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Sometimes, however hard we try, our photos don't quite turn out the way we had hoped. A portrait could be marred by demonic red-eye, a landscape may lack impact from a hazy or overcast day, or perhaps a careless composition would benefit from some tighter framing.

If these ring any bells with your own photography work, don't worry, you're not alone. Whether you're an experienced photographer or just starting out, everyone has a number of photos that could be seriously improved with a little tweaking. And that is the beauty of digital photography: the files are ready to go straight into your Mac for almost instant improvements, and there are few programs easier to use than iPhoto.

While the latest version of the software, iPhoto 4, has made great improvements in terms of speed and handling, it also features some neat tools and effects for photographers wanting to improve the appearance of an image with the minimum of work. In this workshop we'll look at ways iPhoto can enhance digital images, from eliminating red-eye and improving contrast, to tighter framing and special effects. In most cases it is as simple as clicking a single button to apply an effect or enhance an image, while problems such as red-eye can be banished in a couple of easy steps.

So don't hide away those less-than-perfect photos. Try enhancing them with iPhoto and see how the creative process doesn't stop when you've clicked

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the shutter. We can't guarantee that all your pictures will become masterpieces, but many could enjoy a new lease of life. iPhoto 4 is part of iLife '04 suite, which costs £39.

Minimising problems in-camera
While iPhoto does an effective job of enhancing images after the event, there are steps you can take to make sure as many of your photos come out looking great, straight from the camera. This is especially important if you're bypassing your Mac and printing directly from the camera, whether using a commercial kiosk or personal photo printer.

Taking two of our workshop examples, it is possible to achieve similar results at the time of shooting. With hazy scenes, a slight underexposure can often work wonders. The easiest way to do this is using exposure compensation settings. These are measured in units of EV, with most cameras offering a range between -2EV and +2EV in one-third increments. The plus settings make the image brighter, while negative ones darken it.

A setting of +1EV will double the exposure, while -1EV will halve it. Settings of -1/3EV can be effective for overcast scenes. More advanced cameras will allow you to increase the contrast too. Remember to set the compensation back to zero and the contrast back to normal when you're done.

Red-eye occurs when light from the flash is bounced back into the camera from within the eye itself. Since the effect is accentuated with larger pupils, one solution is to try and reduce their size before taking the picture. This is what the pre-flashes on red-eye reduction modes attempt, although you could just try switching on extra lights. The professional trick is to simply use an external flash gun, as red-eye is reduced the further the flash is from the lens.

Many digital cameras have black and white settings but we'd advise against using these as it is more flexible to have a colour photo that can be turned into monochrome later if desired. [› Click Next Page below for the step-by-step guide]