Photo Editing: 10 Expert Techniques for Lightroom and Photoshop
One of the most critical aspects of digital photography is editing.
And I’m here to help you master it using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Here are 10 techniques to develop your editing skills and take your photos to new heights:
1/ Clone stamp tool
You can use the clone stamp tool in Photoshop to clone distracting elements with other parts of the image.
To do this, select the clone stamp tool from the toolbar.
Select the area of the image that you want to clone. Hold down the Alt/Ctrl key and click.
Then, brush over the distracting element with the cloned area.
2/ Blend modes
In Photoshop, you can change the way that layers interact with each other by using different blend modes.
Experiment with different blend modes to create interesting effects.
For example, the "soft light" blend mode can give your photos a subtle glow.
And the "overlay" blend mode can create a more dramatic contrast.
3/ Healing brush tool to retouch skin
In Lightroom, you can use the healing brush tool to remove imperfections from portraits.
Select the healing brush tool from the toolbar.
Click and drag over the area of skin that you want to retouch.
Lightroom will automatically replace blemishes with the nearby skin.
4/ Adjust the white balance
White balance can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your photo.
In Lightroom, you can adjust the white balance:
Select the white balance tool from the toolbar.
Click on a neutral area of the image, such as a white or gray object.
This will adjust the overall color temperature of the photo.
cf. the excellent book on this topic and more: "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby
5/ Use adjustment layers
In Photoshop, you can use adjustment layers to make non-destructive edits to your photos.
This means that you can make changes to the image without actually changing the pixels.
To create an adjustment layer, click on the "Adjustments" button in the layers panel. Select the type of adjustment that you want to make, such as "Levels" or "Hue/Saturation".
6/ Presets
Both Photoshop and Lightroom offer presets to make certain effects to your photos with just one click.
You can create your own presets or download them from online sources.
To use a preset, simply select the photo you want to edit and apply the preset from the menu.
7/ Adjust levels to fix exposure
If your photo is over or underexposed, you can use the "Levels" adjustment tool in Photoshop to fix it.
Go to the "Image" menu and select "Adjustments", then choose "Levels".
A histogram will appear that shows the distribution of light and dark tones in the image.
Adjust the sliders to balance the tones and fix the exposure.
8/ Spot removal tool
In Lightroom, the spot removal tool can be used to remove small imperfections like dust spots or scratches.
Select the tool from the toolbar and drag it over the area that you want to remove. Lightroom will automatically replace it with nearby pixels.
9/ Adjust saturation
The "Hue/Saturation" adjustment tool in Photoshop can be used to adjust the saturation of your colors.
To make colors more vibrant, increase the saturation slider.
Be careful not to overdo it, as too much saturation can make the image look unnatural.
10/ Crop and straighten
Cropping can be used to remove unwanted parts of the photo.
And straightening can fix any crooked lines or horizons.
In Lightroom, use the crop tool to adjust the framing of the image, and use the straightening tool to fix any tilted horizons.
Here’s a quick guide with Lightroom best practices I put together recently:
And that’s it!
Remember.
Practice is the only way when it comes to editing.
Experiment and try new things to see what works best for your photos.
I’ll speak to you again next week.
-Hakan.