MONEY SPECIALIST

I was inspired to write this after reading kennysia’s post on underwater photography. I have noticed that the underwater photos look so washed out as they are all very bluish and green.

Water absorbs colors at different depth. When diving deeper, the loss of color will leave you with only blue, black and very little yellow. You will need to get an external flash or attach a colour filter to reduce the bluish cast and maintain the clarity that you expect from your digital camera.

Seems to me many casual divers stop short of getting more accessories after investing in a digital camera with underwater casing. It is understandable because a color filter kit and external flash can be quite costly. So how do you get a more lifelike underwater photographs without spending more money?

Here’s a quick and easy solution…  edit underwater photos using Adobe Photoshop! I will share with you the method that I found from here awhile back. I need to write this down so that I can always refer back to this post the next time I go diving.

This is the sample image that I used.

1. Load the image into Photoshop.

2. Create two extra layers (Layer->Duplicate Layer). You will now have three layers altogether.

3. Select the middle layer and fill it with 50% grey. This is done by going to Edit->Fill and select “50% grey”. Now the middle layer is completely grey.

4. Select top layer and change it’s blending from “Normal” to “Luminosity”. This can be done by going to Layer->Layer Options and select “Luminosity” as the mode.

5. Merge top layer with middle layer (Layer->Merge Down) so that only two layers remain. You will see that your image is now in black and white.

6. Create a new layer on top of your existing layers and fill this layer with red. To do this, select your foreground color and set the color to R: 255 G: 0 B: 0. Then, Edit->Fill and select “Foreground Color”.

7. Change the new all red layer blending mode to “Multiply”. You should now see a top layer completely in red, a middle gray layer and the original layer of your image at the bottom.

8. Merge down the top layer into the middle layer. You will get a very dark red image.

9. Select the merged layer and change the blending mode to “Screen” and merge it to the bottom layer.

Nemo looked more lively now.

10. Run auto levels if you are still not satisfied with the result (Image->Adjust->Auto Levels).

Here’s the final result after adjusted using auto levels.

You’ve likely read or heard about tips on how to succeed in maximizing your financial situation. Here’s a quick check list to gauge how well do you put personal finance basics into action. Go through the questions below by answering “yes” or “no” honestly. Don’t try to cheat yourself.

1. Do you properly maintain your vehicle?
It only takes five minutes to check and maintain the proper tire pressure for your vehicle each month. In addition to saving petrol, it will extend the life of your tires – saving even more money. Keeping your car uncluttered is also important. The extra weight of towing your stuff around makes the car use more petrol.

2. Do you avoid impulse shopping?
Giving yourself enough time to research a major purchase will make it much more likely that you will get an item that best fits your needs. It will also give you the time to compare prices from different retail outlets so that you get it for a good price. Even for smaller purchases, like groceries, a little planning can go a long way. When you shop with a list of the items you need, you are much less likely to buy things you don’t need or forget something, which will force you to waste petrol to make another trip to the store.

3. Do you use vouchers and coupons?
There are vouchers and coupons available through newspapers, magazines or other print media. If there is a voucher for something that you are going to buy anyway, then it’s like throwing away money when you don’t use it.

4. Do you pay off your credit card balance every month?
Credit cards charge incredibly high interest rates. While this is good for the credit card companies, it is a terrible drain on your finances. By paying off your credit card bill in full each month, you get certain advantages without any of the cost.

5. Do you pay yourself first after getting your paycheck?
If you try to save money after paying for all your other obligations, there often won’t be enough money at the end of the month to save anything. If you pay yourself first, however, it’s much more likely that you will make your budget work and have the savings at the end of the month. By depositing a portion of your salary into your seldom used bank account is one of the easiest ways to accomplish it. Pay yourself first to make sure that you put aside the savings you need.

If you answered “yes” to all 5 questions above, congratulations! You not only know about personal finances, but you’re also acting on that knowledge. If not, it’s time to go through the list again and start working out a strategy to improve your score.

Source: TheStreet.com