Table of Contents
How Do I Edit Photos?
Even easy editing applications can provide common picture editing techniques that will improve the photographs and render them more effective and shareable. Advanced editing applications will include these simple resources as well as refinements that will enable you to do more advanced editing that is outside the reach of this paper. You may not have to perform all of the simple editing steps on every file, but the steps you do must be performed in the order specified.
Of course, the best images to edit are those captured by a professional photographer who takes the time to capture outstanding shots in the field. (You can even try shooting in RAW picture format with the most editing flexibility.) To learn more about RAW vs. JPG picture formats, read Understanding Your Camera. You can also ensure that the editing software will deal with RAW images.) Try taking a hands-on photography course to get started learning how to get the perfect pictures.
Take the online graphic design course at Blue Sky Graphics and earn money by editing photos!
Crop and Clean Up Your Photographs
Image straightening:
It is often preferable to ensure that the horizon is horizontal while shooting, but straightening is often a simple first editing move.
Image cropping:
Cropping is best used to enhance subtle compositional features, such as distracting objects at the frame’s edge or subtly repositioning the subject.
Images that have been spot-cleaned: The great outdoors is a dusty environment, and nature’s grit finds its way onto your camera lens, and then onto your pictures. (Using a lens brush on a daily basis in the field helps to reduce this.)
Most editing software has a spot-removal feature. The terminology varies: “clone stamping” and “spot healing” are two examples. Programs often enable you to adjust the perspective of a photograph in order to illustrate certain locations. Work your way through your picture methodically until you have a spot-free shot.
Changing the contrast:
Contrast refers to the spectrum between dark to bright tones. When it’s set to the maximum, you get a stark picture of both tones, independent of colour, being either very dark or very bright. When it’s set to the lowest setting, you get a flat picture with no elements in the frame standing out. Typically, you want a middle comparison that stays away from either extreme. However, if you like one of those results, you may change the comparison.
The picture histogram can be seen in the following ways:
This graphic depiction of a photograph’s tonal spectrum aids in the optimization of final exposure stages during editing. You don’t really need to glance at the histogram, so it may be useful when a shot has a lot of dark or a lot of sun. Many editing software programmes have it on the panel where you change exposure, making it easier to find. A well-exposed photograph will have tones ranging from dark to bright, with more tones concentrated in the middle:
It is not your intention to always take images with a histogram like the one above: The evenness of the illumination on the topic greatly influences this.
You can still eyeball exposure when editing, but a histogram can be a really handy method, particularly if you get into the habit of looking at it on a regular basis. Here’s an image of the same two images and their histograms after editing and correcting the exposure:
It’s worth noting that a histogram may be helpful while taking pictures. The backlit LED panel on your camera may be difficult to see and sometimes making pictures seem sharper than they are. When you examine the histogram of a difficult exposure, you should change the exposure parameters to provide a wider variety of tones as well as enough tones in both the dark and light regions of the histogram.
Colour Vibrancy and Saturation can be adjusted.
Once you’ve set the white balance, use the contrast and vibrancy controls to fine-tune the colours in your images. The difference between the two is subtle: Increasing the vibrancy of a pigment raises its strength in neutral colour tones while maintaining its intensity in lighter colours. Saturation increases the intensity of all colours in the picture. When vivid colours burst, the picture takes on a more dramatic appearance.
Sharpness may be adjusted.
Sharpening a picture makes it appear crisper and smoother. Many services have a variety of sharpening materials. Begin by changing the overall sharpness (on a scale from 0 to 100). Start at 50%, then change the level up or down to achieve the desired sharpness.
Experiment with the external sharpening tools of your editing software to see what impact each has. You might try a “clarity” or “structure” method. It draws attention to the edges of items in the shot, giving the overall picture a more punchy appearance.
To assess the impact of each sharpness modification, you must examine specific areas of the frame closely. Super-fine specifics won’t mean much for social networking messages, but they can create a significant difference for every picture you want to expand and print.
It is important to note that sharpening a picture would not transform an out-of-focus shot into an in-focus shot. That is something that no editing programme can achieve. Furthermore, over-sharpening a picture will result in an artificial halo effect around artefacts in the photo.
Things to Consider Before You Begin Editing
Photo editing software: Advanced and costly pro programmes, free open-source online options, and your camera can come with simple editing software are all options. If you get a more sophisticated programme, think about whether you want one that is cloud-based (has a recurring fee) or a standalone version (a one-time purchase price). Cloud-based applications are still up to date and enable you to save images in the cloud (an added expense). You may still edit in the field using a smartphone or a handheld edition of the app, although this requires internet access. However, by comparing prices over time, purchasing a standalone edition of an editing software can normally save you money.
