Getting to Know Photo Editing Software
It seems as though there is something of a taboo surrounding photo editing. Many people think of things like “Photoshopping” and “Pic Monkeying” their photos as “cheating” or “not telling the truth” about what the photo actually looks like. And while you don’t want to go making a photo look nothing like its subject, there are many times when photo editing software can really bring out the best in your photos, and even potentially save a few that might otherwise not have made the cut. The idea is get to know what photo editing software is capable of, and when it’s appropriate to use it to get the results you’re after.
What All Photographers Should Know
If you’re taking pictures on a regular basis, you should at least become familiar with the basics of photo editing. This doesn’t mean completely altering the appearance of every one of your photos, but simply using the available tools to enhance and bring out the best in your photos.
Every photographer should have a basic grasp on what photo editing software can do, including:
• Balancing the color in a photograph where the white balance may have been off
• Adjusting the lighting or density in very bright or very dark photos
• Sharpening certain images, such as fireworks, that might otherwise blend in too much with their background
• Removing small items from the background of a photo, such as unsuspecting people in back of your subject
• Cropping photos to get a better perspective or layout
You don’t need to take a class in Photoshop to achieve these results either; nearly every photo editing program out there, including free programs like Pic Monkey, have photo enhancing features that will automatically balance color and light, as well as sharpen images.
Photo Editing for Art
If you really want to dive deep into your photography and get some interesting results, then you may want to invest in some good photo editing software to really start playing around with your images and creating some art. This may mean combining two different images into one, or removing the background from an image so you can layer into something else. Photo editing can be fun and addictive once you get started, as long as you remember not to try to pass something off as real when it’s clearly been altered.
Enhance Your Work
Even the best photographers sometimes need to edit their work to get the results they’re after. A shadow, a glare, some overblown whites – there are a lot of things that can ruin an otherwise great shot that can be corrected afterward. Don’t be afraid to get to know your photo editing programs to help make the most of your work.