Editing Pictures Using Photoshop – 5 Tips For the Best Results

Photoshop editing can be complex. When I explain my services to clients, as a professional photographer, I tell them that the photos will make you look great, but not yourself. This is an integral part of the puzzle. As a Photoshop expert, my goal is for clients to see their final photos and not think that I did anything to them. They just think they were great and look fantastic. Although I can’t pick the most critical 5, there are many others. In this article, I will only list five that are essential to my editing process.

1. Lighting/Levels.

The “curves” tool in Photoshop is often the first thing that I do when I am working on a portrait. This tool is far better than “levels” and any other tool that can adjust lighting in a photograph. This tool works best when the photo is taken correctly. After that, you can adjust the brightness with the top point and contrast it with the bottom point.

2. Eyes.

The eyes are the first thing I look at when looking at a portrait. There is another article on editing the eyes. I will condense it here. The history brush and “screen”, which are excellent for lightening the outer portion of the pupil, can be found in my article. To brighten it, “dodge highlight it” at 7-10%. I will then sharpen the eyes several times, depending on the photo. If you do it too often it may look “grainy”.

3. Color Pop/Contrast.

I have many actions that I use, and I also have my own. When I reach this point, I’ll take a look at the photo and see if it needs an extra “umph”. Some photos look better than others because they are made in curves. If I have a vintage truck and a child on it, I might paint it to make it stand out. To paint the truck, you might duplicate the background copy, then create a mask. This will make the photo stand out from the rest. You could also do this with only the subject’s clothes. A good photographer has the ability to look at a photograph and know precisely what they need to do. You don’t have to know how to apply a technique to a photograph.

4. Blur.

I add blurred effects to photos by using “guassian blur” on a mask. Then, I grab the subject out of the mask so that the subject’s face is not blurred and remains in focus. It’s up to you to adjust the blur level so that it looks natural.

5. Burning/Vignette.

After I’m done editing a photo, I use the burn tool to burn the edges or I add vignette using an action that I created or bought. The vignette actions don’t work when I edit a photo in my studio. They create a weird “ring” around a background if it isn’t a solid color. I will then manually burn the area if necessary.

Amber Bauerle is a Utah wedding photographer who is highly regarded. She also specializes in newborns, children, family, commercial, fashion and fashion photography. Her website has many examples of how she can improve your photos using Photoshop. She is one of the many Utah Wedding Photographers. However, she also spends a lot time on editorial and fashion photography.