Did you know that an estimated 1.4 trillion photos were taken in 2021? Photographs continue to be increasingly important to document activities and capture special occasions.
With over 90% of photos living on phones these days, it’s easy to forget that taking a picture is only part of getting a great photo. Editing photos is part of the photography process.
While navigating photo editing technology can seem overwhelming, there are a number of photo editing tips that are essential to remember.
As a beginner, it’s important to master the basics first. Keep reading to learn five photo editing tips that are both easy and effective.
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Table of Contents
Crop for Composition
Photo composition takes into account how the visual elements of a photograph exist in the frame. This pleasing organization goes beyond the main subject and creates a visually interesting shot. Popular techniques include the rule of thirds, creating balanced images, and preserving the depth of field.
Cropping an image can help you achieve better composition. It can also remove unwanted elements and zoom in.
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Adjust Exposure
Changing the overall darkness and lightness of an image or creating contrast between objects, can give a photograph a luminous effect. Adjusting a photo’s brightness or contrast is an important step before you look at modifying color.
The brightness tool emphasizes highlights, mid-tones, and shadows. The contrast tool will change the difference between dark and light tones.
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Focus on Definition
Changing the color balance and adjusting saturation are a few easy ways to create photos that grab the viewers’ attention. Commonly used “photo filters” are presets that adjust the color intensity, sharpen line definition, or tweak settings for a mood and effect.
While most images are improved by increasing the saturation, this can easily be overdone. A good rule of thumb, for photo editing for beginners, is that less is more.
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Remove Distractions
Deleting unnecessary elements from a picture is an important tool in the photo editing software toolbox. If your photo has a primary subject, this could include editing out bystanders, extra details, or the full background entirely.
For example, a background eraser allows you to isolate the subject of your photo and place it in a variety of new designs or backdrops.
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Choose Photo Editing Software
Once you’ve mastered the basic editing programs on your computer or smartphone, it’s time to decide on photo editing software. It’s a good idea to understand your overall editing goals before you invest in any type of program.
A good place to start your research is by looking at the range of programs offered by Adobe or exploring free tools like Canva.
The Best Photo Editing Tips for Beginners
Keeping these five photo editing tips in mind will help you create visually striking and memorable photos. Take time to learn the photo composition and design basics before actually editing photos.
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