How to edit and improve photo in Iphoto

You can use iPhoto to fix less-than-perfect photos. If you make a mistake, or don’t like the changes, you can always revert to the original photo, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Here are just a few of the many ways you can use iPhoto to improve your photos.

Reduce the appearance of red-eye in a photo

In many photographs taken with a flash, the people appear to have red pupils. You can significantly reduce this effect or remove it completely.

Note:  You can remove red-eye only from human eyes. (Animal pupils tend to photograph green or yellow, so the red-eye tool doesn’t work on them.)

1. Click a photo to select it, and then click the Edit button in the toolbar at the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   
2. Click the Fix Red-Eye button.
   If iPhoto detects a face in the photo, the “Auto-fix red-eye” checkbox is selected, and iPhoto removes the red-eye for you.
   If the red-eye disappears, skip to step 5.
   
3. If the red-eye isn’t fixed, drag the Size slider until the pointer is the same size as the red-eye area, position the pointer over the red pupil, and then click.
   
4. Repeat step 3 for all other red pupils in the photo.
   If you make a mistake and want to try again, click the Undo button (at the bottom of the iPhoto window) to undo your last change.
5. To stop using the red-eye tool and save your changes, click the Done button.
   If you don’t want to save any of the changes you made in this editing session (since you clicked the Edit button), click the “Revert to Previous” button near the bottom of the iPhoto window.

Crop a photo to keep only the portion you like

You can crop a photo to remove unwanted areas, or to print the photo at a specific size, such as 4 x 6 inches.

1. Click a photo to select it, and then click the Edit button at the bottom of the window.
   
   This opens the Edit pane.
2. Click the Crop button.
   The Crop controls appear, and a selection rectangle appears to reveal how the photo has been cropped. If the photo was never cropped, the selection rectangle appears around the border of the photo.
3. To crop to specific dimensions, such as 5 x 7 inches, select the Constrain checkbox, and then choose a size from the pop-up menu. This maintains the selection window in the size ratio you specified.
   If you want to crop the photo freely, without specifying a size ratio, make sure the Constrain checkbox is deselected.
   
4. In the photo, place the pointer over a corner of the selection rectangle, and then drag it to enclose the area you want.
   The pointer changes to a plus sign (+) to show that you can drag.
   
   As you drag, a grid appears over the photo to help you compose the crop. Adjusting the crop so that the primary focus of the image falls along one or more of the grid lines generally creates a well-balanced composition.
   If you make a mistake and want to try again, click the Reset button.
5. To move the entire selection rectangle over a different part of the photo, place the pointer anywhere over the selection rectangle and drag it to a new position.
6. When you like the way the photo looks, click the Done button to save your changes.
   If you don’t want to save any of the changes you made in this editing session (since you clicked the Edit button), click the “Revert to Previous” button near the bottom of the iPhoto window.

Rotate a photo

Photos are usually rotated during import so that they’re right side up. If you want, you can manually rotate a photo so that it’s oriented a different way.

1. Click a photo to select it, and then click the Edit button in the toolbar at the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   
2. Click the Rotate button.
   The photo rotates by 90 degrees. You might need to click the button more than once to orient the photo the way you want.
   iPhoto automatically saves your changes. If you don’t want to save the changes you’ve made, click the Undo button near the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   If you don’t want to save any of the changes you made in this editing session (since you clicked the Edit button), click the “Revert to Previous” button near the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   Note:   If you’ve made only one edit, the button is labeled “Revert to Original.”

Straighten a photo

If a photo is a little crooked, you can straighten it.

1. Click a photo to select it, and then click the Edit button in the toolbar at the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   
2. Click the Straighten button.
   The Angle slider appears, and a grid is superimposed over the photo to help you align the photo more precisely.
   
3. Drag the Angle slider in either direction, until the horizon in the photo lines up with one of the horizontal grid lines, or the photo is aligned the way you like it.
4. When you like the way the photo looks, click the Done button to save your changes.
   If you make a mistake and want to try again, press Command-Z to undo your last change.
   If you don’t want to save any of the changes you made in this editing session (since you clicked the Edit button), click the “Revert to Previous” button near the bottom of the iPhoto window.
   Note:   If you’ve made only one edit, the button is labeled “Revert to Original.”

For more ways to improve your photos, click the Browse Help button above and see the topics in “Edit photos.”