kreatives

Picnik.com is a nifty little site for the amateur photographer, especially for those that don’t have Adobe Photoshop or other image editing software programs. Actually, even if you are a Photoshop user, you might find Picnik useful. It’s quick, easy, and lots of fun to use.

If you’ve never checked the site out before, here’s an example of what you can do with it.

First, point your browser to http://www.picnik.com . Once there, click on the Get Started button. (Even the load screen for this site is amusing.XD ) Picnik will give you the option to register, but you don’t have to in order to use the site. I do recommend registering, though, as it gives you the option to go back and work on your images later. Basic registration is free.

Click on the Upload Photos button, then find and select an image on your hard drive for editing. I’m going to use a photograph of an Easter lily I took last weekend. (Floral photographs are my favorite.)

Now, the first thing I usually do on Picnik is hit the AutoFix button. I don’t always keep the results, but, more often than not, it improves the image.

My AutoFix results:

Next, let’s play with the colors. Click on the Colors tabs. There you will find two main controls–Saturation and Temperature. ‘Cooler’ temperatures will introduce more blue tones into your photo, and ‘warmer’ temperatures give you more red tones. Saturation either amps up or lowers the vibrancy of colors in a photo. Play with the settings until your photo pleases you. I seldom use the AutoColor of Neutral Picker tools, as the results are too uniform for my tastes, but play with them, anyway–you might find that they are just what your photo needs. For now, though, lets stick with the Temperature and Saturation slider bars.

Now I usually adjust the exposure. Click the exposure tab to find the control panel. I’ve found that the Advanced options give you better results and more control, so let’s click the advanced button.

The nice thing here is the absolute control it gives you over the shadows and highlights. By simply using the contrast slider bar, you are applying equal amounts of change to both the shadows and highlights. By using the advanced options, you aren’t restrained by that, and are able to achieve much more believable effects. The Local Contrast is great for pulling out detail and bringing the objects in a photo to life.

For automatic effects, you’ll find lots of fun tools under the Create tab.

A simple yet handy effect is the Soften tool–just be careful not to overuse it, or your Photo will just look unfocused. Most of the tools on this page have advanced settings. Don’t be afraid to adjust them to customize the effect on your photo!

Sometimes you want to finish off your image by adding a frame. Frames can give your photo a spiffy, professional look, and Picnik makes adding frames a snap. Just click on the Frames button under the Create tab.

Select your framing from the options given. (Don’t forget, you can adjust the frames!)

Don’t forget to Save and Share your photo!

If you found this post useful, and used Picnik.com to enhance one of your photos, I’d love to see the results. Send me a link!

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