I sent my negative to a now defunct professional lab that had my profile and new what my preference were when in need of correction, they were based in Detroit.

Now, as to help me learn PS, it is a generous offer from you, thank you. The trouble is that I use elements, photozoner and lightroom, not necessarily in that order. I have learned to use each, nd reluctantly use zoner or elements because I made a stupid error when I took the picture. So I kick my own butt.

That said, while learning my digital camera I am REALLY frustrated that I have to pass to a jpg to get it printed w/o opening an expensive pro account. The use of JPG when shooting is to allow me to reject quickly what I find sloppy (90%) RAW is too slow to open and inaccurate - rant - against nikon below-

What also frustrated me EVEN MORE is that Nikon created a NEF format that cannot be totally exported to another format w/o losing sensor information. If you use nikon software the results are astounding.

Then due to my formation I am picky picky picky over my own work and would love to transmit to folks (rather un-adequately that they do not need PS to shoot an excellent picture. PS for me is a walker, a cane, a crutch to save bad pictures.

If one takes good pictures and uses PS to create something new, creative from it, I have no beef with that, as long as the initial picture has MORE than just a potential for greatness. Hence my irritation when I see shots that are so-so from the beginning shown as a 'great work of art' after heavy PS post processing.

We are all here to learn, me included as I am not even near to pretend that I master the RAW format - rant about nikon - but I am moving on because when I see something here that surprises me, I check it out by doing research and learn more about it (if real) or just debunk it with great passion.

I do appreciate all your interventions by the way even if leads to clashes.

arf... save the file? you should say:
1) export/transfer JPEG to a loss less format.
2) Save that as 'original'
3) do a change (or two) use save as -##
4) redo 2 and 3 as many times as necessary.
5) save last version as -final
6) export to JPG

Why? because every time you save a JPG you lose data. NEVER work straight out of a JPG format.

Honestly I do not see the point to so many saving unless you try to show the visual difference between each step, a good teaching aid in that case, IF you explain what you did.

Hi Tea8

Altreing the white balance to flourescent is good but many people forget that flourescent lighting does not produce the full range of colors needed to give you a great pic. It produces a light that is short on the red end of the spectrum so you will always be missing something! A burst of a flashgun will help brighten the pics up a bit. flourescent lighting was a pain in the proverbial butt with film, at least with digital you can correct to some degree.

Ian