Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
TIP
After you apply Auto Contrast, look closely at the edges of the objects in your photo. If
your camera's contrast was already high, you may see a halo or a sharp line around the
objects. In that case, the contrast is too high; undo Auto Contrast (Ctrl+Z/
⌘
-Z) and try an-
other fix instead.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: CALIBRATING YOUR MONITOR
Why do my photos look awful in Elements?
You may find that your images look really terrible when you open them in Elements even though
they look decent in other programs. For example, they may look all washed out, or reddish or
greenish, or even black and white. If that's the case, you need to calibrate your monitor, as ex-
plained on
Calibrating Your Monitor
.
It's easy to do, and it makes a big difference.
The reason for this is that Elements is what's known as a
color-managed
program. You can read
all about color management on
Controlling the Colors You See
.
For now, you just need to know
that color-managed programs pay much more attention to the settings for your monitor than other
programs (like word processors) do. Color-managed programs are a little more trouble to set up
initially, but the advantage is that you can get truly wonderful results if you invest a little time and
effort.
Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights
The other fixes in the Levels section of the Adjustments panel do an amazing job of bringing
out details that are lost in the shadows or bright areas of your photo.
Figure 4-10
shows what
a difference they can make.
