How to Edit Photos Like a Pro

Today, it is not enough to take a photo and post it. Most photos do not look that good if they are unedited. Here, we are talking about enhancing your photos a little so the subjects stand out, they are brighter, and the colours pop. In this article, we will look at some things you can do to help your photos look like they were shot by a pro.

Find Out What You Want the Final Photos to Look like

There are a few things that stand out when you look at a photo. We usually notice if things are crooked or tilted, if it is not bright enough, and if the colours look dull. Every photographer or editor will have a different style, but paying close attention to and dealing with these three things will get you mostly there.

Choose a Photo Editing Program

There are now so many options for editing photos now than ever before. Some are easy to use and are meant to be used to do simple edits and touch-ups, while some are more involved, letting you edit everything you want in a photo.

The three most notable programs are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Capture One Photo. Many editors prefer Adobe Lightroom because it was made specifically for editing photographs. To get the most out of this program, it is better to shoot in RAW format as this format keeps all image data so you have even more control over your edits.

Do note that editing RAW files, especially those with large dimensions can be taxing on your computer. To ensure your computer does not lag or get overwhelmed, consider upgrading to an Intel 11th Gen desktop or later as this will have enough power to handle even the largest of photos regardless of how many edits you do and the effects you apply to the photos.

Use Presets and Filters

When getting started with photo editing, you might not know how to dial things in just right. This is where presets and filters can be of great help. Adobe Lightroom comes with several presets that are a mix of settings that help you achieve a certain look in your photos.

You can also find numerous filters available for Lightroom and other editing software you use online.

Crop Your Images

A photo intends to show something that the viewer will be interested in. Cropping your photos is a great way of ensuring your subject or area of focus takes up as much of the photo as possible. All photo editing programs allow you to crop photos and this is one of the photo editing tricks all beginners should learn.

Adjust White Balance

The white balance determines how warm or cool a photo looks. Blue tones are cooler while yellow tones are warm. Most photo editing programs call this the temperature and this is what this adjustment is usually labeled as.

Lightroom includes auto white balancing which adjusts the temperature of photos taken under certain light conditions such as under fluorescent lights. You can also learn how to manually edit a photo’s white balance manually to your liking.

There is a long way to go before you can start editing photos like a pro, but using the tips above should take you most of the way there. Do not forget to keep practicing so you can get better at recognizing which edits and adjustments work best for which types of photos, scenes, subjects and locations.