Photoshop: Transformations,
and more tools

Transformations

The Transform options are found under the Edit Menu. They are very useful for improving photographs in which the subject is crooked or to one side or skewed because of perspective, for example, the painting in this photo:

We can use the Rotate transformation to get the painting straight in the photo.

We can use the Distort or Perspective transformations to correct the effects of perspective and make the painting rectangular again.

Then we can use our previous skills with the selection tools to select and remove the background, the select and Move options to centre the painting in the photograph, and the Paint Bucket to fill the background with a neutral colour.

Notes:

• Remember, when you open a JPEG, the image contains only a single layer, the background layer, which is locked. To select the background layer for transformation, we must first turn it into an editable layer, by double-clicking on the background layer in the Layers window and turning it into Layer 0.
   
• You will need to switch the rulers on, and use guidelines to help you to correct the crookedness and perspective problems in this image.
   
• Before you select Transform from the Edit menu, you must have something in your image (or the whole image) selected to which the transformation is to be applied.
   
• When you have made the transformation you require, you must click the Move tool to apply the transformation (or cancel it).

Try using the Transform options to make the skull look like a skull again:

Tools for removing imperfections in an image

Note: Please copy these images to your computer, as we will use them to practice with in today's class.

More tools from the Toolbox

Today we will be looking at the "mending" tools in the Toolbox:

• The Clone Stamp Tool
• The Healing Brush Tool
• The Patch Tool

We will also look at

• The Burn Tool
• The Dodge Tool
• The Sponge Tool