-Eye mode and want to undo, hit "Reset>Cancel." If you are out of Red-Eye mode you can use the "Undo" button. There is a Yes/No confirm dialog.


How do I adjust the lighting in my photos?
These editing tools let you manipulate the lighting of your photos.
"Fill Light": uses a slider that brightens a backlit or dark photo while preserving the details in lighter areas of the photo.
"Highlights": uses a slider that brightens the overall appearance of a photo, causing the light areas to become lighter. Use Highlights together with Shadows for best results.
"Shadows": uses a slider that darkens the overall appearance of a photo, causing dark areas to become more distinct. Use together with Highlights for best results.
"Magic Contrast": works like "Auto Contrast", but allows you to adjust the levels for precise control. Click the "Magic Contrast" wand button for suggested contrast levels, and then drag the sliders to get the best looking result.


How do I save changes I've made to an image?
To save changes to an image it is necessary to export the image:
1. Select the photos you want to export.
2. Click the "Export" button down at the bottom right corner of the screen.
3. In the "Export to Folder" screen, select the folder (location on your computer's hard drive) you wish to export the images to.
4. Now, just click "OK." Your images will be exported to the new folder. If you have Picasa's "Picture Manager" set to "Scan Always," the duplicated images will immediately appear in Picasa.