Jon Sienkiewicz

You’d wash your car inside and out before you tried to sell it, right? At the least you’d vacuum the dog hair from the back seat. Why do so many people offer downright dirty cameras and lenses for sale at online auction websites? While you cannot (and should not) remove signs of wear, you can easily make used gear clean and presentable.

Last month readers enjoyed our Easy Photo Tip that explained how to zoom during exposure to create an exciting special effect. But a few readers had trouble mastering the technique. Here’s a way to achieve nearly the same results using Photoshop Elements 12.

Many features of Photoshop Elements can be customized to suit your liking. Surprisingly, some experienced users overlook this powerful capability. A great place to start is at the Preferences menu. This screen shot is from the Mac version, but the same concept applies to Win as well as full-blown Photoshop products.

You've seen this technique used to streak lights in night scenes, right? Well, you don’t have to wait until it gets dark to join the fun. Learn how to do this easy trick and you can isolate your main subject from a crowded background.