Editing

PHOTO CHALLENGE | Using photos you’ve taken, use your editing software to straighten horizons, adjust white balance, exposure, and contrast. Bring your photo to life without overdoing it. We’re looking to “enhance” the image!

LR TIPS | Use the LIGHT slider in TONE CURVES to give a brightening pop to a flat-looking image.

Do you have an unwanted color cast? Lightly adjust the color sliders in the HSL color panel.

Using Lightroom, or Any Program

• RAW vs JPEG

• Presets or no

• Filters or no

• Straighten & Cropping

• Color Adjustments

• Exposure Adjustments

• Contrast

• Detail & Vibrancy

Techniques

I’ll sing it to the heavens that you need to be shooting in manual mode, but even more than that, SHOOT IN RAW! There is little reason to shoot in JPEG, but your camera can do both if you insist. I edit every single photo I take on my camera, so it doesn’t make sense for me to shoot in any other quality type (RAW files require editing and exporting to a readable file).

• If you look at each photo on the left, you’ll see they were taken with the exact same settings. I copied and pasted the basic editing I did to ensure the adjustments were also identical. The color tone differences are astonishing (even more so indoors under artificial light). Shooting RAW files ensures that your camera captures and saves as much information as possible. JPEG is a compressed version with less information.

• You don’t need expensive presets to edit, although they can help create a dynamic image if you aren’t super familiar with your editing software. Of course, you should learn, and YouTube is a great resource for that! Don’t use ready-made filters (Quick Develop in LR), they hinder more than they help.

• Bump up “Light” in Tone Curve for a simple pop.

• Give your clarity a light boost, but too much shows right away.

• Use the White Balance selector to get started with nailing white balance. A vital editing component!

• A light and feathered Vignette can do a world of wonders in highlighting your subject.

• As you explore the tools and adjustments in your editing software, fine tune your style and remain consistent as you grow (this means repeating similar steps each time).