How to Edit a Photo Like a Pro
Obtain a suitable digital photo editing program, or use an online site for editing., Start with free software., Pay for software.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Obtain a suitable digital photo editing program
You have a near endless list of options when it comes to your photo editing software.
If you’re serious about being a professional photo editor, then you should look into the Adobe Creative Suite which offers several programs like Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom.
These programs work in tandem and offer the largest toolset for photo editing.
However, you can find plenty of less expensive or free alternatives.
Before you spend a lot of money, download a free program or use a trial version of a paid software to see if you like it and to get the hang of basic photo editing.
Editing a photo to look like it was done by a professional doesn’t always involve fancy software as the basic elements are the same.
Adjusting white balance, fixing color, reducing noise, and playing with levels are techniques that can greatly enhance your photo and can be done on most photo editing software. -
Step 2: or use an online site for editing.
If you’re new to photo editing, or just need an application to touch up the photos you’ve taken, don’t jump right into paying for expensive software.
There are plenty of free options that will still give you plenty of tools to edit and touch up your photos like a pro.
Picasa is a quick and easy to navigate photo organizing tool that also comes with plenty of non-destructive editing features.
Picasa is created by Google, so you can easily save and share your edits.
The non-destructive editing means that you can add or undo edits easily, and your original photo is never changed.Mac users can try Apple Photos.
Your photos and edits can sync with iCloud, and there are plenty of options to edit your photos in terms of color, noise, retouching, temperature, and more.Fotor offers a wide array of tools and effects to turn your photo into a professional grade work of art.
Fotor will also let you import raw files and even add layers, like Photoshop.
On1 Perfect Effects is like a free version of Adobe’s software.
With over 150 one-click photo effects, brush tool, and quick mask tools, and more, On1 Effects allows you to manipulate your photos extensively.
GIMP is an open source photo editor.
It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program.
GIMP offers a lot of the same features that a paid software like Photoshop would offer such as painting tools, color correction, cloning, selection and enhancement., If you are serious about editing photos, and may even make a career out of editing, consider paying for software.
Paid software typically gives you more tools to use, has better support, and allows you to edit your photos more in depth than a free editor.
The Adobe Creative Suite is the most popular software for creating, editing, and illustrating all kinds of digital art from photos to movies.
However, other, less expensive options exist that give you plenty of tools to edit your photos like a pro.Photoshop is typically the software used by professionals as it allows you to manipulate one or many photos in almost any way you can imagine.
However, the learning curve can be steep, and it is expensive.
Adobe Lightroom is an alternative to Photoshop that also works alongside Photoshop.
Lightroom is a bit easier to use and allows you to backtrack on your edits much easier than Photoshop.
Phase One Capture One Pro is an alternative to Lightroom that is less expensive.
Like Lightroom, PhaseOne allows you to upload your photos into a library and make non-destructive edits easily without modifying your original image. -
Step 3: Start with free software.
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Step 4: Pay for software.
Detailed Guide
You have a near endless list of options when it comes to your photo editing software.
If you’re serious about being a professional photo editor, then you should look into the Adobe Creative Suite which offers several programs like Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom.
These programs work in tandem and offer the largest toolset for photo editing.
However, you can find plenty of less expensive or free alternatives.
Before you spend a lot of money, download a free program or use a trial version of a paid software to see if you like it and to get the hang of basic photo editing.
Editing a photo to look like it was done by a professional doesn’t always involve fancy software as the basic elements are the same.
Adjusting white balance, fixing color, reducing noise, and playing with levels are techniques that can greatly enhance your photo and can be done on most photo editing software.
If you’re new to photo editing, or just need an application to touch up the photos you’ve taken, don’t jump right into paying for expensive software.
There are plenty of free options that will still give you plenty of tools to edit and touch up your photos like a pro.
Picasa is a quick and easy to navigate photo organizing tool that also comes with plenty of non-destructive editing features.
Picasa is created by Google, so you can easily save and share your edits.
The non-destructive editing means that you can add or undo edits easily, and your original photo is never changed.Mac users can try Apple Photos.
Your photos and edits can sync with iCloud, and there are plenty of options to edit your photos in terms of color, noise, retouching, temperature, and more.Fotor offers a wide array of tools and effects to turn your photo into a professional grade work of art.
Fotor will also let you import raw files and even add layers, like Photoshop.
On1 Perfect Effects is like a free version of Adobe’s software.
With over 150 one-click photo effects, brush tool, and quick mask tools, and more, On1 Effects allows you to manipulate your photos extensively.
GIMP is an open source photo editor.
It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program.
GIMP offers a lot of the same features that a paid software like Photoshop would offer such as painting tools, color correction, cloning, selection and enhancement., If you are serious about editing photos, and may even make a career out of editing, consider paying for software.
Paid software typically gives you more tools to use, has better support, and allows you to edit your photos more in depth than a free editor.
The Adobe Creative Suite is the most popular software for creating, editing, and illustrating all kinds of digital art from photos to movies.
However, other, less expensive options exist that give you plenty of tools to edit your photos like a pro.Photoshop is typically the software used by professionals as it allows you to manipulate one or many photos in almost any way you can imagine.
However, the learning curve can be steep, and it is expensive.
Adobe Lightroom is an alternative to Photoshop that also works alongside Photoshop.
Lightroom is a bit easier to use and allows you to backtrack on your edits much easier than Photoshop.
Phase One Capture One Pro is an alternative to Lightroom that is less expensive.
Like Lightroom, PhaseOne allows you to upload your photos into a library and make non-destructive edits easily without modifying your original image.
About the Author
Judith Morales
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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