Don't you just hate it when someone starts an article by telling you why they should not be the one doing the writing? I will not do that, however, I am writing this article as a novice. A lot of people are more familiar with this program. I am just learning, but I can tell you that it is a really powerful program that holds unlimited possibilities for all types of digital imaging projects.

My current computer was purchased about 18 mounts ago. Photoshop Elements 1 came preinstalled with no instruction manual. Though I had used a computer through the years, I had never used the paint program that is included in the Windows operating system. I was unfamiliar with the basic digital imaging tools and had little interest in doing so. When ICON added a Digital Imaging Sig, my interest was sparked to learn more about it. I started by scanning pictures and later acquired a digital camera. Photoshop Elements provided a work area and a lot of tools to help me with my chosen project. I purchased the book Photoshop Elements Solutions to helping in learning the program. The book, however, took it for granted that I knew how to use the aforementioned tools. There was a hints palette which told what the tools were used for but not how to get them to work properly. The help option was very limited. I found a great web site that offered a complete explanation on each of the tools and how to use them. There were also tutorials for beginners and advanced beginners. You can find this information at www.arraich.com/intro.htm. Adobe has helpful tips at www.adobe.com/products/tips/photoshopel.html. I also found a second book at the library Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 in 24 Hours. It really takes much longer to read the book, but it was very helpful.

This year Adobe offered Photoshop Elements 2. I decided to upgrade and that was a good decision. It came with a great instruction manual. There is a more comprehensive Help feature that includes a search window. The file browser makes it much easier to find and open files. There is a quick fix feature with which adjustments can be made while watching a side by side view of before and after images as you work. There are a couple of "auto" settings for adjusting levels and contrast or you can us the slider to make the adjustments yourself. There are recipes that describe how to perform other editing techniques. One of the best additions is the picture package printing. This feature allows for printing multiple pictures in various sizes on the same page. You can print the same picture or a variety of different pictures on the page. This helps in preventing waste of photo paper.

I have used Photoshop Elements 2 to edit and enhance color photos. I was really surprised how just a little enhancement can make even pictures that seem to look good even better. One great feature allows for the removal of unwanted distracting items from a picture. The clone stamp tool allows these images to be removed while keeping the desired elements of the photo. The background eraser allows for the removal of the background from a photo without affecting any of the objects in the foreground. You can combine photos by moving images from one photo to another. My favorite accomplishment has been to scan and edit an old black and white photo. It was a picture of my great uncle in 1910 pulling a large log with horses. The picture was very faded and a small child had tried to decorate it with a red ink pen. Using the tools of Photoshop Elements 2, I was able to restore it and save the picture for future generations.

In addition to editing photos, you can apply frames, edges, and other effects. The type tool can be used to add captions to pictures or other graphics. Finished projects can be saved in a variety of file formats as well as attach to e-mails.

While studying different features of the program, I decided to start from scratch and make my own graphic. Using some of the preset shapes, color effects, and the type tool a graphic was designed and saved as a jpeg in "my pictures". It is now my desk top background. Not only was it fun to do, but I learned something new. I have created other designs to use for valentines and other greeting cards.

There is a tool and a method to do anything you might want to do with photos and other graphics. The possibilities are endless. Think you might want to try Photoshop Elements 2 yourself? At this time, Adobe will allow you to download a free 30 day trial version at Adobe.com. The library has several books on Photoshop Elements 2 and there are many help sources on the internet. This is probably the best supported digital imaging program on the market and the one to which others compare themselves.