Open Photoshop until you get the landing screen, which looks like this:

If you are working from a media card reader, insert the media card until a screen like the one below pops up:

Open the folder to view the image file sub folders. You might have a window that looks like this:

Open the folder that contains the actual files you would like to work with. The folder should look something like this:

Select the photo that you would like to edit and drag it into the grey space in your Photoshop palette. Your Photoshop window should appear to look something like this:

While the image is in your Photoshop window, you can make any photo editing maneuvers that you would like, such as a change of color, tone, a border or cropping.

The current size of this image is 2.36 megabytes. If you would like to upload the file to the Web, it would be best for the file to be about 100 kilobytes. In order to reduce the file size, go to the "File" option at the top of the page.

You will see an option to "Save for Web and Devices." Click on this option. A window will appear that will look similar to the one below:

In the "Preset" field, decide how much you want to reduce your photo size. Remember that when you reduce the photo size, the quality of the photo may diminish slightly. For example, if you select "JPEG Low," the photo will not be as clear as if you select "JPEG High."

Once you have decided which preset size is best for your photos, click on "Save." A box will appear and ask you to select the location to where you want to save the file. Choose a location, such as "Desktop" or a photos file. This process will decrease the file size and make the photo ready for viewing on a computer screen.

Reducing the size of your photos through photo editing can help to ensure that you upload the photos faster and that they are able to be viewed faster by the visitors to your photo album or Web site. Photoshop is not the only method of reducing photo size, but it is one of the most popular amongst photographers that have access to it!

You need to dowload three extra plug-ins to do this affect- Jitter and Stitch (both here) and Wobble (found here).

1. Pick a picture you want to use, I used this flower.
   
   
   
2. Do a jitter affect, and use settings somewhat like what I used. Play around with the settings to fit your picture, so it's distorted a little but not too much.
   
   
   
3. Select black and white. This will make the water colors work better later.
   
   
   
4. Use the Wobble affect. Choose an angle for wherever you want the ripples to go.
   
   
   
5. To add some color, go to curves, then choose around the same settings I used for a good water color.
   
   
   
6. Now we have a good reflection of your picture on water. Let's add some element of refraction, showing a little underneath the water's surface. We'll start by adding a new layer and moving it underneath. It'll be easier to see if you make the first layer invisible.
   
   
   
7. Make a gradient of some sort with some muddish-colors to start.
   
   
   
8. Add noise, with no color saturation.
   
   
   
9. Use weave to make it look like the water is moving the dirt. Add a fish if you really want to.
   
   
   
10. Now make the first layer visible again, and change the opacity to show the background a little but not change the color too much.
    
    

Now we have the final Image.

Thank you for trying this tutorial.

1. GIMP

   It's a lot like Photoshop without the huge price tag. Free! Originally designed for Linux, it has been made for Windows as well. Works great for Vista where older Photoshop versions and other issues of compatibility don't exist!
   

2. Namo WebEditor

   So you want to create a website and may or may not know some html. Not a problem. Namo is structured similarly to Dreamweaver and again without the huge pricetag. This software runs $100 and comes with Namo FreeMotion and Namo FreeCanvas. I'm more impressed with FreeMotion as it's a flash based program and the instructions included make it easy enough for an amateur to use. Namo FreeCanvas isn't bad but I wouldn't pay anything extra for it. Worth checking out as part of the bundle. If you already own another web editor, there is typically a rebate for $20 off.
   

3. Pinnacle Studio

   Do you like editing video clips? If you do this program is reasonably priced and though not as fancy as Adobe's Premiere it's also much cheaper! Versions range from the original studio through Plus and Ultimate based on your needs. If you're editing standard video you can pay as little as $50. High Definition will cost you $100 and Studio Ultimate which allows for Dolby 5.1, fx editor, and a few other features be prepared to dish out $130. Typically Studio allows for an upgrade version and/or rebate based on your previous purchase.
   

4. Paint.net

   Again another photo editing software similar to Photoshop but easier to navigate for those that aren't advanced users. Free software again, can't complain there. The interface is easy and it doesn't lack features

While you can download inexpensive or free software to help you crop and recolor your photos, Photoshop allows users to manipulate photos pixel-by-pixel. Here are some fun Photoshop editing tips to use before you upload your shots to your photo sharing site.

Artistic Palette

With your photo open in Photoshop, click on “Filter” from the header menu and scroll down to “Artistic.” Under the “Artistic” submenu, you will see a variety of options that will significantly alter the look of your photo. You will want to select the right option that satisfies your end goal. (It may take awhile to play around until you find this option, so get familiar with what's available to you.)

For example, if you would like to turn your image into a graphic that resembles a watercolor painting, simply click on the “watercolor option.” A window will pop open that will provide you with a variety of options for manipulating your watercolor-photo art. You'll be able to adjust the brush detail, shadow intensity, and texture to create the perfect watercolor image.

If you would like to share your watercolor photo in your home or office, simply print the image onto texturized paper, sign the photo, and display it in a nice frame. Chances are good that only the carefully observer will recognize that your artwork began as a photo!

Note: there are multiple options under the Filter menu, such as Sketch, Pixelate, Colored Pencil, and Charcoal. Select the filter that best matches your artistic vision for your photo sharing project. If you select a filter that you're not happy with, simply undue the filter using the history tool and try another. After all, trying multiple looks on the same photo is part of the fun of using Photoshop!

Get Funky with Your Colors

Photoshop lovers have the opportunity to easily manipulate the colors of their photos. Seasoned photographers will often turn to Photoshop to smooth wrinkly skin in a portrait, brighten a sky in a landscape, or turn a color photo into a black and white masterpiece. If you're looking to punch up your favorite snapshots before loading them onto your photo sharing site, head over to the Image menu in Photoshop.

The Image menu provides a variety of options to address the overall color of a photo. (Of course, if you would like to change color in just one area of the photo, Photoshop has tools to help you do that as well.) Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Image menu before you take your next photo editing step.

The Mode option basically determines what kind of information is in the pixels of the image. If you open your image from its original location on your computer, it will probably be in CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. CMYK is the mode that printers use when printing a photograph. Therefore, if you intend to share your photos by printing them, make sure the mode is on CMYK.

RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue, which is the mode that is used by computer monitors and televisions. Inside each dot on a computer monitor or TV screen are three miniature light bulbs; one is red, one is green, and one is blue. Therefore, if you intend to upload your photos to a photosharing Web site, make sure you have selected the RGB mode.

The grayscale mode is a no-brainer; it turns your photos into varying shades of grey and is appropriate for printed photos and photo sharing online.

After selecting the appropriate mode, scroll down the Image menu to the Adjustments submenu. The Auto Levels, Auto Contrast, and Auto Color levels are built-in devices that will automatically adjust the colors of your image using sophisticated color matching tools.

If you prefer to adjust your colors on your own, play around with the Color Balance, Curves, Hue/Saturation, and Brightness/Contrast tools for the best results. The simplest way to understand how these tools work is to simply open them and play around. As always, if you make an adjustment that you would like to change, simply undo your adjustment from the History menu.

Make Cropping Your Friend

Photoshop is not the only software that will help you crop your photos, but it also provides you with advanced editing options. Most digital cameras take photos that are between 5 and 10 megabytes each. That means that there is a lot of color information stored in each one of those pixels.

Because there is so much color information stored in your photo, you can usually enlarge the photo to extremely high dimensions without losing image quality. It also means that you can zoom in on a photo to enlarge a small selection of the photo and discard information around it. More to the point, this means that you don't have to compose a brilliant original photo in order to create a optical opus.

Back in the days before computer manipulation, photographers had to be very careful about the images that they captured in between the bounds of a photograph. Now, thanks to digital photography and helpful software, photographers can trim out unwanted objects and enlarge other objects in order to create a photo sharing masterpiece to be proud of.

For example, let's say you're on a hiking trip in the American West and stumble upon a family of Prairie Dogs. Everyone knows that Prairie Dogs are adorable animals that pop above ground for seconds at a time before scurrying into their underground caves. In the old days of photography, a photographer would be lucky to have time to set up a shot and capture a Prairie Dog before it ran out of the frame.

Now, however, any amateur photographer can simply point and click without even having to worry if the animal is in the center of the frame. Once the image is downloaded onto the computer and opened in Photoshop, simply crop and enlarge the photo to feature the Prairie Dog. You'll amaze your friends with your photography skills…and may even get a coffee table book deal someday!

Remember: Photoshop is a very large and complicated piece of software. These tips are designed to get you started, but if you would like to be a true Photoshop master, head to the bookstore for a step-by-step guide to perfecting your photos. As in all creative things, your original shot only has to be a draft of your final product.