Whenever you are scrolling through social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook, there are some photos that scream professional. However, it is important to know that they were taken by a professional photographer, but it is also edited by a professional editor. Photography goes above and beyond clicking a perfect shot but it is also very important to understand the edits that make it a perfect shot.
Almost every professional photo you see has been edited like a pro. Sometimes, photos are completely edited to create a unique world. However, sometimes they are tweaked to fix errors or make them more vibrant and look visually appealing.
In this article, we bring you a step-by-step guide to edit photos like a pro. You need a few steps to get your photos look professional. Scroll down and know how!
Develop your style
It takes a few minutes to snap a shot and post it online. But how come one photo is getting more likes than the other? This is because of the editing tones made to the photo.
With millions of photos being posted online, it can be very challenging to stand out with your photos. While it is your job to develop your style, here are some ideas to create a unique style.
- Color Calibration – This tool is used to adjust the hue and saturation of a photo using the three main colors red, green and blue
- Orton Effect – Using this effect, your photo gets a soft, silky look perfect for highlighting a mysterious, mystical or even romantic mood.
- Split Toning – Add different colors to highlight and shadow your image. By experimenting with color combinations, create a diverse range of mood and atmospheres in your photos.
- Black and White – Monochromatic photographs can have a very powerful impact focusing on shapes, textures and contrasts. Experiment with black and white editing can give a new angle in your photo creating a timeless feel.
Pick a photo editor
To edit photos like a pro, you need to have the best photo editor. Tools like Lightroom, Luminar, Photoshop and GIMP are the best when it comes to editing a photograph like a pro.
Lightroom is the tool that has all the basic and advanced features you need for a good photograph. This tool will help you to organize, sort and store your photos. Take a 7-day free trial and check out the features of the photos it offers.
Shoot in RAW
For the best photograph, you need to shoot it in RAW. Unlike JPEG format, RAW does not compress photos and hence the quality remains the same. You might not find any difference between a JPEG and RAW but when it comes to photo editing, the difference is enormous.
If you do not want to know how to shoot in RAW, open your camera’s menu and find the setting for image formats. Choose the option to save the image in RAW format only. Please refer to your camera’s menu if you cannot find the suggestions in the menu.
Straighten and Crop Your Image
Once you have imported the image from your chosen editing software, the next step is to crop and straighten the image. Cropping the image will help in improving the composition of an image. If you think the photo is shot a little too wide, cropping an image will correct the overall size of the picture you want to post.
Remove Unwanted Elements
For a photo to pop-out on your handle, it is important to remove any unwanted elements and let the focus be on the subject. This step is very crucial for your photo so anyone looking for a career in photography or editing, needs to understand this step very deeply.
If you want to remove larger objects like a person, cloud or a plane from your photograph, you will need to bring your image to Photoshop.
Adjust the White Balance
This is another very important step for a professional photographer. It is very important to consider the white balance. White balance is determining how warm or cool the light is. Warm light has a yellow, sunny look while cool light has a blue tone in the photo.
Conclusion
There is not a specific way to edit a photo. Professionals edit a photo as per their understanding and how they want an image to look. Editing your images makes them look more professional and unique.
If you are looking for a career in photography and editing, AAFT offers various photography degree and diploma course that can help our aspirants land a job in their chosen field. If you are passionate about a career in photography, visit the AAFT website and learn more about the photography programs in detail.
