Editing can be the magic touch that turns a good photo into a great one. While taking a great shot matters, enhancing your images in post-production can make a big difference. Here are five editing techniques to improve your photos.
Exposure and contrast
One of the most fundamental adjustments you can make to your photo is fine-tuning its exposure. If your image is too dark or too bright, adjusting the exposure can help bring back the details in the shadows and highlights. But don’t stop there, contrast is key to adding depth to your photos. Increasing contrast makes light areas lighter and dark areas darker, which can add drama and clarity to your image.
Enhancing colour with white balance and vibrance
Colour is what draws the viewer’s eye, and adjusting it can completely alter the mood of your photo. The first thing to check is the white balance, this ensures that your whites appear white, and your colours look natural. A photo taken under fluorescent light, for example, might have a cool or blueish tint, which can be corrected using the white balance slider.
The vibrance tool is perfect for boosting the intensity of certain colours without over-saturating the skin tones. By adjusting vibrance, you can make the colours in your image pop while keeping them balanced. You can also use the saturation slider for a more dramatic effect, but be cautious, too much saturation can make your photo look unnatural.
Sharpening for details
Sharpness is essential for making your photos look crisp and detailed. In post-processing, you can use the sharpening tool to enhance the fine details, especially in areas like the eyes in a portrait or the texture of a landscape. Be careful not to over-sharpen, this can lead to grainy or unnatural-looking images. A little goes a long way, and you can always adjust the amount to suit your style.
Cropping tool and aspect ratios
The power of cropping is often underestimated. By changing the composition of your image, you can highlight your subject more effectively and eliminate distracting elements. Whether you’re following the rule of thirds or adjusting for a particular aspect ratio, cropping can dramatically improve your image’s framing.
Dodging and burning for depth
Dodging and burning is an advanced technique that’s often used in portrait photography but can be applied to almost any genre. Dodging involves lightening specific areas of your photo, while burning darkens other areas. This technique adds depth and contrast, enhancing the shadows and highlights in your image.
By selectively brightening or darkening certain parts of the photo, you can guide the viewer’s attention to the most important elements of the image, such as a subject’s face or an object you want to stand out. Many photo editing programs include brush tools that allow you to paint on areas that need dodging or burning, giving you precise control over the effect.
For those who want professional-quality edits on their phone, Adobe Lightroom is an excellent option. Lightroom gives you detailed control over exposure, colour balance, sharpening, and more, just like its desktop counterpart. It also offers advanced tools for cropping, applying filters, and even using brushes for precise adjustments like dodging and burning.
Another Adobe app to consider is Adobe Photoshop Express. It’s a more streamlined version of Photoshop for mobile and offers a range of easy-to-use editing tools, including exposure adjustments, filters, and tools for fine-tuning colours and contrast. Photoshop Express also allows for quick fixes, such as noise reduction and spot healing.
With Adobe’s mobile apps, you can apply professional-level edits directly from your phone, allowing you to refine your photos anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re perfecting exposure, enhancing colour, sharpening details, or adding depth, knowing how to use these editing tools effectively will allow you to express your creativity and take your photos to new heights. As with any skill, practice makes perfect, so experiment and find what works best for you.
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