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Photoshop is often used as the last stage of the image creation process. After taking your photographs, it is time to import them into Adobe Photoshop. In digital photography, the post-processing phase is critical. And even if you believe you have caught the perfect picture, there is still room for some post-production magic. This lesson will introduce novices to photoshop editing.
If you are interested in learning how to use editing tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign, then enrol in our online graphic design course at Blue Sky Graphics.
You can learn graphic design from scratch or update your current knowledge on the subject of graphic design.
How to Edit Images in Photoshop:
While there are many photo editing applications available, the majority of photographers begin with Adobe Photoshop for basic editing. It is a powerful yet user-friendly software that will assist you in bringing out the best in your photos, so if you are a professional photographer, knowing how to edit photographs using Photoshop is a necessity.
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Crop the image in order to enhance its structure.
Oftentimes, a simple crop is all that is required. Simple cropping is the simplest image editing technique that can do wonders for the photo’s layout – it enables you to eliminate distracting items, focus more on the subject, and build tension for maximum impact.
Adobe Photoshop is available for about £49 on Windows or Mac, or at a reduced price for iPad. Additionally, they make beta versions of their desktop apps available for download for free.
- To begin, choose the crop tool from the toolbar.
- To get the desired aspect ratio, choose Unconstrained, Original Ratio, or any of the Preset options from the drop-down menu (in the upper-right corner). Additionally, you may enter your own measurements in the text boxes beside the menu.
- Drag the photo’s corners or edges to get the perfect crop.
- Press Enter or click the check button to complete the crop.
As you can see, cutting off the majority of the background accentuates the shot’s most striking features – the model’s freckles and bright blue eyes.
Cropping
Cropping is a quick and minor step in the image editing process. Nonetheless, it has a noticeable effect on the structural integrity of a photograph. If you are unsure how to crop a single picture, experiment with different crop sizes until you discover a composition that works for you.
Additionally, you may crop and resize your files without worry of losing their proportions, since Photoshop defaults to proportionate transformations for the majority of layer styles.
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Make exposure adjustments.
Despite your best efforts, you may sometimes be unable to get an adequate exposure for your picture. Fortunately, if you are familiar with picture editing, you can easily rectify this.
Because the preceding photograph is somewhat overexposed, the model’s skin tone and highlights appear washed away. To bring out more detail in the photograph, you may adjust the exposure using Photoshop’s corrective programme.
These tools may be accessed by selecting Image (on the Menu Bar) and then Adjustments from the drop-down menu:
How to use tools?
Curves of Brightness/Contrast, Exposure, Shadows, and Highlights Photograph of a Male Model Photoshopped HDR Toning Image
If you have never used these applications before, Brightness/Contrast, Exposure, and Shadows/Highlights are all very easy to use – all you have to do is drag the sliders left or right to make adjustments. However, for more advanced Photoshop changes, you will need to learn how to read a histogram, which is a depiction of the image’s tonal spectrum.
Understanding how to interpret a histogram will enable you to make more accurate adjustments, particularly when working with HDR Toning, Curves, and Levels, which are the recommended exposure correction tools for more experienced photographers. By adjusting the levels, brightness, and contrast in your pictures, you can highlight certain elements while also creating emphasis and depth.
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Adjust the colours as required.
If you have adjusted your camera’s white balance properly, you should not have to alter the resultant images’ colours. Incorrect white balance may result in a colour cast, which has a major effect on your pictures’ vibrance, saturation, and contrast.
Assume that the image is tinted blue. You may leave it as-is if you want, however Photoshop tools may assist you in repairing it if you need more realistic colours in the image. Colour Balance, which enables you to adjust the colours in the image’s shadows, midzones, and highlights, or Selective Colour, which enables you to use a specific colour in the image and alter only certain colours — for example, if the model’s skin is too yellow or red, Selective Colour enables you to adjust the skin’s colour without affecting the other colours in the image.
Frequently, remember to include a Photo Filter correction layer in your image so that you may alter the colour while maintaining the source. To begin, open Photoshop and locate the image you want to edit. Following that, click the Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers box and choose your desired Photo Filter. Additionally, you may use a lens filter as a direct alteration (Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter), which includes a layer mask that enables you to modify a part of the photo while protecting the original from irreversible changes.
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To improve the image, use sharpening or blurring effects.
Even if the image is properly focused, it may benefit from sharpening to draw attention to certain details or minimise softness.
If you lack the ideal lens for creating an attractive depth of field, Photoshop’s blurring tools will help (to an extent).
In the majority of photos, sharpening enhances the description of the subject’s edges. Sharpening requirements differ according on whether the image will be shown on a display screen or in print. In any event, the general rule of thumb when editing photographs is to make only minor changes in tiny increments. If you want to sharpen the picture, begin with small adjustments and monitor your progress to avoid overdoing it and adding noise into the image.
