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Photo Elf “The Digital Camera Companion” Software Review
Ramie Ahlstrom - Digital Deck Designer
As an avid digital camera user and a digital scrapbooker, I’m intrigued by this software. Most of my “fear” is that I don’t have time to properly learn another software program, but I am excited to give it a whirl.
After installing the software, I spent a few minutes (ok, a couple hours) familiarizing myself with the functions. My favorite way to do this is to just start playing with them. (Yes, I’m one of those that drives until they’re lost when we move to a new city…then I find my way out, and I never seem to get lost again!).
PhotoElf is chock full of fun photo effects. Just a few of the things possible include:
- Removing Red Eye, Brightening the White of Eyes, and Brightening Blue Eyes
- Changing the Color and Brightness
- Changing a Photo from Color to Black & White or Sepia
- Inverting the Colors to Negative
- Adding Shapes and Text
- Cropping (either free form or to preset sizes)
- Adding Masks
- Creating Calendars
- Creating Photo Montages
- Reverse and Double Expose
- and MANY more!
For safety reasons, I created duplicate copies of all of the photos I used before I opened them in PhotoElf. (I do this in Photoshop Elements as well, to keep from accidently editing a photo that I might want in its raw form another time.)
My first experiments with PhotoElf’s Photo Effect Tools were fun ones. I simply played with the settings until I had some photos that I liked. My original photo has bright colors, a fun subject, and lots of good light! I added a rectangle mask to frame it a little and added some text, just for fun. Without altering the colors or brightness, I changed the mosaic setting to get a fun pixilated image.
To create these next three images, I clicked on Edit > Undo Last after the Mosaic setting to revert back to the image with the frame and text. I then started applying Photo Effects by changing the numbers next to the effect name. The first image shows the original image with the brightness level increased slightly, and the solar effect set to 1. The second image has the solar effect set to 3 and has much more intensified colors. The third image has the neon effect set at 4 applied to it.
Photo Elf has a super easy red-eye removal tool. The easiest I've used yet, I think. When you open the program, you simply click on Editor and then on the Red Eye Removal Tool. It's a picture of a red eye, for easy picking! Then you click on Remove Red Eye, and color over the red eyes using the paint brush (it pops up on the screen). When I did it with these photos, I played around a lot, and you can't color on anything but the red part of the eye...making it foolproof red-eye removal!
Another fun tool it has that I've never seen anywhere else is the Brighten Blues Tool. It's right underneath the red-eye tool and works in the same fashion, but really makes the blue eyes pop. Below that tool is another called the Brighten Whites Tool. I didn't play with it much, but it seemed to work the same way as the Blue tool and could be very beneficial in a photo that was a touch too dark. I can see that these tools will become my best friends very soon!
After removing my daughters glowing red eyes and brightening her baby blues a little, I decided to start playing with some more of the fun photo altering features that Photo Elf has to offer. This image was created by clicking on Fun Stuff (in the top menu on the program) and then clicking on "Reverse and Double Expose." It's goofy looking, and kinda spooky too...but it made her laugh when she saw it on my desktop, so I'm including it!
I couldn't leave this pic alone, so I started applying masks to it. The mask tool in Photo Elf has several preset options and even more can be downloaded from their site. (There's a link at the bottom right corner of the Mask Tool window.) The first image here shows a sunburst mask, in yellow, applied to the photo. The second image shows a black frame mask added, as well as several masks from the Glamour Magazine Cover mask set. I used several coordinating colors for the text masks, to add some pop to her "magazine cover." Applying the masks is simple...just click the Mask button and scroll through the masks until you find one you like. Add the mask and select the color you want it to be, and then be sure to click on Apply and Exit, so that the mask applies to your photo.
I’ve had great fun playing with PhotoElf this month, and I hope that you will go check it out. It’s an awesome program, especially for those who are a little scared of, or don’t have time to learn, the higher end photo editing software programs.
Here’s a layout I created using one of the photos I altered with PhotoElf. Thanks for reading this month. Be sure to check out the other reviews about PhotoElf on SSR. We hope you have a wonderful July!
Calm sailing,
Ramie
Ramie Ahlstrom
ramieahlstrom@ssreflections.com
Managing Editor
Reflections Publishing Group, LLC
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***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.
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