How to perfect your pictures

Who said the camera never lies? With the aid of simple image editing software, you can turn average looking pictures into photographic masterpieces. Here's how.

Step 1: Getting started Step 2: What you'll need Step 3: Amputate alien extremities Step 4: Remove unwanted people

Step 5: Correct the colour cast Step 6: Build better backgrounds Step 7: Downsize your images

Step 1: Getting started
Back in 1988, Elton John sang the words, "You can't argue with the image. The camera never lies." The camera still doesn't lie, but you can argue with what it says if the truth hurts. Here's a quick look at five common photographic truths you may wish to bend, with the help of a widely used photo-editing application, Adobe Photoshop Elements. We used version 2.0, but you can see a preview of version 3.0 here.