Here’s where we learn how to fix pictures that have inherent problems. Chapter 6 addresses the adjustments and alterations that should be made to the original digital image. These adjustments include resuscitating nearly hopeless photos, removing unwanted objects, reducing digital "noise," and dealing with other visually distracting items in the scene.

No matter how carefully you plan your pictures, undesirable items always seems to appear. Perhaps they were simply overlooked some things that were in clear sight all along. These "things" can be as obvious as a telephone pole (or lines) or as subtle as a reflection. One way or another, distracting elements seem to appear in almost every picture you shoot. And they appear quite covertly; the stuff just materializes out of the blue!

At first glance you might not notice any problems with the photographs in this chapter. Most people don’t. But once these flaws are pointed out, you won’t be able to forget them. Even better, you'll learn to see these gremlin items before you take your photos, which will significantly reduce the time you'd have to spend in the editing process.

I understand that most of the pictures you take are candid and spontaneous, and that sometimes visual distractions simply cannot be avoided. Like when the only angle available for your shot includes an distracting “thing” positioned in plain sight. Street signs, tree branches, and a host of other things in the background that visually just shouldn’t be there.

But when you spot these things, you'll have two choices: either don’t take the picture or take the shot and fix the problem later. This chapter will show you how to turn snapshots into serious photographs.

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