The sheer number of photo editing tools and programs available will make it difficult for you to decide how and in which areas your photos will be edited. This article will cover some of the techniques and basic photo editing programs for both mobile and computer. See Step 1 below to get started!
Step
Part 1 of 5: Edit Photos Like a Pro
Step 1. Purchase an editing program
You can do basic editing with programs like Picasa and Instagram, but to create photos that really look stunning, use programs designed specifically for serious editing. This program is not always paid! Programs like GIMP are available for free. While you'll have to learn how to use it, this program will make a huge impact on how your photos look.
Step 2. Crop to make the photo more attractive
As you browse through individual photos for editing, one thing you can see is how they were cropped. Changing the edges of a photo can drastically change the look of a photo. Follow the rule of thirds for cropping photos, which is that the frame is visually divided into three equal parts to make the photo look better.
Step 3. Change the contrast of the photo
This setting is generally in the photo editor. This setting makes bright colors lighter and dark colors darker, so photos look more dramatic and clear. But be careful: you will lose a lot of small details when you increase the contrast. Don't overuse it!
Step 4. Change the saturation
Saturation controls how thick the colors are in the photo, and saturation adjustment is another feature that is common in photo editing programs. Sometimes a photo can be enhanced by lowering the saturation (moving towards black and white) and sometimes it can be increased by increasing the saturation. Please give it a try!
Step 5. Change the vibrancy
This setting is common in Photoshop, but appears in several other editors as well. This feature is similar to saturation, but works much better with skin tones. Basically, if there's a human in the photo, start with vibrancy. However if there is only landscape, you can use saturation.
Step 6. Use blurring and sharpening
Instead of applying a blur or sharpen filter to the entire photo, use a blur and sharpen brush. You will have more precise control. This is important, as photos usually require a bit of blurring and sharpening. Sharpening small areas will make important details sharper. Blurring areas such as certain parts of the skin on the face will make blemishes more subtle.
Step 7. Keep the edits similar to the original photo
A complete makeover can make a photo really look fake. It's as if you put too much makeup on a very beautiful woman, and she will end up looking like a clown! If you're editing someone to look thinner, don't overdo it. If you're going to change a color, don't make it look unnatural. If you're editing a photo, make sure you don't miss anything that indicates it's edited. Don't let your work appear in Photoshop Disasters!
Step 8. Avoid cliches
Cliches are no longer artistic and can make a very beautiful photo boring and unprofessional. For example, black and white photos with only one color object (such as a pair of red lips) are overused and now tend to look cheesy. In order for your photo to be taken as a serious work of art, avoid this clichéd effect.
Part 2 of 5: With Mobile Devices
Step 1. Download a photo editing app
There are plenty of free editing apps available on the App Store, or paid but affordable, for no more than IDR 60,000. If you want to explore different styles, download some of these types of apps and take a look at the effects. Examples include:
- Instagram (Free)
- Adobe Photoshop Touch (Rp60.000)
- Apple iPhoto (Rp60,000)
- Aviaries (Free)
- BeFunky (Free)
- EyeEm (Free)
- Wood Camera (Free)
Step 2. Take a photo with your phone, or select a photo from your photo library
For best results, choose well-lit photos with clearly defined objects such as people, plants, animals, or buildings. The clearer the photo, the more effective the edit will be.
Step 3. Upload it to the app
Most apps give you the option to take a new photo (look for the camera image button) or select a photo from your photo library.
Step 4. Select a filter
Every app is different, but many of these apps (like Instagram) have multiple "filters" or "lenses," which will do basically all the editing. Some apps provide the option to adjust the intensity of the filter, and give you more control over the final result.
Step 5. Adjust the exposure
In photography, exposure refers to the amount of light falling on a photo. If the photo is too dark, you will need to increase the exposure. If you want a darker photo, lower the exposure.
Step 6. Adjust saturation
Some applications allow you to adjust the saturation (intensity of color) in the photo. Increasing the saturation of a photo can make colors pop and make the photo more interesting. But too much saturation can make photos look grainy and cartoon-like.
Step 7. Add a blur, light leak, or other effect
Photo blurring makes it look unreal and distorted. Light leaks make photos look dated and damaged.
Light leakage used to be considered a fault, occurring when light (usually from the sun) leaked into the film and damaged it. However, light leaks are now considered a stylistic effect that many consider aesthetic
Step 8. Crop the photo
To change the shape or size of the photo, select the crop button (which is usually a square) and adjust it the way you want.
Step 9. Play with additional filters and effects
Every app is different, so if it's your first time using one, also try all the different options available in the other apps.
Part 3 of 5: With iPhoto
Step 1. Import your photos into the program
You can do this by dragging the physical files to your desktop, or by importing photos directly from your camera. To do this, use the cable that came with the camera to connect the camera to a USB port on the computer.
Make sure your camera is on, then open iPhoto. You can import all photos in the camera by selecting Import All, or import individual photos by highlighting the desired photo and then clicking the Import Selected button
Step 2. Double-click on the photo to start editing it
The photo will be large when double-clicked.
Step 3. Select the Edit button at the bottom of the screen
You'll now see several editing options at the bottom of the screen, including Rotate, Crop, Straighten, Enhance, Red-Eye, Retouch, Effects, and Adjust.
To use an effect, simply click on the button of the effect you want to use. When finished, press Apply to save changes or Cancel to discard changes and start over
Step 4. Rotate the photo if necessary
To do this, simply click the Rotate button. The photo will continue to rotate each time it is clicked until it returns to its original position.
Step 5. Crop the photo
This very basic editing tool allows you to adjust the size and shape of your photo, as well as crop out unwanted parts. When you click the Crop button, a box will appear above the photo. To adjust the photo, simply drag the corners until they are the size and shape you want. You can also move the box around by clicking anywhere in it, then dragging the cursor to move it around.
Step 6. Select the effect on the photo
When you click the Effects button, a small screen will appear with various filters for you to choose from. Available filters include Black and White, Sepia, Antique, Fade Color, Boost Color, and more.
Some effects allow you to adjust the intensity of the filter. To do this, simply click on the effect and then specify the numbers that appear at the bottom using the left and right arrows
Step 7. Make additional settings
For more complex edits, click the Adjust button just below the photo. A new screen will appear with options to adjust the exposure, saturation, contrast, definition, highlights, shadows, sharpness, temperature, and color of the photo.
Step 8. Save changes
When you're done editing, click the Done button on the right side of the screen.
Part 4 of 5: With Adobe Photoshop
Step 1. Import your photos into the program
You can do this by dragging the file from your desktop into the program, or by opening Photoshop, selecting File, Open, and then selecting the photo you want to edit.
Step 2. Create a duplicate of the background layer
Before you start editing, make a copy of the original photo in case you make a mistake while editing. To do this, select Layer then Duplicate Layer. This step will make a copy of your original photo.
Step 3. Crop the photo
This very basic editing technique allows you to change the shape and size of a photo, and crop out unwanted parts. To crop a photo, simply click on the Crop Tool icon on the left side of the screen. Now click on the photo and drag your mouse to create the desired size and grid. Once done, click the Crop Tool icon again. You will be given the option to save changes or cancel and return to the original photo.
If you're having trouble finding the Crop Tool button, hover your mouse over the buttons in the column on the left side of the screen and wait for the corresponding text to appear
Step 4. Find the Adjustment Layer button
Layers are a useful tool in Photoshop because they allow you to edit photos without disturbing the original version. Layers can be turned on and off as you edit, so nothing is permanent (unless you save the final draft, of course).
- The Adjustment Layer button is located at the bottom of the Navigator Panel on the right side of the screen. This panel is a black and white circle with a diagonal line through it. When you hover over it, it says Create new fill or adjustment layer.
- When you click the button, a drop-down list will appear with various editing options. Available options include Exposure, Brightness/Contrast, Selective Color, and more. When you click on one of them, a new layer will be created for that effect which you can adjust and enable or disable.
- To turn the layer status on or off, simply click on the eye photo that appears to the right of the layer title.
Step 5. Adjust the exposure
Again, do this by first clicking the Adjustment Layer button, then selecting Exposure from the drop-down list. This will create a new layer in the Navigator Panel entitled Exposure 1. A small screen will appear with options to adjust the exposure, offset, and gamma correction of the photo. Just slide the buttons left and right to make changes to any of these effects.
- The basic exposure of a photo is its brightness. When you slide the switch to the right, the photo will be brighter, and when you move it to the left, the photo will be darker.
- Offset and gamma correction options allow you to adjust the composition of dark colors and midtones in the photo. This can help balance or offset the color hardness that occurs when you increase the exposure of the photo.
Step 6. Set color on photo
Do this by creating a Selective Color layer. A small screen will appear that will allow you to adjust the red, yellow, blue, cyan, green, magenta, black, white, and neutral colors of the photo.
Step 7. Adjust the level
Levels allow you to change the photo's color composition and overall contrast. To do this, create a Levels layer in the Navigator panel. A histogram palette will appear with three sliders directly below it: a black slider (on the left), a white slider (on the right), and a midtone or gamma slider (on the right).
- The position of the black and white slider creates a range for input levels in the photo. The black color is initially at the value 0, and the white color will be at the value 255. To adjust the range, simply move the black slider to the right and/or the white slider to the left.
- Drag the midtone slider to the left to darken the center color, and to the right to brighten the midtone.
Part 5 of 5: Building Skills
Step 1. Be a Photoshop Pro
Photoshop can be difficult to use: you have to learn to use it! But once you understand how to use it, you can create lots of classy photos!
Step 2. Learn how to set colors
Sometimes one color doesn't fit in a photo so the photo looks ugly. But with basic color adjustments, you can save the photo!
Step 3. Create a painting-like photo
You've probably seen spam and viral apps and websites that promise your photos look like paintings. But actually this effect is easy for you to do yourself, without having to use a malicious program. Editing your photos can be fun.
Tips
- Since every photo editing program is different, you should read the additional tips and instructions in the tutorial in detail. While most editing applications are fairly easy to use the first time around, advanced programs like Photoshop are very complex and will take months of practice to fully master.
- Other popular photo editing programs for your computer include Aperture, PaintShop Pro, and Pro Tools.
