Millions of digital camera owners delight in the many effects and improvements that they can introduce into their photographs thanks to the many easy to use photo editing programs. At the top of almost every photographers list of favorite programs is Adobe Photoshop, or one of its variants.

The Adobe Photoshop programs are the most powerful and creative of photographic tools, and this is not only because they are easy to use and incredibly effective, but because they allow such a huge range of opportunity.

For example, a simple search for Photoshop tutorials on PhotographyCorner would reveal tutorials to remove red eye, adding layers to an image, correcting the exposure of a photograph, and hundreds of other processes. Additionally, the program allows for users to create customized tools to provide for an even wider range of creative options.

As an example, consider Photoshop brushes. These can be created from custom or personal photographs or graphics and be applied in the exact same fashion as a line of “paint.” Many Photoshop tutorials exist for people interested in creating such fascinating and unique elements for their images as well.

Adobe Photoshop is also available in different levels or packages. There is an “Elements” program for amateur photographers and designers, or even enthusiastic consumers who want to tinker with the many excellent features in the program. There are also professional levels of the program, including the latest one entitled Photoshop CS4. This is a full-featured version that provides their strongest workspaces, control panels and capabilities, which are intended to provide a professional with all of the controls they require.

Interestingly, like so many other Adobe programs, Photoshop is actually available in a free trial version for users to sample. The Photoshop download Adobe full version trial is for anyone interested in using the power of Photoshop to enhance their photographs. There are versions of the CS3 and CS4 programs as well the wildly popular Elements variant.

It is important to always remember when using Photoshop that any original files should be preserved outside of the program. For example, many Photoshop tutorials don’t warn the user that when they open their image in the program, it will be saved with all of the changes and edits unless it has been saved in a master copy elsewhere. It is just a good habit for a photographer to create an archive of their files in the PNG or TIF format, and then use a “disposable” version of the same image in a JPEG format for such experimentation.

Amy Renfrey writes a semi-regular article for The Corner Blog. Amy is a digital photographer, a photography teacher, and author of the popular Digital Photography Success package as well as her ebook Powerful Landscape Photography. For more information, or to purchase her Photography Package, visit her site: Digital Photography Success and Powerful Landscape Photography. Amy also publishes a monthly photography ezine called Focus eMagazine which includes dozen of articles and tutorials, as well as hours of video each month. Click here to find out more and subscribe to Focus eMagazine.