How to Edit Photos: A Complete Guide

jaymes dempsey author

Do you want to know how to take a mediocre photo and turn it into something great?

A photo that looks polished, striking, even professional?

That’s what photo editing can do for you.

In fact, you can consistently produce photos that look striking . You just have to learn how to edit photos.

I couldn't create a photo like this without a bit of editing! | All photos copyright Jaymes Dempsey Photography

Photo Editing Tutorial:

And in this complete guide to photo editing, I’m going to share it all.

First, you’ll learn all about the file types and programs you need to do some powerful editing. Then you’ll discover a step-by-step plan for editing your photos. Finally, you’ll learn how to export your photos for the web so that they look gorgeous .

Let’s get started.

flower with bokeh photo editing

Why You Should Edit Photos

Post-processing and photo editing both refer to the same thing:

Working with an image to modify and (ideally) improve it.

Now, you’ve probably heard that you don’t need to post-process your photos. You may have also heard that photo editing makes your images look fake and unpleasant.

But here’s the thing:

Photo editing is the perfect way to enhance your photography. And when used correctly, photo editing can take an average image and make it into something great .

This cosmos portrait required a bit of contrast and a slightly lifted exposure.

For instance, these are just a few of the things you can do effortlessly with photo editing:

  • Add depth to a flat image
  • Replace muddy areas with striking colors
  • Darken photo edges to emphasize the subject
  • Brighten a too-dark image
  • Darken, a too-bright image
  • Add a faded look
  • Add a striking, cinematic look
  • Clean up a dirty subject
  • Remove distracting background objects
  • And so much more!

For this photo, I lifted the exposure, added a bit of contrast, and cleaned up some spots in the water.

On the other hand, a poor editing job can produce a photo that’s far worse than the original.

Here are a few things to look out for:

  • Oversaturated colors
  • Too-bright areas
  • Halos around your subject
  • Unnatural colors
  • Strange-looking artifacts

Now, professional photographers use photo editing all the time. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a professional photographer who doesn’t edit their photos.

For professional photographers, photo editing is a necessary extension of the photography process.

As I’ve discussed above, photo editing allows you to enhance your images in a natural, pleasing way. It also allows you to create a photo that looks more like the scene as you saw it – because images that come straight-out-of-camera often aren’t accurate.

Scenes rarely look the way you saw them--that's what editing is for!

Furthermore, photographers who shoot in RAW (a special file type) must  edit their photos. This is because RAW files look terrible without editing.

Allow me to explain:

RAW vs JPEG: The Best Image File Format for Photography

Whenever your camera takes a photo, it stores that photo as an image file.

However, your camera has a few file-format options. There are two main file formats that cameras (and image editing programs) use:

Also Read: JPEG vs RAW and Why RAW is Better

JPEG File Format

JPEG is the more common file format. And JPEG is the file format that is used all over the internet.

Most cameras have JPEG photos as their default.

But here’s the problem with JPEG files:

They’re compressed. The original image you took, with all its information, becomes a much smaller JPEG file.

And in the process, you lose a lot of detail.

This photo that you're viewing is a JPEG. That means that it was compressed--and lost some detail along the way.

When you’re looking at your JPEGs on the screen, you probably won’t notice any issues. But if you try to process your JPEG files, you’ll run into trouble. Since the JPEGs are compressed, they don’t have much information to work with, so you can’t actually do significant processing. And any processing that you do can easily result in unpleasant artifacts.

One thing to note:

When your camera captures a JPEG photo, it processes the photo for you. It brightens up the colors, adds some sharpness, boosts the contrast, and more. This means that the image often looks good straight-out-of-camera.

So here’s the JPEG tradeoff:

  • JPEGs don’t take up much space
  • JPEGs look good straight-out-of-camera
  • JPEGs don’t allow for much editing flexibility or control

But you don’t have to settle for JPEGs. These days, most cameras offer another image file format:

This started out as a RAW photo, which allowed me a lot of flexibility while editing.

RAW File Format

RAW files are uncompressed. This means that they retain every bit of detail your camera grabs at the moment of capture.

But they’re large files. Therefore, your memory cards and hard drives will fill up faster.

And RAW files come out of your camera unedited. This means that they look pretty bad when viewed without any editing. They’re not sharp, the colors are boring, and the contrast is low.

So RAW files always require editing.

(Remember how I said that photographers working in RAW must edit their photos? This is why.)

But unlike JPEGs, RAW files are very flexible when it comes to editing. You can make lots of modifications without producing artifacts. You can lighten your RAW photos, darken them, change the colors, and more without causing problems.

With the RAW file format, you can bring back details in the shadows and the highlights.

In fact, RAW files are  meant  to be edited.

So here’s the RAW tradeoff:

  • RAW files give you great editing flexibility
  • RAW files are much larger than JPEGs
  • RAW files require editing

RAW vs JPEG: Which Should You Choose?

For most photographers (myself included) the answer to this question is clear:

Shoot in RAW.

Yes, RAW comes with increased file sizes.

Yes, RAW photos require editing.

But this is a small price to pay for the extra editing flexibility. With RAW, you can really turn your photos into something stunning .

And this is so much harder to do with JPEGs.

With the RAW file format, you can bring back details in the shadows and the highlights.

So I urge you to shoot in RAW. It may seem cumbersome at first. But you’ll thank me in the long run.

Why You Should Edit Your Photos: Conclusion

Hopefully, you now understand why photo editing is so critical.

Editing is essential for three main reasons:

  • Editing allows you to make your photos even more beautiful
  • Editing allows you to recreate the scene that you actually witnessed
  • Editing is required for all photographers who shoot in RAW (and you should!)

This brings me to the next big question:

Which program should you use for editing?

Photo Editing vs Photo Organization

Before we get into the specifics of photo editing programs, I want to talk about an important distinction:

Photo editing versus photo organization.

You see, there are two broad types of photography software.

Photo editing software gives you the tools to modify your photos. This includes:

Noise Reduction

(And so much more.)

Photo organization software gives you the tools to organize your photos. This includes:

  • Selecting your best photos
  • Organizing your photos into portfolios
  • Easily renaming photos
  • Adding keywords and ratings to photos

(And much more.)

In practice, most photography software offers a combination of these functions. I urge you to take advantage of this. You should strive to create an editing workflow that involves  both  organization and editing . It’s easy to get caught up in editing and forget about organization.

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But if you don’t carefully organize your photos, they’ll end up a mess. And you’ll never be able to find them when you need them.

So I’d suggest you get a powerful photo editing program – but one that  also  gives you some photo organization capabilities.

The Best Programs to Edit Photos

Which photo editing program is best?

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to this question. There are a number of excellent programs which compete around editing capabilities, organization capabilities, and price.

However, there are a few editing programs that are truly stellar. Read on to learn more about their amazing features.

1. Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom Classic is a phenomenal editing program.

Adobe Lightroom Classic is undeniably one of the best, if not the best, photo editing suites out there.

Lightroom Classic comes with amazing photo organization tools, from quick naming to star ratings to portfolio creation.

Lightroom also packs a big punch on the editing front. While not the most comprehensive photo editor out there, this package offers a lot of powerful tools. And what it lacks in complexity it makes up for in user experience: Lightroom is amazingly simple to use. I’d go so far as to call it the best photo editing software for beginners .

The only drawback is price.

A few years back, Adobe moved all its programs to a subscription-only option. This means that you can’t purchase Lightroom outright. Instead, you must subscribe to one of Adobe’s software packages. And they don’t come cheap.

Which brings me to your next option:

Luminar 3 is a great Lightroom alternative.

Luminar Neo is an excellent photo editor, and it’s offered at a bargain price.

While Luminar Neo is not quite as popular as Lightroom, Luminar can hold its own. The editing tools are powerful, and the Luminar AI function allows you to quickly improve your photos.

Also read : Luminar NEO Review

Plus, Luminar offers excellent photo organization options. With Luminar, you can sort, rate, and organize your photos – all with an easy-to-use interface.

Luminar 3

And Luminar comes with a host of presets, which allow for gorgeous edits in the blink of an eye.

3. ON1 Photo RAW

ON1 Photo RAW 2019 is another great option.

ON1 Photo RAW is another popular photo editing package (read our ON1 Photo Raw Review).

ON1 is a full-featured editor, offering a set of global and local adjustments. And it bills itself as “one of the best alternatives to Lightroom and Photoshop.”

It truly is an impressive piece of software. The editing tools are powerful, and the photo organization suite is well-built.

And did I mention the RAW processing?

As you may have guessed from its name, ON1 Photo RAW offers top-of-the-line RAW processing that allows you to enhance your files in moments.

on1 photo raw

The Best Programs for Photo Editing: Conclusion

This list of photo editing programs is hardly exhaustive, but it should give you a great starting point.

If you’re still struggling to choose an editing program, I’d just recommend going with Lightroom . You can get a short trial, and go from there.

Basic Photo Editing Concepts

If you want to do high-quality post-processing, there are a few concepts that you need to be familiar with:

Global Adjustments

Global adjustments are edits that affect the entire photo .

These include:

  • Changing the contrast
  • Changing the exposure
  • Changing the saturation

All editing programs offer global adjustments. And when you edit, you should always start with global adjustments .

In fact, many of your photos may  only  need global adjustments.

This daisy photo only required global adjustments! I boosted the exposure, the saturation, and the contrast.

Local Adjustments

Local adjustments are edits that affect a small part of the photo .

  • Selectively brightening or darkening parts of the photo
  • Removing spots in the photo
  • Changing the colors in one area of the photo

Most editing programs offer local adjustments of some sort. But programs like Photoshop offer more local adjustment capabilities than programs like Lightroom.

I needed local adjustments to clean up some spots in the water.

Cropping and Straightening

To crop is to remove edges of your photos .

When you crop your photos, you change the composition. That is, you change the overall balance of the photo by getting rid of pieces.

This is why cropping is so powerful; it allows you to correct a badly-composed image.

Straightening involves taking a crooked image and cropping off parts , so that the image appears level. Most editing programs have useful tools for quickly straightening your photos.

For instance, I didn’t like the crooked line in the photo below:

Before straightening the lines

So I used the straightening tool in Lightroom to produce a modified version:

straightened leaf

Temperature and White Balance

Temperature refers to the overall warmth or coolness of your image.

Warm images have a red color cast, like this:

warm coneflower

Cool images have a blue color cast, like this:

cold coneflower

The initial temperature of your image depends on the color of the light. If you shoot around sunset (one of the best time-slots to take pictures outside ), the light will be a rich, golden color, which is very warm.

If you shoot on a cloudy day, the light will be much bluer – that is, quite cold.

Now, these warm and cool color casts are problematic. Of course, a color cast can look artistic. But it often looks plain bad.

This is the point of white balance . It’s a tool offered in basically every photo editing program, and it allows you to balance out the color casts in your image.

This photo has no color cast:

normal coneflower

Exposure refers to the level of brightness in an image .

An image that is perfectly exposed will be full of details, like this:

well-exposed oystercatcher

However, an underexposed image will lack detail in the darker tones:

underexposed oystercatcher

And an overexposed image will lack detail in the whites:

edit photos 36

Exposure is one of the first things you should think about when you’re taking your photos. But you can correct a poorly-exposed photo in any post-processing program.

Contrast refers to the difference between the lightest tones and the darkest tones in your photos .

A photo that is all similarly-toned is low contrast. The photo below is very bright. It’s a low-contrast shot:

low-contrast tulip

However, with a contrast boost, the deep greens darken and the whites brighten:

high-contrast tulip

When you adjust the contrast of a photo, you brighten the brightest parts and darken the darkest parts, giving a punchier effect.

Saturation refers to the intensity of the colors in an image.

High-saturation images have very deep, intense colors:

hibiscus high contrast

Low-saturation images have more limited, subdued colors:

hibiscus low contrast

Here is the final, slightly saturated image:

nice hibiscus

Cloning and Healing

Cloning and healing are similar processes:

Cloning  lets you select a spot in your photo, and replace it with a different place in the same photo.

Healing  lets you select a spot in your photo, and paint over it with a brush. This alters the photo without taking from the area around it.

Notice the green streak in the photo below:

daisy abstract

With a bit of healing, it disappears:

daisy abstract

Sharpness refers to the contrast between an object and its background.

A sharp subject basically has contrast-heavy edges, whereas a soft subject has limited contrast between its edges and the background.

For instance, look at this photo:

rose abstract

The flower center is extremely sharp. You can see more clearly in this cropped version:

cropped rose

Notice that the edges of the anther are extremely well-defined.

Now, photos often turn out soft because of camera shake. If you take your photo with a shaky camera, the edges of your subject blur, making them far softer and low-contrast.

Noise refers to unwanted artifacts in photos . You see it as small specks, often called  grain .

Notice the grain in the photo below:

noisy rose

Why does noise appear in your photos?

Noise primarily occurs when you shoot at a high ISO. This often happens at night, when your camera pushes up the ISO to compensate for the lack of light.

Therefore, noise reduction software is designed to remove unwanted noise from your photos:

noise reduced rose

As you can see, the noise has mostly disappeared.

Step-By-Step Photo Editing Plan for Beginners

If you’re just starting out with photo editing, don’t worry.

It doesn’t require any technical wizardry. It doesn’t require a deep understanding of a computer.

It doesn’t even require much knowledge.

Because the most important, most impactful edits are the simplest ones. They’re the edits that you can learn to do in minutes.

cosmos flower

If you want to learn more about these edits, read on.

Step 0: Organize Your Photos in Your Photo Library

If you have a program such as Lightroom or ON1 Photo RAW, this should be no problem.

If you don’t have any type of photo organization program, you should still organize your images . But you may have to sort them into actual files on your hard drive.

Start by transferring all of your photos into a single place – one spot where you can always find  everything .

Then go through those photos one by one. Don’t do any actual editing. Instead, flag all photos that are halfway decent, and put them in a special folder marked ‘Keep.’ Don’t be selective – move through your photos quickly.

tulip abstract

All photos that are below mediocre (i.e., bad) you can relegate to a ‘Rejects’ folder. Or, if you prefer, you can simply delete them.

Now it’s time for a second pass at your photos.

Go through your ‘Keep’ photos. This time, be more selective. Flag only the strong photos. Where there are near-duplicates, choose the best of the two and move on.

Put all of the strong photos in a folder labeled ‘Best.’

poppy abstract

Now you should have narrowed down your photos substantially. And you should be ready to start editing.

I like to edit my photos one at a time, from start to finish. I’d recommend that you do the same.

tulip abstract

Step 1: Straighten and Crop Your Photo for the Best Possible Composition

First things first:

Start by straightening and cropping your photo.

Because you want to edit your photo, knowing exactly what the final composition will be. And you don’t want to do more editing work than you have to. If you spend time cleaning up some stray pebbles in front of the subject, only to find that you’ll crop the bottom of the photo, then you’ve done unnecessary editing.

Now, straightening may seem like a minor edit, but it is key. A crooked line is one of the quickest ways to bring down a great photo. So make sure you check every one of your photos for straight lines.

This is an original photo--one that needs a bit of straightening.

And when it comes to cropping, take care not to crop too heavily. Large crops will degrade the image quality.

But do make sure that your photo is composed as carefully as possible. Try to keep the composition simple and emphasize the main subject. And use the crop tool to remove any distractions around the edge of the frame.

I've started to straighten the image in Lightroom Classic.

Step 2: Adjust the Temperature of Your Photo for the Perfect Look

Whenever you edit your photos, adjusting the temperature to remove any unwanted color casts should be one of your first steps.

Why is this so important?

Color casts alter the mood of the photo. If your photo is moody and sad, you don’t want a warm color cast. If your photo is happy and fun, you don’t want a cold color cast.

Here is a colder version of this photo:

I've started to straighten the image in Lightroom Classic.

And here is a warmer version:

I've started to straighten the image in Lightroom Classic.

In fact, I recommend carefully choosing the overall color temperature of your photos. But don’t base this choice on a neutral temperature (that is, a temperature that has zero color cast).

Instead, base this choice on the overall emotion that you’d like to convey. If you want to convey a darker, colder tone, choose a cooler color temperature. If you want to convey a happier, comfortable tone, choose a warmer color temperature.

woman on dock

For this photo, I ultimately decided on a cooler temperature in order to reflect the winter setting:

Step 3: Correct the Exposure of Your Photo for Perfect Details

The next step in your photo editing workflow is to check the exposure.

Remember: The exposure refers to the overall brightness of the photo. Therefore, you should start by looking at your image. Does it seem too bright, too dark, or just right?

Sometimes, exposure corrections are obvious. Other times, you have to resort to more intensive methods.

For instance, try looking at the brightest and darkest parts of the scene. Do the brightest parts have detail in the whites? Do the darkest parts have detail in the shadows?

If the answer is ‘No,’ then it’s a sign that you need to correct your exposure.

Look at this photo:

woman on dock edited dark

With a decreased exposure, there is very little detail in the blues of the water.

But with an increased exposure, the whites lose detail:

woman on dock bright

So the way to go is to keep the photo as it is:

woman on dock

Now, you can also evaluate the exposure using a histogram. A histogram is offered by many image editing programs, and it graphs the brightness of every pixel in your image.

You can see the histogram in the upper-right corner of the photo above.

So look at your histogram. In well-exposed photos, there will be no peaks touching the edge of the graph. Instead, all pixels should sit squarely within the confines of the histogram.

Now, it’s possible to have a photo that’s overexposed but retains all its detail. In such a case, the photo would be overly bright, but without any blown-out whites.

You should also be able to see this on your histogram. Look for peaks concentrated toward the right end of the graph. Then use the exposure correction tools in your photo editing program to bring the exposure back down.

The same is true of too-dark photos. Look for histogram peaks concentrated toward the left end of the graph. And use your exposure adjustment tools to bring the exposure up.

Step 4: Boost the Contrast of Your Photo for Some Pop

Unless you’re deliberately aiming to produce a low-contrast photo, I recommend adding a bit of contrast to your shot.

Most photos are a bit too low-contrast. And contrast will help the elements of your photo stand out. It will also give your photo a slightly more striking, in-your-face look.

Now, one way to adjust the contrast of your photo is to boost the contrast slider. I recommend you start with this.

I boosted the contrast slider in this photo!

But once you get a bit more experienced, try using more focused contrast tools, which will let you modify tones selectively.

Once you have a good handle on post-processing, you should experiment with dropping the blacks and boosting the whites. You should also test out some small modifications with the tone curve.

Step 5: Increase the Saturation of Your Colors for the Wow Factor

Most photos can use a bit of saturation.

In fact, slightly boosted colors is one of the ways you get that vivid, professional look.

I boosted the saturation in this photo.

When you’re starting out, I recommend you simply use the saturation slider. Push it up a little bit, but never too much. Oversaturating an image is one of the quickest ways to ruin it.

Once you’ve gained some editing experience, take your color editing up a notch. Learn to saturate and desaturate specific colors so that you create a more harmonious photo.

You can even go beyond this, and start altering colors. You can make a green color more blue, for instance. Or you can make a blue color more green.

Step 6 (Optional): Make Your Image Cleaner With Noise Reduction

Not all images need noise reduction. If you’ve taken your photo at a low ISO, you may have very little noise.

However, if you shot at a high ISO, or you significantly boosted the exposure in your editing program, then your image may require noise reduction.

Most programs offer several noise reduction options. The specifics are beyond the scope of this article, but I recommend you experiment with different types and levels of noise reduction.

Just be careful not to push the software too far. Lots of noise reduction will result in a soft, blurry image.

Step 7 (Optional): Sharpen Your Image for Crisp Details

It’s not possible to take a blurry image and make it sharp. If your camera shook or if you missed focus, unfortunately, that’s not something you can fix.

However, you can take a photo that’s somewhat sharp and make it sharper.

In general, I recommend you do very little sharpening. And when you do apply sharpening, make sure it’s at the end of your workflow.

You can also selectively apply sharpening to your subject. This way, you avoid any sharpening issues, such as halos.

(If you do too much sharpening, halos appear along the edges of your subject.)

So feel free to use sharpening, but don’t overdo it.

Limit yourself.

Step-By-Step Photo Editing Plan: Conclusion

If you follow this simple photo editing workflow, then I guarantee that your photos will improve.

poppy edit photos abstract

Once you get a handle on these basic editing techniques, you’ll start to feel comfortable experimenting with the more advanced techniques that your photo editing software offers.

And your photos will become even better.

(You’ll want to share them all the time!)

tulip abstract

If you want to increase your editing skills further, check out this video:

How To Edit Photos Like A PRO | Lightroom Tutorial

How To Edit Photos Like A Professional. An Adobe Lightroom tutorial for photographers.

Sharing Your Photos on the Web: File Types, Image Sizes, and More

If you want to share your photos on the internet, you only need to follow a few simple rules. These will ensure that your photos look gorgeous, crisp, and clear.

First, always export your photos for sharing as JPEGs . And make sure that they’re a decent size. You don’t want to produce a huge photo, as that will be a nightmare to load. And you don’t want to produce a tiny photo; it’ll look terrible.

Instead, try to find a happy medium. I recommend you start by exporting photos at 1280 pixels. Then you can size up or down, depending on your needs.

flower abstract

Second,  always export using the sRGB color space .

Color space basically determines the spectrum of colors that are displayed in your photo. And the sRGB color space produces colors that are perfect for web display.

Third,  do a final round of sharpening before you export, but after you’ve converted the image to a JPEG .

Whenever you convert to the JPEG file format, the image is compressed. When this happens, the image becomes slightly soft.

That’s why you should always sharpen as a final step. If you don’t sharpen, the file format conversion will result in a less-crisp photo.

black eyed susan abstract

In Lightroom, this is offered in the export options as ‘Sharpen for Web.’ Other editing programs require that you sharpen manually after converting to a JPEG. Regardless, you want to make sure you do a bit of sharpening on your JPEGs!

How to Edit Photos: Conclusion

Now that you’ve read this article, you should be able to produce some amazing photo edits.

So next time you capture some photos, don’t just let them sit on your hard drive. Instead, edit them!

You’ll absolutely love the results.

lily abstract

Is photo editing important?

Yes, photo editing is critical! Editing your photos is how you go from mediocre images to good images–or from good images to truly great images. Professionals almost always edit their work, and it’s because photo editing allows them to bring out the best in their photography. So I highly recommend you edit your images, even if it’s just a quick, fifteen-second process. Your images will end up looking far, far better!

Is RAW or JPEG better for photo editing?

RAW is by far the better file format for photo editing. RAW files have greater bit depth (which reduces banding when doing extensive editing), plus they allow you to recover extra information from the edges of the histogram. In other words: If you shoot in RAW, you’ll have far more latitude when editing your images. If you shoot in JPEG, you can still edit your photos, but you’ll be limited in what you can do, and too much editing will quickly make your images unusable.

What are the best photo editing programs?

Adobe Lightroom Classic is the industry standard for basic photo editing tasks (and photo organization). However, Luminar and ON1 Photo RAW are both viable alternatives for beginners – while Capture One 20 is a suitable alternative for more experienced photographers. If you’re looking to take your editing to the next level and really hone in on certain adjustments, then Adobe Photoshop is a must-have (here, there are far fewer powerful alternatives, though Serif’s Affinity Photo is definitely worth checking out).

What are global adjustments?

Global adjustments affect your entire photo. They’re adjustments such as exposure, contrast, saturation, clarity, and more. When you add a global adjustment to your image, you can expect that most–or all–of the image will look different afterward.

What are local adjustments?

Local adjustments affect only a portion of your photo. Most photo editing programs allow you to use local adjustments to varying degrees. For instance, in Lightroom, you can use the Radial Filter to brighten up only a portion of the frame, or the Adjustment Brush to paint contrast across the bottom half of the shot. Photoshop, with its extensive masking options, allows for even more fine-tuned local adjustments.

Photography 101: All Tutorials

  • Camera Basics
  • Composition
  • Natural Light
  • Artificial Light
  • Editing Photos
  • Choosing Gear
  • Printing Photos

Jaymes Dempsey is a professional macro and nature photographer from Ann Arbor, Michigan; his work is published across the web, from Digital Photography School to PetaPixel. You can connect with Jaymes on Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn .

3 thoughts on “How to Edit Photos: A Complete Guide”

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Great advice on workflow. I can do almost all of this in RAW. I have to do crop, straighten and clean up after RAW. Wondering what you think of DxO Photolab. I haven’t been able to figure it out very well but I use the NIK collection frequently. I find the Tonal Contrast adjustment and noise reduction tool really helpful.

photoworkout author

We did compare the best software for noise reduction . DxO Photolab is also one of the recommended software for noise reduction.

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I’ve been hacking away at editing for a few years and I’ve made considerable progress. I even use local adjustment tools often. But this overview by Jaymes not only explained many “how-to’s” but also the “why’s.” His structured stepwise editing plan makes much sense. With my less structured approach, I often found myself editing and re-editing previous adjustments. Thanks for sharing!

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Photo Editors are employees in the creatives or marketing department of the company. They handle photos used by the company for its marketing collaterals, social media posts, or publishing. They also ensure that the photos are in line with the company's brand and image. Photo Editors may add items or elements to make the photo more eye-catching.

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Resume

Photo editor responsibilities

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  • Capture memories of guests with characters and landmarks around the parks and resorts.
  • Create websites, graphics, animation, and videos for daily news broadcast.
  • Create images for facebook, getglue, and other social platforms for show promotion.

Photo editor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 23 % of Photo Editors are proficient in Adobe Photoshop , Stock Photography , and Photo Shoots . They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity , Good judgment , and Writing skills .

We break down the percentage of Photo Editors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Edited photos received from photographers using Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Edited rights-managed stock photography from world-renowned National Geographic Society photographers, in submissions of approximately 200 frames each.

Conceptualized and produced gallery photo shoots both domestically and internationally with broadcast network for advertising, publicity and online promotion.

Directed and ran our Instagram account and successfully increased our following by 200% from Fall 2015 to Spring 2017.

Executed distribution of client assets and coordinated, organized and maintained job databases, FTP accounts and archives of projects.

Developed social media marketing strategies, including a Facebook contest.

Most photo editors use their skills in "adobe photoshop," "stock photography," and "photo shoots" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential photo editor responsibilities here:

  • Creativity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a photo editor to have is creativity. Their role and responsibilities require that "editors must be imaginative, curious, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics." Photo editors often use creativity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "performed news and creative photo research, caption writing and web production for website. "
  • Good judgment. Many photo editor duties rely on good judgment. "editors decide whether certain stories are ethical and whether there is enough evidence to publish them.," so a photo editor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways photo editor responsibilities rely on good judgment: "handled all onsite photo assignments ensured that photographs were kept in good order and organized accordingly. "
  • Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of photo editors is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday photo editor duties, as "editors ensure that all written content has correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "assisted editor-in-chief with story editing and overall consistency/quality of writing and layout. "
  • Detail oriented. A big part of what photo editors do relies on "detail oriented." You can see how essential it is to photo editor responsibilities because "editors must be meticulous to ensure that material is error free and matches the style of a publication." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical photo editor tasks: "level of detail required to edit photos range from light touch-up to more detailed color correction and restoration. "
  • Interpersonal skills. Another common skill required for photo editor responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." This skill comes up in the duties of photo editors all the time, as "in working with writers, editors must have tact and the ability to guide and encourage them in their work." An excerpt from a real photo editor resume shows how this skill is central to what a photo editor does: "coordinated interpersonal relations between editorial staff, artists, writers and judges. "

Most common photo editor skills

The three companies that hire the most photo editors are:

  • Dow Jones 13 photo editors jobs
  • Travelzoo 5 photo editors jobs
  • New York Post 4 photo editors jobs

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Photo editor vs. videographer.

A videographer specializes in shooting and editing high-definition videos of different events, making them presentable to clients. They are primarily responsible for having their video equipment, coordinating with clients to learn any preferences or particular requests, capturing and recording from the best angle, and producing results quickly and accurately. Most of the time, a videographer may travel to different places, direct clients on what to do during filming, and edit any obstructions to produce an optimal result. Furthermore, it is essential to build rapport with clients to establish a client base and earn more projects.

The annual salary of videographers is $19,548 lower than the average salary of photo editors.

While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both photo editor and videographer positions are skilled in adobe photoshop, photo shoots, and instagram.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a photo editor are more likely to require skills like "stock photography," "ftp," "art direction," and "edit photos." On the other hand, a job as a videographer requires skills like "training videos," "video production," "video content," and "photography." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Videographers really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $41,551. Comparatively, photo editors tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $68,080.

Videographers tend to reach similar levels of education than photo editors. In fact, videographers are 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Photo editor vs. Video producer

Generally, a video producer manages and coordinates different aspects of the video production process. Video producers establish and develop multimedia content for internal corporate announcement videos, customer stories, and any other business projects. They also create videos for external promotions, product marketing, and recruitment. A bachelor's degree in video production, broadcasting, or film is necessary for this job. Video producers should know about media communication and production. Their skills should include attention to detail , initiative, leadership skills , and acceptance of criticism.

A career as a video producer brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a photo editor. In fact, video producers salary is $4,556 lower than the salary of photo editors per year.

While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both photo editors and video producers have skills such as "adobe photoshop," "instagram," and "facebook. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real photo editor resumes. While photo editor responsibilities can utilize skills like "stock photography," "photo shoots," "ftp," and "art direction," video producers use skills like "video production," "motion graphics," "youtube," and "video projects."

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Video producers tend to reach similar levels of education than photo editors. In fact, they're 2.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Photo editor vs. News producer

A News Producer supervises the editorial content of the news to ensure that news stories are produced and presented to the public in a quality manner. They collaborate with the news director to select and prioritize content to make the broadcast more attractive.

On average scale, news producers bring in lower salaries than photo editors. In fact, they earn a $8,560 lower salary per year.

By looking over several photo editors and news producers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "facebook," "twitter," and "feature stories." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from photo editor resumes include skills like "adobe photoshop," "stock photography," "photo shoots," and "instagram," whereas a news producer is more likely to list skills in "assignment desk," "control room," "story development," and "social media sites. "

News producers earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $65,677. Comparatively, photo editors have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $68,080.

When it comes to education, news producers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to photo editors. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Photo editor vs. Freelance videographer/editor

A freelance videographer/editor is responsible for processing and editing video contents, usually on a project basis. Freelance videographer/editors create their footage using their shooting equipment, utilize various design and editing software, and finish the project based on the clients' specifications and deliverables. They should also have a good grasp of digital marketing to produce impactful videos to the target audience. A freelance videographer/editor must be detail-oriented and have excellent communication skills to coordinate with the production team for content plans and perform adjustments as needed.

Freelance videographer/editors tend to earn a lower pay than photo editors by an average of $14,687 per year.

According to resumes from photo editors and freelance videographer/editors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "adobe photoshop," "photo shoots," and "instagram. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between photo editors and freelance videographer/editors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a photo editor might have more use for skills like "stock photography," "ftp," "art direction," and "edit photos." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of freelance videographer/editors require skills like "training videos," "video content," "video production," and "camera operation. "

Freelance videographer/editors reach similar levels of education compared to photo editors, in general. The difference is that they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of photo editor

How to become an editor, writer and editor, how to become a writer and editor.

  • Managing Editor

How To Become a Managing Editor

  • Copy Editor

How To Become a Copy Editor

  • Freelance Photographer

Videographer

How to become a videographer.

Updated February 16, 2024

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What Similar Roles Do

  • What an Assistant Editor Does
  • What an Associate Editor Does
  • What a Content Editor Does
  • What a Copy Editor Does
  • What an Editor Does
  • What an Editor & Producer Does
  • What a Managing Editor Does
  • What a News Editor Does
  • What a News Producer Does
  • What a Photographer, Editor Does
  • What a Production Editor Does
  • What a Senior Editor Does
  • What a Technical Editor Does
  • What a Video Producer Does
  • What a Videographer Does

Photo Editor Related Careers

  • Assistant Editor
  • Associate Editor
  • Content Editor
  • Editor & Producer
  • Freelance Video Editor
  • Freelance Videographer/Editor
  • News Editor
  • News Producer
  • Photographer, Editor
  • Production Editor
  • Senior Editor

Photo Editor Related Jobs

Resume for related jobs.

  • Assistant Editor Resume
  • Associate Editor Resume
  • Content Editor Resume
  • Copy Editor Resume
  • Editor Resume
  • Editor & Producer Resume
  • Freelance Photographer Resume
  • Freelance Video Editor Resume
  • Freelance Videographer/Editor Resume
  • Managing Editor Resume
  • News Editor Resume
  • News Producer Resume
  • Photographer, Editor Resume
  • Production Editor Resume
  • Senior Editor Resume
  • Zippia Careers
  • Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
  • Photo Editor
  • What Does A Photo Editor Do

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Photo Editor

What is the role, salary information, job description, hire a photo editor, what is a photo editor.

Image Editor , Graphics Editor

According to Chron.com, “Photo Editors are in charge of coordinating photo assignments by selecting, editing, and positioning photos, and publishing images in print publications and on the web. Photo editing is a dynamic job that requires excellent visual, communication, and organizational skills, as well as a strong adherence to deadlines.”

As pointed out by Study, “the duties of a Photo Editor differ depending on the type of industry. Photo editors might meet with managers to discuss what types of pictures are required for a certain project and then give out photo assignments to staff. After pictures are taken, the Photo Editor typically reviews the pictures and if changes are needed, alters the photos accordingly…Additional duties of a Photo Editor might include training new staff members, ordering supplies for the photo department and making sure that the cameras and other equipment are working properly.”

What does a Photo Editor do, typically?

Serving behind the scenes, like a project manager.

As a Photo Editor, they do the work that is essential for publishing/distributing photos. Photo Editors spend their days, as described by MediaBistro, “determining photo needs, hiring photographers, allocating and coordinating assignments and approving images. A Photo Editor also selects, edits, and positions photos; negotiates fees and rights agreements; arranges travel; books studio time; and gets permissions to shoot.” Photo Editors must be able to make editorial decisions through the images they select. Each image is a story, and like an editor reviewing/approving copy for distribution, a Photo Editor reviews/approves images for distribution, ensuring brand standards, compliance, and messaging fit the goals/mission of the organization.”

Use a variety of technical skills/software programs

Photo Editors work for creative departments and use tools like Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Corel PaintShop Pro. Lightroom and Bridge are some of the more commonly used photo editing software programs. There are also apps such as TouchRetouch, Enlight, VSCO, Afterlight 2, and more, that Photo Editors use to help become more proficient in editing photos for distribution/publish. Photo Editors also work closely with creative, marketing, and social media teams to edit and prepare images for social media uploads, such as for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Strong business skills

If a company doesn’t have a staff photographer, the Photo Editor is responsible for finding/hiring a freelance or contract photographer. They must not only be able to find/hire talent, they must also negotiate prices/rates with that photographer. So a strong understanding of the business side of photography, as well as the ability to keep projects/fees within budget, are crucial. Photo Editors also need to understand the business goals/needs of a project.

They must be able to understand the photographers’ skill level/ability related to the subject matter, as well as be able to make editorial decisions that fit project goals. Photo Editors should look to build long-term relationships with photographers, saving time searching for photographers in the future, and helping to gain an understanding of the expected costs involved with a project. Some Photo Editors like to establish relationships with multiple/several photographers based on expertise and availability.

Photo Editors versus Photographers

Photographers play a key role in photographing images used to capture moments, tell stories, and promote a brand. Photographers are hired by corporations, startups, digital marketing agencies, advertising agencies, creative departments (freelance/contract) and take on a wide variety of roles capturing important moments through photography. Photographers are true creative specialists and tell stories through the imagery they produce.

Photo Editors take the imagery captured by Photographers and then review, edit, format, manipulate, and prepare for digital upload, use, launch, and sharing. A photographer may submit 20 images of the same topic, while the Photo Editor then selects the best image, or image(s) most appropriate for publishing. The Photo Editor also usually has a background – or strong understanding – of editorial/news, content development, marketing, and publishing. Photo editors may also manage a team of other junior Photo Editors or creative assistants, and be the key contact for the photographer.

Photo Editor Salary

US Based, employer-reported data for a Photo Editor:

  • 25th Percentile $62.5 K
  • Average $69.4 K
  • 75th Percentile $83.2 K

Photo Editor Job Description

Bonus copy for your Photo Editor job description or job ad!

Copy the text below and paste it into your own job description, or, into our FREE downloadable template in the section that looks like this: <INSERT JOB DESCRIPTION COPY FROM BLOG POST HERE>

As a Photo Editor at <Company XXX>, you have a passion for photography and telling stories through imagery. You have experience working as a professional photographer but are completely comfortable with now being behind the scenes, leading/managing photographers, and working in an in-house role leading the editorial direction as our Photo Editor. In addition, you will have:

  • Leadership skills: Proven experience managing a large group of photographers a plus
  • Negotiation skills: Experience negotiating contracts and assigning projects to a reputable and reliable group of freelance photographers
  • Strong technical skills, and be comfortable with editing software such as Photoshop, InDesign, Bridge, Lightroom, and more
  • Skilled working with creative, digital marketing and social media teams to prepare/edit/distribute large volumes of imagery for a wide variety of uses
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with deadlines and where project needs can quickly change
  • Be a strong decision-maker, with editorial skills and an understanding of how an image tells our company story
  • Previous experience in an agency or corporate Photo Editor role a plus

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Photo Editing for Beginners: A Simple Introduction

A Post By: Lily Sawyer

photo editing for beginners a simple introduction

Photo editing can be pretty daunting. Open up any post-processing program, and you’ll be confronted by a slew of sliders, tools, and options (it’s enough to make  anyone  feel overwhelmed!).

Fortunately, basic photography editing isn’t nearly as hard as it seems. There are a few simple steps you can take to get great results right off the bat, which I share in this article.

Specifically, I offer a series of basic principles that you can use when editing any image. They’re quick, they’re easy, and they’ll remain useful, even as you level up your editing skills and dive into more advanced applications.

So if you’re ready to get started with photo editing for beginners, then let’s dive right in!

Note : My instructions below reference Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic, but you can achieve the same results with any editing software, including Lightroom CC, ON1 Photo RAW, Capture One, and more.

1. Make sure you shoot in RAW

Technically, this guideline is about photographing, not editing – but it’s so important that I feel obligated to include it.

You see, cameras offer two main file formats: RAW and JPEG .

And while the JPEG format is nice for quick snapshots, if you want to do serious photo editing, then you need to be using RAW. It’ll give you far more flexibility; with a RAW file, you can dramatically alter exposure, white balance, color, and more. Whereas JPEG files only allow limited changes (and if you edit a JPEG file too heavily, you’ll end up with various unwanted artifacts, like banding).

One RAW drawback: It’s not an easily displayable format. Before you can send a RAW photo to friends, post it on social media, or post it on your website, you’ll need to use a RAW editor to convert it to a JPEG. Fortunately, programs like Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom are designed specifically for RAW editing, so they make the conversion process quick and painless.

By the way, you can set the file format in your camera’s menu – and if you’re struggling, check your camera’s manual. These days, pretty much every camera offers a RAW file format ( even smartphones !).

2. Start by correcting your exposure

When you bring up a RAW file in your editing program, you may find yourself wondering:

Where do I begin ?

And while you can technically go in a hundred different directions, I’d really recommend you first look at your exposure , which is simply the overall brightness of your image.

You should see a simple Exposure slider in your post-processing program of choice:

adjusting the exposure slider

But before you adjust it, ask yourself:

How does my photo look? Is it too bright? Is it too dark? Is it just right?

Generally, you want at least some details in the image shadows and some details in the image highlights. Here, a helpful tool is the histogram , which looks like this:

using the histogram editing for beginners

The histogram shows the distribution of tones in your image. Peaks toward the middle of the histogram represent midtones, whereas peaks toward the left represent shadows and peaks toward the right represent highlights. Note that peaks pressing up against either side of the histogram indicate clipped details, which you should generally avoid (so if you do see these clipped areas, it’s a sign that adjusting your exposure is probably necessary).

After looking at your image and analyzing the histogram, simply move your Exposure slider until you get the result that you want.

(If you’re not sure how to proceed, I’d recommend simply pushing the Exposure slider back and forth while watching your image. You’ll quickly get a sense of what looks good and what doesn’t!)

Note that basic photography editing programs offer additional exposure sliders, and these allow for precise adjustments. For instance, the Highlights slider lets you adjust only the bright areas of the image, the Shadows slider lets you adjust only the dark areas of the image, and so on. Feel free to experiment with these sliders, though always keep your eye on the histogram as you make changes!

3. Select the right white balance

White balance is designed to counteract any unwanted color casts in your photos, and once you’ve adjusted your exposure, it’s the next beginner photo editing step I’d recommend.

Now, your camera will have already applied a white balance of some sort, but it often needs adjustment. A perfect white balance shows the whites in your images exactly as they look in real life (though you can always tweak this later for artistic reasons). Compare the two photos below, one with a too-cool white balance and one with a too-warm white balance:

white balance photo editing

Do you see the difference? Neither of the photos is properly white balanced, which is where your photo editing WB adjustment comes in handy.

Simply look for the white balance section in your post-processing program:

white balance sliders in Lightroom

Select the eyedropper tool, then click on an area of your image that should be a true white color. Your editor will automatically adjust the image for a perfect result (and if you don’t like the effect, or you simply want to adjust the white balance further for creative reasons, you can always move the Temp and Tint sliders until you get a nice look).

4. Boost the contrast (usually)

Contrast simply refers to the difference between the darks and lights in a photo, where intense darks and intense lights create high contrast, and softer darks and softer lights create low contrast .

RAW files tend to suffer from limited contrast, so it often makes sense to find your Contrast slider and increase it until you get a nice result:

contrast adjustment in Lightroom

Though you should always be careful not to take the contrast too far; otherwise, you’ll end up creating a garish, nightmarish effect.

By the way, if you’re after a softer, more ethereal look, you may want to decrease the Contrast slider. That’s what photographers often do when shooting in foggy conditions, where a low-contrast look enhances the mood.

(You also have the option to fine-tune the contrast with the Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks sliders. Have fun experimenting with different effects!)

5. Check the saturation

Saturation refers to the intensity of the colors in your image, which you can adjust via – you guessed it! – the Saturation slider:

changing the saturation in Lightroom

By boosting the saturation, you can add pop to your image, and so I do often recommend you add a bit of saturation – but carefully, like seasoning to a meal. It’s easy to go too far, and then you’ll end up with an unpleasant result.

Some post-processing programs offer an alternative, called vibrance . This is like saturation, but tends to be more subtle. If saturation isn’t giving you the look you’re after, go ahead and try vibrance instead. Or start by trying vibrance, then move on to saturation. The order isn’t important; it’s all about experimenting to achieve the effect you want!

On occasion, you should even decrease the vibrance and/or saturation. For instance, if you want a moody image but the colors are just too bright and powerful, try reducing the saturation. Here, a little change can go a long way, and by subtly dropping the saturation, you can get an interesting cinematic effect.

6. Reduce noise and increase sharpening

Here’s the final step in this basic photo editing workflow.

Find the portion of your post-processing program that deals with detail:

photo editing sharpening and noise reduction for beginners

And adjust both the sharpness levels and the noise levels .

Now, most RAW photos can do with a bit of sharpening . So go ahead and boost the sharpening amount (be sure to zoom in to 100% while you do this; that way, you can see the effects up close). If your image includes certain areas that you don’t want sharpened – a person’s face, for instance – consider boosting the Masking slider, which will ensure the sharpening only targets the more detailed areas of the shot.

Finally, while every image doesn’t need noise reduction , if you zoom to 100% and see little speckles, you’ll probably want to reduce both luminance noise and color noise. Note that too much noise reduction will decrease sharpness and look all-around bad, so don’t go overboard! Instead, boost the Luminance slider slightly, check the result, and then fine-tune. Do the same to the Color slider.

And you’re done! At this point, you can always dive into more advanced photo editing applications (e.g., adjust specific colors or work with the tone curve ). Or you can export your image as a JPEG for sharing and viewing!

Photo editing for beginners: final words

final image photo editing for beginners

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to do basic photo editing – and you’re ready to start enhancing your images!

Of course, I’ve only offered a starting point, but it really will take you far. And once you’ve mastered the basics, the sky is the limit!

Now over to you:

What part of photo editing do you struggle with? Do you have any basic photo editing tips of your own? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Photo Editing for Beginners: A Simple Introduction

Read more from our Post Production category

Lily Sawyer

is a wedding and portrait photographer based in London. Her absolute favourite past time is going on “mummy” dates with her kids and husband. Other than that, as a homebody, she is content curled up on the sofa, hot chocolate in hand, watching films with her family whenever she has a free weekend. Check out her work on www.lilysawyer.com Follow her on her fave social media platform Instagram .

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How to Edit Photos: Expert Advice on Photo Editing Basics

How to Edit Photos: Expert Advice on Photo Editing Basics

Whether you’re a beginner seeking guidance or an enthusiast aiming to refine your skills, our expert advice covers the fundamentals of how to edit photos. unleash your creativity and learn the art of enhancing images with our comprehensive guide..

As much as I would love to tell you that photography starts and ends with the camera, that would be a complete lie. Photo editing is just as much a part of creating a captivating image as capturing detail. Whether it’s adjusting the colors, refining the lighting, or tweaking the composition, photo editing opens up a realm where you can bring your creative vision to life.

Opening Photoshop , Lightroom , or one of the many other photo editing applications can feel like stepping into a new world of possibilities. And, while it might seem like photo editing is a new, specifically digital part of photography, the process has been around since the birth of the craft. The only difference is that, instead of using computers, photo editing was accomplished through the use of chemicals and light.

Check out this marked-up iconic photo of James Dean. You will find the photographer’s notes on the original photo for how it needs more exposure in certain areas, which is done by leaving it to develop for longer periods.

Classic picture of actor James Dean with editor notes

With that, let’s run through the basics of photo editing. In this article, I’ll be using Lightroom as my photo editing software.

Things to Think About Before You Begin Editing

Before you start photo editing, there are vital considerations to remember. First, reflect on the nature of the photo and what you want to achieve. Are you looking to enhance the composition, adjust the colors, or improve the lighting? Each goal will steer your photo editing process in a specific direction.

Your camera’s capabilities will also dictate how far you can edit your photos. Shooting in the RAW format will allow for greater photo adjustments without introducing artifacts.

Photographer editing photo on digital tablet, before and after color correction

It’s essential to recognize that photo editing has its limits. Issues like severe blurriness, poor focus, and terrible lighting are often beyond the scope of editing. Which is to say, editing can enhance a photo, but it can’t compensate for poor initial quality.

Good lighting, focus, and composition in your original shot lay the groundwork for effective editing. Remember, editing should enhance, not overhaul, your image.

Like baking a cake, the photo editing process has a specific series of editing steps that you will want to follow in order. In photo apps like Lightroom, they are helpfully laid out in order.

To present the process, I will start with this photo of a drone operator in the wild.

Profile portrait of a drone operator with hard shadows

We’re not looking to give this a Vogue Magazine -style edit, or give it a creative edit where we transform the location. The goal is a simple foundational correction.

Set Color Temperature by Adjusting White Balance

White balance is essential in photo editing, as it sets the color temperature of your image. Almost all cameras will have a white balance preset and, for the most part, I would recommend using the Automatic White Balance (AWB) setting.

In the presented photo, it’s slightly too cold for the environment. This is because we are photographing inside a forest, and the white balance setting is trying to find a balance between the streaks of warm sunlight and the cold shadows within the ruins.

Adjusting the white balance here is particularly crucial as we are in mixed lighting conditions. I will move the slider to the right to warm up the shot and adjust the tint, as there’s too much green cast.

Therefore, changing the slider toward the magenta end will reduce the vibrance from the green foliage and return the skin color closer to how it was shot.

Profile portrait of a drone operator with white balance increased

Enhancing Exposure and Contrast

Exposure and contrast adjustments can dramatically improve an image’s visual impact. Correcting underexposed or overexposed areas and tweaking the contrast can bring out details and add depth to your photos.

In my photo, as we were in a forest and I was trying to preserve the sun’s brightness in the background, the image is slightly under-exposed. As a result, the exposure needs to be lifted. The exposure tools can be somewhat confusing.

For clarity, here’s a breakdown:

  • Exposure adjusts overall image brightness.
  • Contrast controls the difference between lights and darks.
  • Highlights adjusts the brightness of the brightest areas.
  • Shadows adjusts the brightness of the darkest areas.
  • Whites set the brightness of the brightest point.
  • Blacks set the brightness of the darkest point.

Profile portrait of a drone operator with brightness increased

You can always use the histogram (in the top-right) to obtain even exposure. The histogram is a graphical representation of the tonal distribution in your photo. It displays the distribution of pixels from pure black (on the left) to pure white (on the right), with mid-tones in-between.

If you see sharp lines on either end, your shadows have been black, or your highlights have clipped. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t always a detriment.

For example, it would make sense for the shadows to remain extremely dark in this photograph. When you try to remove all the shadows and reduce all the highlights in a photo, it may look unnatural, and you will lose contrast.

Vibrancy and Saturation: Bringing Colors to Life

Next, we want to add a little bit of life back into the photo. It’s not uncommon for cameras to shoot with a natural picture profile, and this profile will keep contrast and saturation to a minimum to allow for greater post-adjustment (although, if photographing in RAW, it’s not an issue).

Vibrancy and saturation are vital to making your images stand out. This involves enhancing the intensity and richness of colors without making them look unnatural.

The right balance can make your image more dynamic and visually appealing. Quite like seasoning, you only ever want to adjust these parameters slightly. I’ve only adjusted the photo by 33.

Profile portrait of a drone operator with saturation increased

When you initially move these sliders, it may look like they are doing the same thing. However, two different things are going on:

  • Vibrancy enhances the intensity of colors in a photo while protecting skin tones and preventing over-saturation.
  • Saturation adjusts the overall intensity and vividness of colors in a photo, affecting all hues equally.

Cropping and Composition: Framing Your Subject

Cropping is more than just cutting out parts of an image; it’s about refining the composition. Techniques like the rule of thirds help in framing the subject effectively, leading to a more balanced and engaging photo.

As this was a candid shot, the wall is slightly off the horizontal axis. Cropping the photo will allow me to straighten my image and make it more visually pleasing.

Profile portrait of a drone operator with crop option applied

Want to dive into the essentials of composition? Start with this guide to cropping:

  • How to Get the Perfect Crop Every Time

Sharpening: The Final Touch

Sharpening is a subtle—yet crucial—step in photo editing meant to enhance the clarity of an image. It’s easy to go too far in this step. It’s best used for minor adjustments to make your image crisp without appearing unnatural.

It’s also worth thinking about your photo’s final destination. Compression will be applied to your photo if uploaded to social media (rather than a dedicated photo-viewing library) due to the sheer amount of daily uploads.

Therefore, using a dose of sharpening can help keep your images crisp.

Closeup profile portrait of a drone operator

Finalize and Export Your Edited Photos

Below are the before and after of the original image.

Before and after examples of edited photo

The steps above help get your photos to their finalized endpoint or a solid starting point. You can add creative adjustments once you’ve set the foundations for needed corrections.

Finalizing your photos involves choosing the correct file type for your needs. Formats like JPEG are great for sharing online, while TIFF is better for higher-quality prints. Every photo editing app has different export options, so familiarize yourself with these to optimize your final output.

Before and after examples of edited photo

Even though we haven’t performed what could be considered a fashion or creative edit, just following basic photo editing principles has transformed the snap.

As you can see, the before looks almost as though it were taken at night.

Edit Photos with Shutterstock Create

Shutterstock Create provides a user-friendly platform to perform all the edits mentioned above. Its intuitive interface allows for easy uploading, editing, and downloading of images.

With new AI features, it simplifies complex editing tasks, making it a go-to tool for beginners and professionals.

License this cover image via Nailotl and Shacil .

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What Is Photo Editing?: A Definition

photo editing tasks

In this article

The photoshoot is only one part of creating a great image. A skilled photo editor can take a good RAW image and use a myriad of techniques to create a stunning final photo. Post-processing can enhance what you did capture and create effects that aren’t always possible in the photography studio .

This is especially true when it comes to ecommerce product photography that can seem creatively limiting. 

Curious about post-processing and how you can use it to improve your business? Get a refresher on the definition of photo editing and learn about what a photo editor is and how to incorporate photo editing into your business.

What is photo editing?: A definition

Photo editing is the act of image enhancement and manipulation. This process is usually done with a digital photo editing software. Photo editing can involve basic tweaks like when you crop and resize images or adjust saturation. It also includes advanced techniques like swapping faces or photo retouching to get rid of distracting elements or unwanted objects.

Some image editing techniques are done manually, while others are conducted through automated photo editing tools and software. Most edits to digital photography involve some one or a few photo editing programs. Some edits are even done offline on actual photographs, posters, or other printed collateral without any image editing software.

Other terms for photo editing include:

  • Image editing
  • Post-processing
  • Image/photo manipulation
  • Photoshopping
  • Image/photo enhancement

The importance of photo editing

Editing helps you fine tune and get the best image possible, as close to what you imagined when you took the photo (or better perhaps). Niche photographers can hone and emphasize their personal style. And for businesses, editing helps cement branding and optimize for business goals.

Photo editing is particularly important for ecommerce companies. Image quality directly affects people’s opinion of the product and sales numbers. Studies have confirmed that high-quality images outperform stock photos and poorer quality imagery—and increasing the number of high-quality images helps build trust with consumers and increases conversion rates .

What are the different types of photo editing?

There are many ways to edit a photo—some simple and others more complicated.

Many people can figure out simple photo editing techniques on their own—though this does require time and patience. More complex adjustments may require using dedicated programs with specific photo editing features or hiring a trained professional editor .

Simple photo editing techniques include:

photo editing tasks

  • Sharpen : enhance the definition of the edges in an image (won’t make a blurry image in-focus)
  • Noise reduction : smoothing the picture out, typically accomplished by reducing the pixel size

photo editing tasks

  • Lens correction : lessens the effect(s) of the camera lens
  • Color adjustments : change the color of an item or element in the photo

photo editing tasks

More complex techniques include:

  • Clipping paths :  vector path that differentiates the part of the image that’s visible and the part that’s transparent (extracts a subject or element from an image)
  • Portrait corrections : complexion touch-ups and enhancements
  • Drop and reflection shadow :  create and adjust shadows
  • Special effects : this can mean an array of things, from animation to adding weather conditions like fog or snow
  • Adjusting text and visuals : add overlays or manipulate what’s already there
  • Photo stitching : when you seamlessly put two images together to make it look as though they were shot that way
  • Photo masking and Layers : the process of hiding and revealing specified portions of an image

Pixel editing and parametric image editing

Two methods of digital photo editing are pixel editing and parametric image editing. Let’s look at their definitions:

photo editing tasks

What is pixel editing ?

Pixel editing, or pixel-level editing, is when you alter an image at the pixel level. Because you’re altering the pixels themselves, this also permanently changes the image file. That’s why pixel editing is considered a destructive form of photo editing because it’s not as easy to undo the changes and restore the original file.

Pixel editing allows you to make extremely detailed edits and accomplish certain functions that parametric image editing can’t (like CMYK color modes, for example).

What is parametric image editing ?

Parametric image editing (PIE) doesn’t change the pixels of the image. Instead, these edits are recorded as a set of steps to follow to accomplish the final look. Thus, it’s a non-destructive mode of photo editing. However, PIE doesn’t always allow for all types of edits.

Many in the industry recommend starting with PIE, and then using pixel editing to refine the final details.

Photo editing history

photo editing tasks

Examples of photo editing

There are so many ways to edit photos, and everyone has a unique approach. You might see examples of photo editing on social media or YouTube.

Here are some examples of photo edits the team at Path have fulfilled for ecommerce brands all over the world: 

Background removal

photo editing tasks

Photo retouching

photo editing tasks

Ghost mannequin

photo editing tasks

You can also check out tutorials to see photo editing examples and learn how to do them step-by-step. Here are a few tutorials that walk you through the photo editing process on your own:

  • Photoshop Tutorial: A Beginner's Guide to Using Layers
  • How to Create a Transparent Background in Photoshop
  • How to Change the Background Color of a Picture

Editing product photos

photo editing tasks

Visuals help market brands and sell products, but you should also think about where the image will be used. Is it for an advertisement, ecommerce page, social media, or a print catalog? A white background shot will call for much different edits than an image for a Facebook ad. Likely, you’ll be able to get more creative with advertising imagery.

Here are some of the most common types of edits for product photography:

photo editing tasks

Image source

  • Brightness and exposure : If you didn’t nail the lighting, you can make substantial adjustments post-shoot.
  • Background removal : This is a common edit for product photos, especially if you’re listing the item on Amazon, which has a white background requirement . Regardless, white background maintains consistency.
  • Color correction : It’s important that product photos portray the item as accurately as possible so it’s a smart idea to color correct all of your product images. As many as 64% of returns happen because the product didn’t match customer expectations based on product images and descriptions.
  • Color change : For products that come in several colors, it’s important to showcase the variety. Instead of photographing the product in every color, photo editors can make the changes post shoot.

photo editing tasks

Learn how to edit your photos

If you’re ready to learn how to edit your own photos, check out this handy collection of Photoshop tutorials . Here are a few to get started with:

  • Fundamental Photo-Editing Checklist: 11 Steps to Perfect Product Photos
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop Tools
  • How to Create a Realistic Drop Shadow
  • How to Blur the Background in Photoshop: A Tutorial for Your Product Photos
  • 30+ Best Photo Editing Apps for Product Photographers on the Go

What is a professional photo editor?

A person who edits images can either be self-employed, contracted by an outsourced company or agency, or someone who works in-house. There are many possible job titles for a photo editor, including digital photo editor, graphic designer or art director, among others.

Typically, photo editors specialize in specific industries, much like photographers. For example, real estate, editorial, and product photography all come with their own set of trends and intricacies. Editors that focus on ecommerce images know just how to make products pop.

Our virtual photo editing studio is made of more than 300 trained professional photo editors who specialize in ecommerce product photography. 

Let us look after your image edits, so you can get back to the fun stuff. Try Path free.

Tackling photo editing for product photography

Learning new photo editing techniques can be an enjoyable way to break up your day and add to your industry knowledge, but editing photos can be time-consuming, especially if photography is your specialty. If you need fast, affordable, high-quality photo-editing services, the professionals at Path are here to help.

What is photo editing? FAQs

Can i edit a photo for free.

Yes, you can edit a photo for free. You can use free photo editing tools and do it yourself. You can also use free AI photo editing tools, but these edits require careful quality checks. Or, send your first two photos to Path to get them edited for free.

How can I edit a picture image?

  • Open your photo editing tool of choice
  • Upload or open the photo you want to edit
  • Make your desired edits
  • Save your work

What is the best app to use for photo editing?

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Lightroom

How do I edit my photos like a pro?

Edit photos like a pro by learning basic and advanced Photoshop techniques, outsourcing the tedious edits, and optimizing for the right use and context.

What is the meaning of photo editing?

The meaning of photo editing is the process of manipulating and enhancing a photo. Photo editing can involve basic tweaks like cropping, resizing, and applying artistic filters. It also includes advanced manipulations like retouching and removing unwanted elements and distractions.

What are the 5 basics of photo editing?

  • Applying simple clipping paths
  • Changing colors
  • Adjusting exposure

What is the purpose of a photo editor?

A photo editor can save you time and stress because they have the skills necessary to accomplish tedious, time-consuming, or complicated editing tasks for you.

photo editing tasks

Alexandra Sheehan

In her past agency life, Alex has led digital marketing initiatives for Fortune 500 companies. Now, she’s passionate about helping retailers and retail industry leaders harness the power of the written word and fuse it with strategic content, email and social media marketing campaigns.

  • Editing tips

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15 Photo Editing Interview Questions and Answers

Prepare for the types of questions you are likely to be asked when interviewing for a position where Photo Editing skills will be used.

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As a photo editor, you play an important role in the media industry. You are responsible for enhancing the images that appear in magazines, newspapers, and online. Your job is to make sure that the photos are clear and accurate, and that they convey the message that the client or publication wants to communicate.

To get hired as a photo editor, you will need to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in an interview. In this guide, we will provide some sample photo editing interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your next job interview.

  • What are the most important skills every Photo Editor should possess?
  • Can you give me some examples of photo editing tools that you’ve used in your career?
  • What’s your favorite tool to use for basic image enhancements like cropping, resizing, and color correction? Why do you prefer it over other options?
  • What is a histogram? How can we use it to improve our photos?
  • If a photographer takes a picture at high noon on a sunny day, what would be wrong with the resulting photograph? What could they have done differently to produce more appealing results?
  • When working as part of a team, how do you ensure consistency across all output produced by your team members?
  • How often do you backup all the work stored on your hard drive? How often do you perform backups?
  • Do you keep track of changes made to an image or design during its production cycle? If yes, then how?
  • What kind of computer hardware and software do you think is necessary for performing photo editing tasks?
  • Have you ever been asked to create something from scratch? If yes, what was it and how did you do it?
  • What do you think about digital watermarks? Are they a good idea?
  • Which methods do you use to store images in archives?
  • Do you accept criticism well? If someone tells you that your work needs improvement, how do you react?
  • Can you explain why the RGB color model is the preferred mode when producing imagery?
  • What type of portfolio do you maintain to showcase your best work?

1. What are the most important skills every Photo Editor should possess?

Employers ask this question to make sure you have the skills necessary for the job. They want someone who can edit photos quickly and efficiently, so they may also ask about your editing speed or how many images you can edit in a day. When answering this question, list the most important skills that you possess.

Example: “The two most important skills every Photo Editor should have are attention to detail and creativity. Attention to detail is essential because it helps us catch mistakes before we send our work out. Creativity is also important because it allows us to come up with new ideas when working on projects.”

2. Can you give me some examples of photo editing tools that you’ve used in your career?

This question is a great way for employers to learn more about your photo editing skills and the tools you’ve used in the past. When answering this question, it can be helpful to list out some of the most important or interesting tools that you’ve worked with before.

Example: “In my last role as a freelance photographer, I used many different types of photo editing tools. One of my favorite was an app called Snapseed because it allowed me to edit photos on-the-go while traveling. Another tool I really enjoyed using was Adobe Lightroom because it helped me organize all of my photos into folders and collections. It also made it easy to find specific photos when needed.”

3. What’s your favorite tool to use for basic image enhancements like cropping, resizing, and color correction? Why do you prefer it over other options?

This question can help the interviewer get a sense of your technical skills and how you apply them to real-world situations. Your answer should include a specific tool, why you like it and an example of when you used it in a previous role.

Example: “My favorite basic image enhancement tool is Adobe Photoshop’s Liquify tool because I find it easy to use for minor enhancements that make a big difference. For instance, at my last job, I was working on a photo shoot where one model had a small blemish on her face. Using the liquify tool, I was able to remove the blemish from the final images without affecting the rest of the photo.”

4. What is a histogram? How can we use it to improve our photos?

Histograms are a common tool used in photo editing. Your interviewer may ask you this question to see if you have the technical knowledge needed for their job. To answer, define what a histogram is and describe how it can be used to improve photos.

Example: “A histogram is a graph that shows the distribution of pixels within an image. It’s usually displayed as a bar chart where the height of each bar represents the number of pixels at a particular brightness level. Histograms are useful because they allow us to analyze the color levels of our images. We can then use this information to make adjustments to the colors or contrast.”

5. If a photographer takes a picture at high noon on a sunny day, what would be wrong with the resulting photograph? What could they have done differently to produce more appealing results?

This question is a test of your technical knowledge and ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms. It also tests your creativity, as you are asked to describe an alternative approach that could have produced better results.

Example: “The problem with taking pictures at high noon on a sunny day is that the light will be too harsh for most subjects. The photographer should instead take their picture when the sun is lower in the sky or wait until later in the day when the sun is not so bright.”

6. When working as part of a team, how do you ensure consistency across all output produced by your team members?

This question can help interviewers understand how you work with others and ensure that the quality of your output is consistent with other team members. Use examples from previous experience to show how you collaborate with others to produce high-quality results.

Example: “I have worked on several projects where I was part of a larger team, including my current role as an in-house photo editor at a publishing company. In these situations, I make sure to communicate with my teammates about any changes or updates I make to photos before they begin their editing process. This allows me to provide feedback to my colleagues when needed and ensures that all final products are consistent across the board.”

7. How often do you backup all the work stored on your hard drive? How often do you perform backups?

The interviewer may ask this question to assess your organizational skills and attention to detail. Your answer should show that you are organized, responsible and able to follow through with tasks.

Example: “I backup all my work every night before I leave the office. This ensures that if something were to happen to my hard drive while I’m out of the office, I would still have access to all my files. I also perform a system-wide backup once a week on Fridays so that I can restore my computer in case it crashes.”

8. Do you keep track of changes made to an image or design during its production cycle? If yes, then how?

This question is a way for the interviewer to assess your organizational skills and ability to keep track of changes made during production. Your answer should include how you organize files, folders or documents that contain information about each change you make to an image or design.

Example: “I use a project management software program called Basecamp to keep track of all my projects and tasks. I create separate projects within this platform for each client I work with so I can easily access their specific details and assignments. Within each project, I create individual tasks for each photo editing task I complete. This allows me to keep track of every detail related to each project and task.”

9. What kind of computer hardware and software do you think is necessary for performing photo editing tasks?

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your knowledge of the tools and resources needed for a photo editing job. Use examples from your experience to explain what hardware and software you need to perform your job effectively.

Example: “I think it’s important to have a computer with a lot of RAM, as well as a large hard drive that can store many photos at once. I also prefer using a Wacom tablet because it allows me to draw directly on my images without having to use a mouse or trackpad. Finally, I find that Adobe Photoshop is an essential piece of software for photo editing because it has so many useful features.”

10. Have you ever been asked to create something from scratch? If yes, what was it and how did you do it?

This question is a great way to see how you apply your skills and creativity to new projects. It also allows the interviewer to understand what types of projects you’ve worked on in the past, which can help them determine if you’re qualified for their job opening.

Example: “In my last role as a photo editor, I was asked to create an entire social media campaign from scratch. We had just hired a new CEO who wanted us to revamp our brand’s image. So, I created a Pinterest board with all of the company’s products and services, along with some inspirational quotes and images that fit the brand. Then, I used those images to create a cohesive Instagram account. The campaign was so successful that we were able to use it for two years.”

11. What do you think about digital watermarks? Are they a good idea?

Employers may ask this question to see if you have any opinions about a controversial topic in the industry. They want to know that you can think critically and communicate your ideas effectively. In your answer, try to be as objective as possible while still sharing your opinion.

Example: “I don’t like digital watermarks because they’re distracting for the viewer. I understand why photographers use them, but I prefer when people can enjoy the photo without having to look at an overlay. However, I do think it’s important to protect intellectual property, so I would rather see photographers put their photos behind a paywall than share them publicly.”

12. Which methods do you use to store images in archives?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of file types and how you organize images. You can list the different methods you use for storing files in archives, such as using a hard drive or flash drives.

Example: “I store my photos on external hard drives because they are more reliable than USBs. I also back up all my work onto cloud storage so that if anything happens to my computer, I have access to my photos from anywhere.”

13. Do you accept criticism well? If someone tells you that your work needs improvement, how do you react?

Employers ask this question to make sure you can accept feedback and use it to improve your skills. When answering, try to show that you are open to criticism and know how to use it to grow as a photo editor.

Example: “I do my best to learn from any constructive criticism I receive. If someone tells me something about my work that could be improved, I take the time to think about what they said and consider if there is merit to their claim. Then, I look for ways I can apply their advice to my future projects. I find that when I am receptive to feedback, I can learn a lot from others.”

14. Can you explain why the RGB color model is the preferred mode when producing imagery?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of color models and how they affect the final product. RGB stands for red, green and blue, which are the primary colors that combine to create other colors. This model is preferred because it allows you to produce images with full-color quality.

Example: “RGB is the most common color mode used in digital imaging because it’s capable of producing an image with all the colors we see in real life. It’s also easy to use since it only requires three channels to produce full-color imagery. The CMYK color model is another popular choice because it can be used to print photos.”

15. What type of portfolio do you maintain to showcase your best work?

Employers want to see that you have a portfolio of your best work and can share it with them. They may ask this question to learn more about the type of information you include in your portfolio, such as what software you used or how many projects are included. Prepare for this question by creating a digital portfolio on your computer or mobile device so you can show it to the interviewer if they request it.

Example: “I maintain a website where I post my best photos and provide links to social media accounts where people can find me. In my portfolio, I list all of the editing software I know how to use and describe some of my favorite features. I also include a brief description of each photo along with when and where I took it.”

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Best photo editing software in 2024

Here's a guide to the best photo editing software for amateur photographers, enthusiasts and professionals.

The quick list

  • Best all round
  • Best for AI effects
  • Best all in one editor
  • Best for novices
  • Best for photographers
  • Best for mobile photography
  • Best for pros
  • Best for commercial photographers
  • Best Photoshop alternative
  • Best for raw processing
  • Best free photo editing software

The free quick list

  • How to choose
  • How we test

The quick list 1. Best all round 2. Best for AI effects 3. Best all in one editor 4. Best for novices 5. Best for photographers 6. Best for mobile photography 7. Best for pros 8. Best for commercial photographers 9. Best Photoshop alternative 10. Best for raw processing Best free photo editing software

Picking the best photo editing software can be a headache. There are lots of options out there, so which one is right for you?

A lot depends on the gear you’re using, your technical knowledge of photography, and your existing experience using image editing software. If you’re just shooting a few snaps on your camera phone for social media, you probably don’t need a powerful and complicated application like Photoshop or Lightroom. That’s where more streamlined programs like Photoshop Elements or PaintShop Pro are so effective.

But if you’re an avid photographer using one of the best mirrorless cameras around, you’ll definitely want something more in depth, that will allow you to edit and fine tune your images to make them the best they can be. All in one programs like ON1 Photo RAW are perfect for this, offering creative inspiration and professional-quality results.

Budding influencers, meanwhile, or content creator, may be more interested in impact, immediacy and shareability. Programs like Skylum Luminar Neo take AI effects and ‘reality enhancement’ to a new level for your social channels, while Adobe Lightroom uses cloud storage so you can edit photos on any device.

Pros will obviously need in-depth editing control, advanced image organization and search tools, and professional workflows designed for editing at pace and meeting client demands. This is where Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and Capture One come up trumps.

To help you compare them all, we’ve compiled and tested a list of the best photo editing software applications around. We’ve also included a list of the best free photo editing software below, which are perfect for those on a tight budget or who only edit images occasionally.

Read on to find out which software is best for you.

Best overall Adobe Photoshop Elements is our best overall pick for most people, thanks to its underlying power, ease of use, strong tool set and cross-platform compatibility. For serious editing work, though, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Read more below

Best for AI effects Luminar Neo is a constantly evolving editing platform that uses AI technologies throughout to produce spectacular ‘reality enhancements’ perfect for social media. It’s recently introduced its own generative AI tools.

Best all in one editor ON1 Photo RAW combines image browsing and cataloging, raw processing, extensive preset image effects and filters, and even image composites via layers and masks. It also uses AI extensively for masking and enhancement.

Best for pros Photoshop is the ultimate image editing software if you're a professional user. It offers everything you'll need in a reasonably affordable package. It's primarily aimed at pros though, and doesn’t offer quick fix effects or image cataloging tools.

Best for photographers Lightroom Classic combines professional-level organizing tools with editing features powerful enough that you may not need a dedicated photo editor like Photoshop. Lightroom (CC) is a stripped-down version that uses cloud storage.

Best Photoshop alternative Affinity Photo is one of the cheapest programs here, but is actually a powerful dedicated photo editing tool on the same professional level as Photoshop. It is also subscription free, coming with a one-off ‘perpetual’ license.

The best photo editing software today

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The best all round

1. adobe photoshop elements 2024.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Photoshop Elements is aimed squarely at beginners and intermediate users, so it won’t suit experts and professionals, but it does have more advanced tools in its Expert mode, and can suit the widest range of photographic needs and user levels.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024 is the latest version. Adobe updates Elements every year, and this time around it’s added more of Adobe’s Sensei AI technology, so that you can now select skies and backgrounds with a single click. You can also create movie Photo Reels from still photos, add animated movement effects to still images, apply one-click fixes for dehazing, background removal, colorizing and more.

There’s so much to explore, however, including no fewer than 62 guided edits in the latest version, that it could all get a little overwhelming, and while Elements is terrific for all sorts of projects, including social media graphics, photo gifts and more, it’s not really geared towards serious photographers. It does have an Expert mode and it can open and edit raw files, but without the more advanced options in other programs.

But Photoshop Elements is subscription free, and if you shoot videos too, you might want to take a look at the Photoshop Elements + Premiere Elements bundle. Premiere Elements does for video editing and sharing what Elements does for photos.

The best for AI effects

2. skylum luminar neo.

Skylum Luminar Neo is the latest version of the Luminar photo editor and has evolved into a modular software platform built around Luminar Neo itself and a growing set of Extensions for additional effects. It is still possible to buy a lifetime license, but the pricing is clearly driving subscriptions.

Billed as the photo editor for photographers who want results not technicalities, Luminar uses a set of Essential, Creative, Portrait and Professional filters (and Extensions, where installed) that can be used individually or together to create anything from simple photo enhancements to spectacular reality bending. The results are often excellent, particularly the AI Sky Replacement, which was the first such tool and is still the best.

Luminar’s GenErase tool is the first of its new Generative AI options, where it’s now catching up with Photoshop, and while it’s not especially quick at removing objects from scenes, the results are often quite remarkable.

Luminar Neo is ideal for photographers and content creators who want to make regular photos spectacular with  minimal know-how and effort. It’s probably less useful to more technically minded photographers, and Skylum’s constantly changing deals and offers can be confusing.

The best all in one editor

3. on1 photo raw 2024.

It’s difficult to describe ON1 Photo RAW without resorting to superlatives. Where other programs in this list specialize in particular areas, such as image cataloging, preset effects and in-depth layers-based editing, ON1 Photo RAW does all of this in a single-window workflow. You can use it as a standalone program or use its component tools as plug-ins for Lightroom, for example, and you can get it for a one-off fee or with a cloud-enable subscription — there’s even a mobile app with editing tools and its own camera.

Because it does so much, it’s a little thinner in some areas than specialized software. Its layers, for example, don’t offer the same depth as Photoshop or Affinity Photo, and its HDR merge results are not as good as those in rival programs. And while its cataloging tools are very effective (you can simply browse photos if you don’t want to import them into the catalog), they’re not in the same league as Lightroom Classic’s, or Capture One’s.

But ON1 Photo RAW’s effects presets are varied and inspiring, its effects filters offer endless permutations and its AI masking is both fast and, more often than not, highly effective. ON1 Photo RAW 2024 brings a new Brilliance AI feature that automatically analyzes and enhances images based on their content.

This new feature and ON1 Photo RAW’s preset effects do offer an easy entry point for novices, but there’s a lot here to take in, and ON1 Photo RAW is probably best suited to more advanced photo editors who already know the basics. 

The best for novices

4. corel paintshop pro 2023.

In many ways, Corel PaintShop Pro is superior to Photoshop Elements, as it's a powerful program, yet is easy for novices to grasp, and has some additional tools, such as 360-degree photo editing. It's also touch-screen compatible.  

It does do all the jobs that photographers need up to an enthusiast/intermediate level, while catering for outright beginners too. PaintShop Pro does include AfterShot Lab for processing raw images, and more extensive and powerful tools than Photoshop Elements, but its organizing tools are not especially advanced and its workflow feels old-fashioned. And while the Ultimate bundle offers excellent value with a further 7 different add-ons, including PhotoMirage, Corel Painter Essentials and Highlight Reel amongst others, these are separate tools and utilities rather than an extension to PaintShop Pro’s own features.

PaintShop Pro does have appeal for beginners, long-time PaintShop Pro users or anyone who likes to get as much as possible for the least outlay, but this Windows only software does feel rather like a surviving relic that’s doing just enough to stay current. It carries out traditional photo editing tasks perfectly well, but if you’re looking for AI inspiration, in-depth layers and masking or professional-level image cataloging and raw processing, you need to check out the other options on our list.

The best for photographers

5. adobe lightroom classic.

Adobe Lightroom Classic, as it’s now called, is the ‘original’ Lightroom, and is for photographers who like to store, organize and edit photos on their own computers rather than using Adobe’s cloud storage. Its powerful image organizing tools Lightroom Classic the perfect complement to Adobe Photoshop and, indeed, both are included with Adobe’s good-value Photography Plan.

To work with photos in Lightroom Classic you first have to import them into a catalog, though they can stay in their current location — you don’t need to copy or move them. Once imported, you can apply practically every kind of photographic enhancement and adjustment — though you will still need a regular photo editor like Photoshop to combine images in layers or create more advanced effects.

Lightroom’s editing tools are terrific and its new AI subject masking tools make local adjustments and enhancements a breeze. Its non-destructive approach means you can go back at any time to change the settings, and you can even create multiple ‘Virtual Copies’ of the same photo but with different adjustments.

Adobe Lightroom Classic now has the same status amongst expert and professional photographers as Photoshop itself, and is probably the default photo organizing and editing software for serious users.

The best for mobile photography

6. adobe lightroom.

You have to be very careful when talking about Adobe Lightroom because there are actually two versions. Lightroom Classic is the regular version for photos stored on your computer, while Lightroom (previously called Lightroom CC) is the ‘web-first’ version, where all your photos are stored on Adobe’s servers. The advantage of this is that you can view, organize and edit your photos anywhere, on any device.

Lightroom has the same editing tools as Lightroom Classic, but in a stripped-back interface that’s a lot cleaner and more modern. Its image organizing tools are not as powerful, though, so you can create albums but not smart albums.

Perhaps its two biggest drawbacks are that you really need an Adobe subscription plan that includes 1TB cloud storage, and that you can only use Photoshop as an external editor.

That said, the fact that you can use it on desktop computers, mobile devices and even using a web browser makes Lightroom the perfect tool for photographers on the move. The mobile app even includes a camera with powerful manual shooting controls. Lightroom’s Discover panel brings expertise and inspiration from a huge Lightroom community, and there are plenty of beginner resources to get you started.

The best for pros

7. adobe photoshop 2024.

The ultimate when it comes to photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop CC has it all. It increasingly relies on Sensei, Adobe’s highly touted artificial intelligence engine, to facilitate a host of impressive features. The most high-profile of these include Sky Replacement, Neural Filters and generative AI

The Neural Filters include an impressive Colorize filter for colorizing black and white images, while the Generative Expand and Generative Fill tools do an often uncanny job of expanding photos or adding objects — though sometimes objects, especially humans, can look distinctly weird.

Photoshop does have a reputation for being daunting to beginners, but its interface is extremely clear, clean and efficient, and you don’t have to understand every tool right from the start. Photoshop is designed not just for photographers, but illustrators and artists too, so not all of the tools will be relevant for everyone.

If you’re just getting started in photo editing or you just want amazing effects fast, then Photoshop is probably not the right tool. But for anyone who wants to work in the creative arts, it’s practically a must-have and, partnered with Adobe Lightroom/Classic in the Adobe Photography Plan, its extremely good value. 

The best for commercial photographers

8. capture one.

Capture One is a direct rival to Adobe Lightroom Classic that’s perhaps less well-known among enthusiasts but which enjoys a strong reputation amongst professional commercial photographers, especially for studio and fashion work. One reason is its extensive support for live ‘tethering’ where shots taken with the camera are fed straight into Capture One for editing, which is now boosted by Capture One Live, a feature that allows remote client collaboration live on set.

Capture One offers ‘Sessions’ for this kind of workflow, but also offers Lightroom style ‘Catalogs’ for longer-term image storage, management and editing. Capture One’s cataloging tools are on a par with Lightroom Classic’s, though it doesn’t offer the cloud-only approach of Lightroom (CC). There is, however, a mobile app that incorporates a camera module.

You can get Capture One either as a subscription or as a perpetual license, though you won’t get the regular updates of the subscription version. It’s also roughly 70% more expensive than Lightroom, but its professional workflow features can easily outweigh the extra cost.

It also offers excellent raw processing quality — somewhat better than Lightroom’s, in fact. And its layer-based adjustments mean you can use practically the full set of adjustment tools on every layer, where you can use only a subset of adjustments with Lightroom masks.

Capture One is not a cheap option, and it’s not really suitable for novices, but its professional workflow and image quality stand out.

The best Photoshop alternative

9. affinity photo 2.

Affinity Photo 2 is the closest thing to a true Photoshop alternative. Indeed, it mirrors all the professional tools, capabilities and features of Photoshop, even improving on some of them, though it does not have Adobe’s Sensei AI and generative fill/expand capabilities.

Like Photoshop, Affinity Photo 2 is not made solely for photographers, as it also includes illustration, art and design tools too. Its photo editing tools are nevertheless formidable, offering every imaginable adjustment via non-destructive adjustment layers, each of which can be masked to control the areas affected. It also offers live filters such as lighting effects, depth of field blur and other filter effects that normally would be applied permanently but here they remain fully editable after you close and re-open the file.

The ability to merge HDR images, merge panoramic images (or ‘joiners’) and create focus stacks is included, which makes Affinity Photo 2’s price all the more remarkable.

Affinity 2 is the first major update and brings important new features, including non-destructive raw processing, live masks and compound masks — terms which may make little sense to photo editing newcomers but are very significant to experts and professionals.

This is the key point about Affinity Photo. It may be priced like a budget photo editor, but it’s one of the most powerful tools in this list. It has a very steep learning curve, and while it’s fine for those experienced in photo editing, it’s too much to take in for novices.

The best for raw processing

10. dxo photolab 7.

DxO PhotoLab evolved from the old DxO Optics Pro, a program designed to offer the highest quality lens corrections to digital images. PhotoLab 7 has come a long way since then. It still offers some of the best optical lens correction profiles on the market, even compensating for lens softness at the edges of the frame, but also offers perhaps the best raw processing of any software. This is helped along by DxO’s latest DeepPRIME XD AI noise processing, which dramatically improves the quality of high ISO digital photos — though for this you need the more expensive Elite edition.

Many more experienced photographers will prefer to shoot raw files because of the extra flexibility and control they offer, so choosing a good raw processing tool is important.

DxO PhotoLab also has basic but effective image cataloging and search tools, a range of preset image effects and some very advanced local adjustment tools. These are based around ‘control points’ which mask the area you want to adjust automatically based on the colors and tones of the areas you click on.

PhotoLab 7 is not especially cheap, especially if you opt for the Elite edition (recommended) and DxO’s ViewPoint and FilmPack add-ons. It’s also quite technical, so while experienced photo editors will soon find their way around, editing novices might struggle.

The best free photo editing software

The best free photo editing software offers a tantalizing alternative to paid-for software, especially if you just need to do very basic photo editing, or you don’t edit photos often enough to justify spending money on a commercial program. 

So here’s our list of what we think is the best free photo editing software right now, though there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, a lot of so-called ‘free’ software is actually ‘freemium’ software — in other words, there’s a free version with limited tools and features designed to lead you towards a premium paid-for version. That’s fine. The free version may do everything you need. But if you are tempted to upgrade to a premium version, then this means you should weigh it up against a lot of very good mainstream commercial alternatives. 

Second, do check out the free software that comes with your camera. For example, Canon Digital Photo Professional 4 is free for registered Canon owners, and Nikon NX Studio is free for Nikon users. Other camera makers offer equivalents which don’t always get a lot of attention online, but are free and often quite good.

But camera makers’ own software can be quite technical, while the best free photo editors are much more user-friendly. Here’s our list of programs you should check out.

Best for sharing Google Photos uses cloud storage to make all your pictures available everywhere, and is a simple, smart. and engagiing photo editor and organizer, though there is a 15GB limit for free use and more advanced tools need a subscription.

Best for Apple users Apple Photos comes as standard with Macs and iOS devices and is a surprisingly powerful organizing and editing tool. If you run out of cloud storage you can buy more, and the extra storage pretty good value for money too.

Best open source editor The GIMP is like an open-source Photoshop that's a very powerful image editor in its own right. However, it's also very technical, with little help for beginners, so it will take some time and effort to get the best from this program.

Best simple Windows editor Paint.net was originally designed as a replacement for Microsoft Paint, and it's now taken on a life of its own. With plenty of community support and a friendly but quite powerful tool set, it's ideal for new users – but it is Windows only.

Best for social media Adobe Express can produce social graphics, logos, fliers, posters, videos and just about any other kind of social content via its web-based interface, though its quirky approach can be confusing even for experts.

Best browser based editor Pixlr actually comes in different versions, such as Pixlr E (photos) and Pixlr X (social media graphics), but while it's free to use in your browser (with ads), downloading the desktop app needs a subscription.

The best free photo editing software you can use today

The best for easy photo sharing, 1. google photos.

Once, Google Photos was better than any other tool for organizing and viewing all your photos on all your devices. To a degree that is still true, but a number of things have changed. From June 2021, new photos have counted against your 15GB Google Drive limit, so you could end up running out of space and having to buy more.

And in terms of editing tools, Google Photos offers only the barest minimum, and many of the more interesting options can only be unlocked with a Google One membership subscription, currently $1.99/month. That doesn’t sound much, but then this is a pretty basic photo editor that pales in comparison with Adobe’s cloud-based Lightroom plan, for example.

The basic adjustment tools in Google Photos are free, together with a small collection of preset ‘looks’, but all but one of the options in the ‘Suggestions’ panel need a Google One subscription to unlock.

Google Photos is fine for basic image tweaks and photo sharing, provided you don’t upload so many that you reach your account’s storage limit. But it seems Google is now using a ‘freemium’ (free, but with a paid premium version) model for Google Photos, and it’s suddenly up against programs like Pixlr and Fotor which have been doing this for a while.

The best for Mac users

2. apple photos.

If you use an iPhone, iPad , or Mac, you’ll already be familiar with Apple Photos, which is the default application for storing and viewing photos and videos. Anything you capture with your iOS device will be stored in Apple Photos, from photographs, to videos, to panoramas, to timelapses and screenshots. And from there it will make its way via iCloud to all your other iOS and macOS devices. While not as advanced as paid programs, Apple Photos clearly offers plenty of tools for quickly touching up, tweaking, and sharing your pictures to family and friends, but there’s a little more to its editing tools than that. They have a range and a depth that can match many ‘freemium’ alternatives.

Apple Photos also makes collages of your photos based on subject, theme, or location, such as "Four-Legged Friends" and "Best of Last 2 Months." It can also identify faces, and let you search through photos based on themes such as ‘concerts’, or ‘weddings’. It also has a rather endearing habit of presenting you with themed ‘memories’ of specific events or times which often you have forgotten about but are glad to see.

Apple Photos will never compete with a program like Photoshop or Lightroom, but it’s a remarkably competent photo editor with more in-depth tools than you might expect. They are all non-destructive — so you can change or reverse your adjustments later — and because they are in the cloud, they are available on all your devices, everywhere.

The best open-source photo editor

3. gimp 2.10.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source photo editor that's beloved by developers and contributors for its ability to help you get under the hood and change the source code of the program to best fit your needs. GIMP also has a powerful set of editing tools, many of which are on a par with paid software. Some of these features include the ability to create and edit layers, special-effect filters, exposure controls and more.

Because GIMP is open-source, there's a very active community of users who have created plugins to add even more functionality to the program. However, despite a more user-friendly interface than past versions, Gimp offers almost nothing in the way of guidance, which makes it much more difficult to learn than other photo-editing software. There's also an incredibly steep learning curve required when starting to use it.

The latest iteration adds a choice of four interface themes including a new ‘Dark’ theme (the default), revamped color management, high bit-depth support, a linear color space workflow, masks for layer groups and a unified Transform tool. It sounds technical and is. GIMP is ideal for anyone committed to open source software on principle and willing to accept some rough edges and technical know-how in return, but it’s not suitable for beginners. 

The best simple photo editor

4. paint.net.

Originally intended as a replacement for Microsoft Paint, Paint.net retains its namesake’s simple, intuitive interface while adding several advanced photo editing features. There’s even support for layers, which can be rare with free photo editors, and the Paint.net community has developed quite a few plugins and tutorials to make the program even more useful.

While Paint.net isn’t as powerful as rival GIMP, depending on what you plan to use it for, that could be considered a strength. If you only need to make a few simple edits, Paint.net is a much more straightforward option. It has a remarkably polished-looking interface that looks a lot like Photoshop Elements and is just as approachable for new users, though it doesn’t have all the guided edits and AI features of its Adobe rival.

The biggest downside to Paint.net is that it is currently only available for Windows, so Mac users will have to consider alternatives. 

The best for quick fixes

5. ashampoo photo optimizer free/9.

Ashampoo’s stand-out feature is its ability to batch process photos. Ashampoo will automatically analyze your imported photos and correct for lighting, contrast, sharpness, and color for vibrant results. 

In our testing, we found the automatic optimization could be a bit hit or miss. However, Ashampoo still enables you to manually adjust levels, so if a couple of your photos are a bit washed out, it’s easy to fix. The biggest downside is that it’s only available for Windows, so Mac users will have to look elsewhere. 

Ashampoo is only a photo optimizer, nothing more. It’s geared towards photographers rather than graphic designers or social media managers. But as a free, simple tool for photographers looking to quickly correct their photos, Ashampoo is worth checking out. You can start with the free version to see if this does everything you need. If you like what you see you can upgrade to Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 9, but as this is a paid-for commercial product it then goes up against some very good rivals.

The best for social media

6. adobe express.

Adobe Express is a terrific free resource for anyone who needs to create shareable graphics. It’s not a photo editor as such, but a tool for creating exciting graphics using your photos — and not just photos, but videos too.

It uses a template-based approach so that you start from the type of graphic you want to create and then walk through the different design steps, adding your own photos, effects and animations as you go.

However, while the free version is perfectly usable, you have to go over to the premium version to get the full set of effects and features, and this is $9.99/month, which is the same as the Adobe Photography Plan. The premium version gets you access to 195 million Adobe stock assets, including photos, videos and music, the ability to work with ‘brand kits’ and 250 generative AI credits per month — with the free version you only get 25 credits.

There are pop-up help windows and a help panel to get your started, but Adobe Express has its own very different way of creating and editing graphics, and it’s not always easy to understand what it’s doing and how to make it do what you want.

The best browser based editor

If you’re looking for a decent free photo editor that’s not as involved as GIMP, Pixlr E (the more advanced of Pixlr’s suite of free photo editors) might be right for you

For a relatively simple web-based photo editor, Pixlr E supports a surprising list of more advanced photo editing options, like layers, a clone brush, and smart selection. And for users who want a more streamlined interface, there’s Pixlr X, which is geared more towards editing photos for social media. However, Pixlr X would be a more valuable resource if it included a greater library of templates for beginners to get started with.

Unfortunately, Pixlr is only available as a download if you have a paid subscription, so free users will be stuck with the browser version. And while we didn’t always see an ad when using Pixlr, when we did, we found them intrusive, taking up valuable screen space.

Pixlr’s marketing is also somewhat confusing. It’s not easy to work out which of its ‘free’ products is the one you need. Apart from Pixlr E and Pixlr X, there’s Photomash, Remove BG (background) and Batch Editor. On top of (or behind) all of these is the Pixlr Premium version at $4.90/month.

The best mid-level editor

Fotor is a nice middle-of-the-road option for users looking for a little more freedom than they’d get with pure template-driven software like Canva, but aren’t advanced enough in their skills for something like GIMP or Pixlr E. 

One nice feature of Fotor is that it’s available for free, both in your web browser or as a download for Mac or Windows. The downloadable version also features a batch processor tool, which is the real stand-out feature of Fotor. With the batch processor, you can apply the same filters, frames, or touch-ups to a group of images — perfect if all your pictures from Christmas were a little overexposed, or if you want to create a slideshow of cohesive images.

Unfortunately, the numerous ads make the web-based version difficult to use, and many of the best features, like the one-click touch-up filter, are only available with the paid version of Fotor.

This is the balancing act with ‘free’ software, where the free version may or may not do what you need while the paid version probably will but involves spending money. Perhaps the best advice we can give is to suggest trying the free version and then, if it doesn’t do what you need, widen your criteria to include regular paid software. This can often prove more focused and more effective than ‘freemium’ products.

How to choose the best photo editing software

When deciding on the best photo editing software, perhaps your first decision is how much you want to spend, or whether you want to spend any money at all. We have created a special section for the best free photo editing software in this guide, but be aware that free photo editors are typically very basic, ‘free’ tools designed to lead you towards paid upgrades or, in the case of GIMP, quite technical.

Other things to consider are:

• How much you know, or want to know, about the technicalities. The best photo editing software for professional photographers won’t be much help to novices or casual users.

• How you want to use your photos. You might be sharing pictures with friends and family, building a social/influencer channel or selling photos and services to clients. The best photo editing software to use is going to be different for each.

• Do you like to be hands on with adjustments or do you want to use the power and potential of AI for all the heavy lifting? There’s no right and wrong here, but while AI can achieve remarkable results, many photographers will prefer to use clear and concise manual tools.

• Do you shoot raw files? Raw files are preferred by most enthusiasts and experts for their extra quality and editability, but not all programs are equally good at processing raw files while some, like DxO PhotoLab, make it a central feature.

• Do you need to organize a large and growing photo catalog? Dedicated photo organizing tools like Lightroom and Capture One are made for this, and can also carry out most editing tasks too.

• Should you look for subscriptions or one-off license payments? Subscription software often gets a bad press and many object to regular subscriptions on principle. But the Adobe Photography Plan, for example, has made Adobe’s professional photo editing software available at a far lower price than when it was sold as a ‘perpetual’ license. Subscriptions aren’t all bad.

• Do you use a Mac or a PC? Most of the photo editing programs on our list work on both, as the Mac platform has gained considerable ground over the years and is now widely supported. A few programs, however, are Windows-only, including Corel PaintShop Pro.

What are the different type of image editors?

Often, there is a lot of crossover, but photo editing software does come in broad types:

• All in one suites for beginners and enthusiasts. These are programs that can both organize and edit your photos and typically come with easy to understand tools and plenty of help for novices. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a prime example, while ON1 Photo RAW is a more advanced alternative for enthusiasts.

• Professional cataloging and editing tools. Lightroom Classic and Capture One are the top two here, and both combine powerful image organizing and search tools with sophisticated editing options which are also ‘non-destructive’, so that the original photo is never altered.

• Traditional photo editors. These work directly and in depth on individual images. Photoshop is the perfect example, while Affinity Photo is a close rival. Many other programs offer editing tools, usually simpler and less powerful but also less technical.

• Web-based editors. These are convenient in that they don’t require software downloads and installation but are geared more towards quick effects and adjustments – there is a limit to what can be achieved in a web browser. Many offer free versions which may be all you need for basic adjustments.

• AI editors. This is a rapidly-changing area where AI noise reduction and image enlargement, AI subject recognition and masking and generative AI fill and expand features are changing the way we edit images and what we create. Skylum Luminar has long been an AI leader in the consumer market, while Photoshop is currently leading the way in the professional arena. Lots of software now uses AI for noise reduction and masking. Do you need AI? Not necessarily. It depends on how you like to edit images and the type of images you make.

How we test photo editing software

We considered the following criteria when evaluating the best photo editing software:

• Organizing, syncing and accessing your photo library • Photo editing versatility and depth • Ease of use • Power • Sharing options • Creative freedom • Fun

Each of the programs we tested didn't try to be the end-all, be-all for everyone. Therefore, we gave the various criteria different weights in our final ratings, depending on what the program's objective was and the kind of photographer to whom it would appeal.

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Be sure to check out all of our camera picks:

Best cameras | Best DSLR cameras  |  Best action cameras  |  Best waterproof cameras  |  Best point-and-shoot cameras  |  Best instant cameras  |  Best mirrorless cameras  |  Best cheap cameras  |  Best GoPro camera | Best GoPro accessories  |  Best drones  |  Best 360 cameras | Best iPhone lenses | Best iPhone tripods | DSLR vs. mirrorless | Best Nikon accessories | Best Sony a6000 accessories

The best apps and software for editing, managing, and sharing your photos: Best photo organizer apps | Best photo storage sites | Best photo editing apps  | Best photo collage apps | Amazon photo storage vs Google Photos

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Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing contributor to photography and tech websites, having previously worked as Digital Camera World's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com

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8 Basic iPhone Photo Editing Tasks You Should Know How to Do

Need to crop a picture, add a filter, or draw on an image? Learn how to perform common photo editing tasks on your iPhone.

Editing photos right after you take them, then posting them to the web, is one of the greatest conveniences of our time.

Forget ride sharing apps, on-demand entertainment, and wearables that might save your life . Being able to show millions of people what you had for dinner is what technology is really about.

Snark aside, knowing how to edit and improve your photos before sharing them with the world is a valuable skill. Here are a few tips to help you do that.

1. How to Edit a Photo on iPhone

iphone photo editing - edit link

Once you've taken a photo using your iPhone's camera app :

  • Launch the Photos app and find your image.
  • Tap on Edit in the top-right corner.
  • Use the controls to make any changes you need (more on this shortly).
  • Tap Done to save your work.

Remember that your edits are non-destructive , which means you can always revert to the original photo. To do this, tap Edit and then Revert to ditch your changes.

You can edit your photos using a range of apps, but today we'll focus mostly on the built-in Photos app provided by Apple. Check out our list of top iPhone photo editors for something a little more powerful.

2. How to Crop and Rotate Photos on iPhone

iphone photo editing - Crop and Rotate

Cropping means to cut a photo down to size, or discard parts of the frame you no longer need. To crop an image:

  • Launch Photos and locate the image you want to crop.
  • Tap Edit then hit the crop and rotate icon (box with two arrows) from the row of controls at the bottom of the screen.
  • Manipulate your image by grabbing and moving the corners of the frame. You can also pinch to zoom in and out.
  • Tap the Orientation button in the bottom-right to restrict your crop to a particular ratio or shape.
  • Tap Done to save your changes.

Rotating an image can mean making subtle adjustments to fix a wonky horizon, or rotating the image by 90 degree increments to correct an orientation issue. To rotate an image:

  • Tap Edit then hit the crop and rotate icon from the row of controls at the bottom of the screen (far left).
  • Select and drag the wheel at the bottom of the screen for minor adjustments.
  • Press the 90 degree rotate (square with arrow) icon in the bottom-left to rotate the entire frame.

3. How to Apply Filters to iPhone Photos

Silvertone iPhone Filter

Applying a filter frequently involves an app, but there are ways you can add instant style to your images using the basic Photos app:

  • Launch Photos and locate the image you want to edit, then tap Edit .
  • Tap the Filters icon (three circles) at the bottom of the screen.
  • Scroll through the available filters. Choose one, then hit Done to save.

This only provides access to Apple's filters (above), which look great but are somewhat limited. To add filters from compatible third-party apps:

  • Tap the ellipsis icon (a circle with three dots) then hit More .
  • Enable any compatible apps by toggling them On , then hit Done .
  • Tap on an app's icon to load the various photo editing controls and filters.
  • Make your changes, then hit Done to save.

Many apps, like Instagram, won't play ball with Apple's extensions in the Photo app, so you'll have to open the app instead. Check out a few of our favorite photo filter apps if you're in need of inspiration.

4. How to Convert iPhone Photos to Black and White

iphone photo editing - convert to Black and White

If you don't want to rely on a filter, you can convert to black and white manually and modify the intensity, contrast, and grain individually:

  • Tap on the adjustments icon (a knob dial) at the bottom of the screen.
  • Select B&W then Intensity , and adjust the slider to modify the effect.
  • Tap the list icon (three lines) on the right-hand side of the screen to reveal other controls: Neutrals , Tone , and Grain .
  • Adjust the various settings till you're happy, then tap Done to save.

Note: Any changes you make to the Light controls (contrast, highlights and shadows, and so on) will be retained when working in B&W mode.

5. How to Mark Up or Draw on an iPhone Photo

iPhone Markup Tools

Sometimes you may want to scribble on an image, obscure an address or face, or draw attention to something with an arrow or circle. You can do this with the Photos app:

  • Tap on the ellipsis icon (a circle with three dots), then tap Markup (see note below).
  • Use the various tools to make changes to your image. Tap the plus icon to reveal options for adding text , a signature , various shapes , and a magnifying loupe.

Note: If you don't see Markup under the menu, tap on More then enable markup from the list of apps.

Apple provides a decent array of tools. From left to right there's a: standard pen tool, highlighter, pencil, eraser for removing your markup, selection lasso for moving your markup, and color picker.

6. How to Edit a Live Photo on iPhone

Edit Live Photo iOS

You can edit a Live Photo on your iPhone like any other, with a few added options. To change the Live Photo animation:

  • Launch Photos and locate the Live Photo you want to edit. Select it and scroll down to reveal a new set of options.
  • Choose between the various Live Photo animations: standard Live , Loop , Bounce , and Long Exposure .
  • Scroll back up to preview the effect.

If you tap Edit in the top-right corner, you'll see a film roll at the bottom of the screen. Here you can pick a new key image from the Live Photo data. Tap a frame to select it, then tap Make Key Photo .

7. How to Remove Red Eye From iPhone Photos

Duplicate Still Photo on iOS

Red eye is less common with slower LED flashes, but it can still happen. To fix red eye for still (not Live) images:

  • Launch Photos and locate the image you want to fix, then tap Edit .
  • Tap the red eye tool icon in the top-left corner.
  • Touch each affected area to heal the image.

If you're trying to correct a Live Photo, you'll first need to duplicate it as a still image. You can extract a different image, based on the key photo (see "How to Edit a Live Photo on iPhone" above). To extract a still:

  • Launch Photos and locate the Live Photo you want to convert.
  • Tap the Share icon in the bottom-left corner, then choose Duplicate .
  • Select Duplicate as Still Photo when prompted.
  • Use the instructions above to remove red eye using the Photos app.

8. How to Remove Geotag Data From iPhone Photos

Share Photo Without Metadata using Koredoko

If you've approved your iPhone camera access to your location, your photos will store location data based on where your images were taken. You might want to remove this information if it poses a privacy risk. To do so:

  • Download Koredoko from the App Store, launch it, and grant access to your photos.
  • When prompted, enable Extention (sic) features. You can also do this from the app's Settings .
  • Tap the list icon in the bottom-left of the screen to view your photos, with the most recent at the bottom of the list.
  • Find your photo then tap the small blue i button next to it.
  • Finally, tap the Share button in the top-right, then choose Share without Metadata .
  • Choose whether to share the image directly to a service of your choice, or save the image to your Camera Roll for later use.

Note: Stripping the image of metadata will remove not only your geotag, but camera information like manufacturer and the settings used to capture the image.

To stop your iPhone from geotagging images altogether:

  • Launch Settings , then tap Privacy .
  • Tap Location Services , then select Camera .
  • Change Allow Location Access to Never .
  • Repeat as necessary for any other camera apps you use.

iPhone Photo Editing Basics Covered

With these tricks under your belt, you should be prepared to undertake most common photo editing tasks on your iPhone. If you want to take your images to the next level, consider shooting and editing RAW files which consume more space but provide more scope for adjustments in post-production.

Image retouching service

Photo Editing for Beginners: Simple Guide to Get Started

By Tata Rossi 7 days ago, Photo Editing Tips

photo editing tasks

Photo editing is of paramount importance for those who want to create eye-grabbing and professionally-looking pics. Having over 10 years of experience in this field at FixThePhoto, I created this guide with handy tips about basic photo editing for beginners that you can take advantage of when editing pics.

In my opinion, Adobe Photoshop is the best option for illustrating how all these tips work, as this editor offers a fully featured toolkit for performing various manipulations. It includes layers, filters, blending modes, and more. Photoshop is compatible with Windows and Mac, meaning that it is accessible to virtually any user.

1. RAW Files Give More Data

There is no doubt that JPEG format is the best for quick snapshots, but serious editing is only possible when using RAW files . The RAW format allows tweaking the exposure, WB, color, and more considerably. As for JPEG files, they are not for heavy editing. But if you decide to apply some serious changes to such files, you’ll have to deal with different undesired artifacts, like banding.

2. Straighten and Crop Your Image

An angle tool, which is offered by many photo editing software for beginners , allows straightening a bit wonky horizon. The outer lines or the edge of the pic will let you straighten your image. However, keep in mind that the picture does not have to be ideally horizontal, as it depends on the perspective. In such cases, you should be guided by your opinion.

The cropping tool is an ideal instrument for deleting undesired elements from the edges of the pic or changing the position of objects to create an ideal composition. Sometimes, it is possible to transform an image beyond recognition by cutting off only a small section of the photo.

Besides, you need to consider the position of your subject. If the provided tools for adjusting the dimensions of a picture are too confusing for you, have a look at Calculate Aspect Ratio service.

Choose the Crop tool in the Tools panel in Photoshop. Pull any edge of a picture or its corner to resize it and change the shape of the crop border. Check the list of options and select the check mark or press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to finish the cropping task.

3. Remove Unwanted Elements from a Photo

Some photos may have such defects as spots or red eyes that spoil the overall look distracting the viewers’ attention from the subject. It is necessary to delete such elements to polish an image.

Depending on the photo editing software for PC , there are different tools to perform this task like repair brush or the object eraser. They remove the affected image section filling it with a similar or surrounding area.

Upload an image to Photoshop. Choose an object with the Object Selection tool . Enlarge your selection. Now you need Content-Aware Fill to erase objects from the image. Confirm the action with the OK button.

4. Correct Your Exposure

Increase or decrease the brightness of the entire photo, if the whole image is too bright or too dark. Or adjust the bright areas of the pic. Altering the exposure, you can easily make the photo brighter or save underexposed areas.

A histogram is another handy option. It illustrates how tones in your image are distributed. Peaks toward the middle part of the histogram represent midtones, while peaks directed to the left represent shadows, and peaks forwarded to the right represent highlights.

Take a look at the image, analyze the histogram, and then get the desired result by dragging the Exposure slider.

Click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon to add a Photoshop Exposure adjustment layer . Select Exposure . Drag the Exposure slider to any side to correct the exposure.

5. Adjust the Right White Balance

White balance (or temperature) setting can adjust the color temperature of the pic. Tweak it according to your liking or what your photo should represent. A warm color temperature makes the overall image atmosphere more inviting, whereas a cool WB makes the subject more distant.

The majority of image editors let users select a white balance dropper. For instance, you won’t struggle to adjust white balance in Photoshop . To do this, click on the image section that should be a neutral gray or white. It is also possible to correct the tint to neutralize green or magenta hues in a photo.

Select a Photo Adjustment layer. Use a Cooling or Warming Filter to correct colors in a jiffy.

6. Make Color Corrections

One of the most important tips for editing photos for beginners is to proceed with editing colors after exposure and WB corrections, which can alter the colors in your image. These options are required to brighten the colors in your pic:

Saturation : By tweaking this setting, you can manage to change the colors in the photo equally. A high saturation intensifies the colors of your image, whereas a low saturation makes them less radiant.

Dynamics : This configuration alters the colors that lack saturation. With it, altering the color effect in a more targeted and subtle way is an intuitive procedure.

Adjustment of individual color channels : Many photo editing tools allow editing individual colors. Use the red color channel to adjust the red color, making it more intensive or desaturated.

Open the Adjustments panel , and click the icon tool for performing the required correction. To adjust tones and colors, choose Levels or Curves . To tweak color, select Color Balance or Hue/Saturation . To turn a color image into a B&W pic, choose Black & White .

7. Adjust the Brightness and Contrast

The difference between the darks and lights is an image is described with a term contrast. If an image features intense dark and light colors, the contrast is high, whereas softer darks and softer lights result in low contrast. Usually, RAW files are not so contrasted, but you can fix the situation with the Contrast slider and drag it until you get the desired result.

But do not get overboard with contrast, otherwise, you’ll end up with a spine-chilling effect.

Take note that by decreasing the Contrast slider, you’ll manage to achieve a soft and ethereal look. This works well for images taken in foggy weather, as the low contrast can help create the appropriate mood.

Go to the menu bar, choose Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast . Move the Brightness slider to adjust the overall brightness of the pic. Drag the Contrast slider to make the image more contrasted. Confirm your choice with the OK button. All the corrections will only affect the selected layer.

8. Check the Saturation

By increasing the photography saturation , you can enhance the overall look of your pic. Some photo editors offer users to adjust the vibrance, which is similar to saturation. However, by tweaking this setting, you will only manage to make subtle changes.

Sometimes, editors need to make images less vibrant or saturated. For example, you’ll need to decrease the brightness of color to create a moody image. Even a slight drop of saturation will let you achieve a sophisticated cinematic effect.

Select Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation . Or pick Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation , or open an existing Hue/Saturation adjustment layer .

9. Reduce Noise and Sharpen Your Image

RAW photos often suffer from blurriness. Leverage photo sharpening software to fix this issue. Frequently, even subtle changes can make your photos look more realistic.

One of the handiest photo editing tips for beginners is to use the Masking slider to exclude the image sections that you do not want to be sharpened like a subject’s face.

Keep in mind that noise reduction does not necessarily work for any image. If at 100% magnification, you’ll notice little speckles, try to minimize luminance and color noise. Be aware that too much can decrease sharpness and deteriorate the overall look of a pic, so do not go to extremes.

The Reduce Noise Filter is the easiest way to minimize noise in Photoshop. To take advantage of this filter, choose Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise . Select the “ Advanced ” mode and process each color channel to decrease the noise in the image as accurately as possible,

To make the image sharper, select Enhance > Adjust Sharpness . Pick the Preview check box . Configure any of the following features to increase the sharpness of your image, and confirm it with the OK button.

10. Try Complex Photo Editing

It will let you bring your post-production to a new level and won’t be limited by simple color corrections or brightness adjustments.

Photoshop enables editors to import their custom brushes or create their own ones to retouch images like a pro. Using them, it is easy to create a completely new setting like putting snow in a photo taken in a cloudy or even a sunny day (be sure to fade the colors first).

Select the Brush tool to create a brush in Photoshop. Follow this path Window > Brush Settings and open the Brush Settings panel . Choose the appropriate Brush Tip Shape to fit the look you are going to create. After you are satisfied with a new brush, you can use it. Do not forget to save it for your future workflow. Choose New Brush Preset from the hamburger menu to save your tool.

Of course, as with editing photos for beginners on Photoshop or any other editor, you’ll need time to learn more complex editing techniques and tools. However, sometimes it is more reasonable and cost-effective to address the task of image retouching to professionals who are sure to deliver top-level outcomes.

FixThePhoto specialists are experts in editing pics providing high-quality touch-ups for just $1.50 per photo. You’ll get pics with professionally corrected colors and retouched skin without any imperfection. These guys will make your photos eye-grabbing in no time.

Other Software & Apps

Adobe Lightroom . Lightroom is quite an intuitive software. It is the best fit for all those who need to enhance photos, spruce them up with the effects, or change their size or crop. The batch-processing mode is a real highlight of this editor. This time-saving feature lets editors process multiple images in one go.

GIMP . GIMP allows performing as many corrections as required. It also allows altering the source code. This is a perfect solution for all those who need to improve lighting, exposure, and contrast. GIMP for beginners is available for free and offers unique graphic design elements, components, and effects to jazz up pics.

Luminar Neo . The editor leverages AI to automate many complex manual tasks. Besides, it comes with intuitive one-click tools to upgrade your images in the shortest possible time. Try the Enhance AI tool first to tweak your image’s color, details, contrast, and depth.

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate . The main advantages of this editor are a GPU-powered system and updated adjustment layers. Thanks to these features, you can easily satisfy all your creative needs and achieve the results your clients expect. ACDSee comes with a color palette enhancer, non-destructive specific area targeting, fast facial recognition, black-and-white modes, and excellent contrast and exposure tools that ensure top-rated outcomes.

Fotor . Fotor is the most functional solution for creating collages. The editor offers multiple ready-made samples, as well as allows users to implement all their creative ideas. Besides, it is an ideal tool for fixing blurry pics. Leveraging advanced AI technology, the app can clear up your pics and increase their sharpness in an instant.

Although these applications are effective, you will need much time to edit pics using them. Besides, the result often looks artificial. Those who need to get professionally retouched images in no time getting naturally-looking pics should consider using the Fix The Photo Editor & Retouch app .

The team of experienced specialists will cover all your requirements, no matter how complex they are. Import your photos, provide instructions, and get brilliant results in just a few hours.

Whether you need to make your face slimmer, correct makeup, remove objects, or change the color of your hair, this photo editor is what you need. Retouchers work round-the-clock to realize all your creative ideas, providing you with pics of top-level quality.

  • Bonus Tools

Editing photos for beginners can become easier thanks to these photo editing freebies. They can make your photo editing workflow more productive and creative. The package includes freebies for Lightroom, Photoshop, templates, plugins for photographers, overlay freebies, etc.

These tools can help you achieve vintage film, matte, pastel, light & airy, B&W, and other effects to jazz up portrait, food, street, product, and interior photography. With these filters, any photo editing task becomes a one-click procedure.

  • Photo editing for beginners
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iPhone Photography Basics: Edit iPhone photos the right way

Fix it in the edit and your iPhone shots will reach new heights!

iPhone editing tips

  • A light touch
  • Duplicate your image
  • Finish an edit
  • Improve your editing further

Take better photos with the camera in your pocket. iMore's iPhone Photography Week 2024 is filled with great content that will take your iPhone camera-snapping ability to the next level. 

- More iPhone Photography Basics

- Check out more iPhone Photography Week 2024

#iMorePhotographyWeek

Image editing is a topic that’s as large in scale as photography itself, but how to edit iPhone photos the right way doesn’t have to be at all daunting. While dedicated editing apps such as Pixelmator Pro are likely where you’ll end up once you grow in confidence, the humble Photos app has everything you need to get started.

But rather than simply tapping Edit and hitting the Auto icon, I’m going to break down the Photos app’s image editor so you can navigate your way through its menus and tools and apply your own manual edits like a pro. Editing is your chance to really stamp your mark on your photos. And as you advance your skills, you’ll begin to develop your own style. Here’s how to get started…

Share your results with iMore on X (Twitter) using #iMorePhotographyWeek

I’m Deputy Editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, but moonlight as iMore’s go-to photography know-it-all. I’ve worked in the photo industry for over six years and have been an avid iPhone photographer since the iPhone 4. I’m a firm believer that iPhone photography is a great starting point for burgeoning photographers, which is why I’ve created a series of iPhone photography basics tutorials, so you can either firm up your existing iPhone Camera skills or embark on a whole new passion.

Consider a light touch

The best iPhones are brimming with AI-powered computational photography tech that allows your iPhone to perform an incredible number of processes in a split second, such as sharpening, noise reduction, color edits, and increased dynamic range to create a more balanced exposure. There’s an argument that it does too much, but there’s no denying how impressive it is. However, this does mean that editing iPhone images requires a much lighter touch than normal. 

It’s tempting to set about lifting shadows, reducing highlights, and adding generous dollops of saturation, but if you’re not careful, your images will look fabricated. Take a moment to examine each image, fresh from the camera, to really consider every edit you make. Shooting in Apple ProRAW will reduce the level of computational photography applied, but it’s still there. A good tip is to keep revisiting the original image. This will help make your changes more obvious, so you’re more likely to tell if it needs toning down.

  • In the Photos app ’s editing suite, apply your chosen edits
  • Tap the image to revert back to the original photo so you can quickly gauge the impact of your edits

How to make a duplicate image

Once you’ve edited an image in the Photos app’s editing suite and tapped Done, you can recover your original image by entering the editing suite once again and tapping Revert. However, to be absolutely certain I don’t lose my original image, in case I want to edit it again in the future, I like to make a duplicate. 

View your chosen image in the Photos app and select the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen then tap Duplicate. You’ll find the duplicate at the very bottom of your Recents Album or next to the duplicated image in any other Album. While you’re in the middle of an edit, it can be useful to see the original image to ensure you haven’t gone overboard with your edits (see the previous step).

  • Open the Photos app and find your desired image
  • Tap the three-dotted icon in the top-right corner of the screen
  • Select Duplicate to create a duplicate at the bottom of your Album

How to crop

It’s good practice to crop your image before performing any other edits, so you are working with the final image. This is imperative when applying processes like noise reduction or sharpening because the size of the image may affect how much or how little you choose to apply. Cropping reduces an image’s size and quality. Ideally, you want to get the composition as perfect as possible in-camera, using the cropping tool sparingly to tidy up the composition or straighten the horizon. 

Of course, you may wish to crop an image for a specific platform, such as 16:9 or 1:1 for Instagram. If you make a mistake when cropping, you can tap the yellow Reset button that appears immediately after you’ve cropped an image. You can also use the Straighten, Vertical, and Horizontal tools when cropping to straighten the horizon or line up verticals, like interior walls.

  • Open your chosen image in the Photos app ’s editing suite and select the crop tab
  • Tap the Straighten , Vertical or Horizontal icons to rotate the image or change the perspective of the verticals and horizontals, respectively
  • Select the icon to the left of the marker icon and choose from a variety of cropping presets near the bottom of the screen
  • Hit Reset to revert to the original crop

Fix your exposure

Next you’ll want to adjust the overall exposure of your image. Your iPhone’s computational photography has probably already done most of the legwork here, but if parts of the image are looking a little too dark or bright, you can boost the Shadows and reduce the Highlights sliders to bring back some of the detail. Always remember, you can bring back more detail when lifting shadows than reducing highlights. 

If the entire frame is too dark or too light, you can adjust the Exposure slider to make the entire image lighter or darker. This is a particularly powerful tool, so use it sparingly. Brightness works very similarly to Exposure, but the effect isn’t as intense. While it affects the shadows and mid-tones rather comparatively, it doesn't affect the highlights quite as much. 

Brilliance is an interesting tool that’s used to brighten or darken an image without affecting the highlights. Slide it to the right to brighten the frame with less chance of clipping (losing detail when the whites get too bright or the shadows get too dark) and slide it to the left to darken the shadows but retain the brightest highlights.

  • In the Photos app ’s editing suite, ensure you have the Adjust icon selected 
  • Scroll through and tap on one of the various adjustment icons to bring up the corresponding slider
  • Move the slider left or right and watch as it affects the image

How to add contrast

Contrast regards the difference between light and dark portions of the image. A high-contrast image will have darker blacks and brighter whites, while a low-contrast image will display softer gray-toned blacks and whites. There’s nothing wrong with either but extremes at either end rarely look good. Too much contrast can leave an image appearing fabricated and overly intense, and too little contrast can leave it looking dull and flat. 

The Contrast slider can be used to increase or decrease the contrast of the entire image, so the blacks get darker and the whites get brighter. Black Point is useful if you just want to increase or decrease the intensity of the blacks. Another slider you can use to alter the contrast of your image is Definition. This adds contrast to the midtones and contours edges within the image. The bold lines formed via the latter creates a kind of sharpening effect that’s very easy to overdo, so use it sparingly.

  • Scroll through the Photos app ’s Adjust tab in the editing suite
  • Use Contrast to increase/decrease contrast across the whole image
  • Use Black Point to increase/decrease the intensity of the blacks
  • Definition will add contrast to the mid tones and definition to edges

How to edit color

You have four color tools at your disposal: Warmth, Tint, Vibrance and Saturation. Warmth changes the color temperature of your image. Drag the slider to the right and the warm colors (such as reds and yellows) will intensify, drag the slider to the left and the cool colors (such as blues and cooler greens) will intensify. Boosting Warmth is a great way to intensify the effects of golden hour or a fiery sunset, while decreasing the warmth may add mood to a stormy seascape or winter portrait. 

Tint is used to correct for any green or magenta color casts. If you spot a subtle green hue on a portrait subject’s skin for example, moving the slider right will add magenta to combat the green cast. If you’re not careful, though, you can end up going too far the other way, so if you’re unsure or simply can’t see anything wrong with the image, this is best left alone.

Saturation increases or decreases the intensity of all colors and when decreased to -100 will leave the image black and white. Vibrance works similarly to Saturation, with an emphasis on the less dominant colors within an image. This can be used to help balance the saturation of an image, with less chance of colors clipping.

  • Use Warmth to adjust the color temperature of an image
  • Drag it left to make it cooler and right to make it warmer
  • Use Tint to remove color casts
  • Move it left to add green and right to add magenta
  • Use Vibrance to boost or reduce less-dominant colors
  • Use Saturation to boost or reduce all colors

How to finish off an edit

The only tools I haven’t talked about are Sharpness, Noise Reduction and Vignette. A professional photographer would typically sharpen an image right before it’s exported. But iPhone’s computational photography already sharpens images, arguably, too much and if you’re only going to be posting your images on Instagram or looking at them via your iPhone’s display, there’s really no need to sharpen them. Noise Reduction removes noise, tiny colorful specks that hamper image quality and become increasingly prominent the more a camera’s sensor is required to compensate in low-light conditions. 

This is something I’d recommend performing near the beginning of an edit, but again, your iPhone already applies a decent dose of noise reduction by default. If you do ever need to use it, the further you push the slider the more the noise will decrease, but the softer the image will become, so it’s a bit of a balancing act. And finally, Vignette allows you to darken the edges of your image. It can be used a little like a frame-within-a-frame to draw the viewer’s attention towards your subject or a stylistic choice to replicate the less advanced optics of older lenses that were more susceptible to noticeable vignetting than modern ones

  • Use Sharpness very sparingly, if at all, to sharpen an image prior to exporting
  • Noise Reduction should be used sparingly too, it reduces noise but soften images in the process
  • Add a dark vignette by pushing the slider to the right and a light vignette by sliding it to the left
  • Use Vignette to draw attention to subjects in the center of the frame

How can I improve my editing further?

If you have an iPhone that can capture Apple ProRAW files, then you’ll find images are much more pliable. This is because a RAW file is designed to capture as much image data as possible. Our tips to improve your iPhone photography instantly guide explains this in more detail. But beyond the hardware that you’re using, you’ll find there’s a plethora of dedicated editing apps available on the App Store, such as Photoshop Express , Lightroom , and Snapseed , that boast additional editing capabilities so you can take your photo editing skills to the next level. However, the bulk of editing is done using the tonal adjustment tools available in the Photos app. So make sure you understand how to use it thoroughly before progressing.

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Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

Mike Harris

Mike Harris is Deputy Editor for   N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine , and brings with him over 10 years experience writing both freelance and for some of the biggest specialist publications. Prior to joining  N-Photo  Mike was the production editor for the content marketing team of Wex Photo Video, the UK’s largest online specialist photographic retailer, where he sharpened his skills in both the stills and videography spheres.  

While he’s an avid motorsport photographer, his skills extend to every genre of photography – making him one of Digital Camera World’s top tutors for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters and other imaging equipment, as well as sharing his expertise on shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks. 

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photo editing tasks

Photoshop GPU FAQ

Find answers to commonly asked questions about Photoshop and graphics processor (GPU) card usage.

Topics in this article:

How does Photoshop use the graphics processor?

What are the minimum graphics processor requirements, how can i check the gpu compatibility report, how can i check the gpu status while working on a document in photoshop, what are the various gpu modes in photoshop, which features in photoshop use the graphics processor, how do i enable photoshop to use the graphics processor, does photoshop take advantage of more than one graphics processor or graphics card, can i use photoshop's graphics processor features on a virtual machine.

Photoshop leverages the graphics processor in your system to provide a seamlessly smooth Photoshop experience and increased performance with many features. 

For full Photoshop system requirements, see Photoshop system requirements .

Generally, consider using GPUs with an Average Ops/Sec of 2000 or higher on PassMark's GPU Computer Benchmark Chart .

If you are using an older graphics card or driver, GPU functionality in Photoshop may be limited or not supported.

With the Photoshop 23.0 release, you can run the graphics processor compatibility check to ensure your GPU is compatible:

Go to Help > GPU Compatibility and see the report dialog that opens.

GPU compatibility check

The information on this screen reflects the GPU state when Photoshop is launched. If the state of the GPU changed during the session, it would not be reflected here. For real-time feedback about using the GPU during an active session, see  How can I check the GPU status while working on a document .

If the GPU stops working in Photoshop, several features could be impacted . To confirm the GPU status in Photoshop, do either of the following:

  • From the Document Status bar on the bottom left of the workspace, open the  Document Status  menu and select  GPU Mode  to display the GPU operating mode for your open document. 
  • Open the  Info  panel and select  GPU Mode .

Use the GPU Mode indicator for your active document when trying to diagnose rendering issues

Here's the list of available GPU modes in Photoshop:

  • CPU:  CPU mode means that the GPU isn't available to Photoshop for the current document, and all features that have CPU pipelines will continue to work, but the performance from GPU optimizations will not exist so these features could be noticeably slower, such as - Neural Filters, Object Selection, Zoom/Magnify, etc. The visual interface for many features like crop, selections, and transform will drop color borders or become harder to view (thinner).
  • D3D12 : This is the preferred mode for Windows and means you can take full advantage of the most modern GPU APIS on that platform.
  • Software : Software rendering is a Windows-only mode that returns to the Direct X 11 renderer. This happens if you explicitly set the Technology Preference, " Older GPU Mode (Pre 2016) ", or if Photoshop determines that the software renderer is required for better stability.
  • Metal : This is the preferred mode for macOS and means the user is taking full advantage of the most modern GPU APIs on that platform.
  • Legacy OpenGL : Legacy OpenGL means that Photoshop uses the previous generation of GPU technology. Ideally, users on macOS would see Metal,  and Windows users would see D3D12 .

Features that require a GPU for acceleration

  • Artboards ( more info )
  • Blur Gallery - OpenCL accelerated
  • Camera Raw ( more info )
  • Image Size – Preserve Details ( more info )
  • Lens Blur ( more info )
  • Neural Filters ( more info )
  • Select Focus ( more info )
  • Select and Mask - OpenCL accelerated ( more info )
  • Smart Sharpen - OpenCL accelerated ( more info )

Features that won't work without a GPU:  If your graphics processor is unsupported or its driver is defective, the following Photoshop features won't work —

  • Birds Eye View ( more info )
  • Flick Panning ( more info )
  • Oil Paint ( more info )
  • Perspective Warp ( more info )
  • Render – Flame, Picture Frame, and Tree
  • Scrubby Zoom
  • Smooth Brush Resizing ( more info )

If you encounter any issues working with the above features, see  Graphics processor (GPU) troubleshooting .

   Discontinuation of 3D features in Photoshop

Photoshop’s 3D features will be removed in future updates. Users working with 3D are encouraged to explore Adobe’s new Substance 3D collection, which represents the next generation of 3D tools from Adobe. Additional details on the discontinuation of Photoshop’s 3D features can be found here:  Photoshop 3D | Common questions on discontinued 3D features .

  • On Windows, a GPU with DirectX 12 support and 1.5 GB of GPU memory
  • On macOS, a GPU with Metal Support and 1.5 GB of GPU memory

Choose Edit > Preferences > Performance (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Performance (macOS).

In the Performance panel, make sure that Use Graphics Processor is selected in the Graphics Processor Settings section.

Click Advanced Settings and specify the following option:

Use OpenCL :  Enable to accelerate the new Blur Gallery filters, Smart Sharpen , Select Focus Area , or Image Size with Preserve Details  selected (Note: OpenCL is available only on newer graphics cards that support OpenCL v1.1 or later.)

Photoshop does not take advantage of multiple graphics cards. Conflicting drivers may also cause crashes or other problems.

  • If you have a system with multiple graphics cards, see  Configuring computers with multiple graphics cards .
  • If you have multiple monitors, a best practice is to connect them to the same graphics card prior to starting Photoshop.

Running Photoshop under  virtual machines, or VMs, is not tested extensively nor officially supported . Running Photoshop with Use Graphics Processor enabled under virtual machines and remote desktop is not supported at all.

More like this

  • Basic troubleshooting to fix most issues
  • Photoshop GPU troubleshooting
  • Optimize performance Photoshop
  • Photoshop plug-ins and extensions
  • Photoshop plug-ins troubleshooting

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I used a Mac with 8GB memory in 2024. Here's how it went.

  • Apple's unified memory architecture allows it to use memory more efficiently, meaning that 8GB of RAM on a Mac is comparable to 16GB on other systems.
  • Real-world usage suggests that 8GB of memory is sufficient for average workloads on base-model Macs, as long as they don't involve graphics-heavy tasks.
  • However, as memory demands increase over time, 8GB of memory may not be enough for Macs in the future, especially for tasks like 3D rendering and video editing.

Memory and storage are in a really strange place as we begin 2024. Some devices have more RAM available than others have in storage, offering mind-boggling amounts of memory. The OnePlus 12 , one of the best smartphones right now, offers up to 24GB of RAM, which puts many low and mid-tier computers to shame.

And yet, base-model Macs are still shipping with just 8GB of unified memory. Apple claims that its computers don't need a lot of memory because it uses a more efficient chip design. Well, I bought an M2 Mac Mini with 8GB of RAM recently and used it for work for about a week to see whether Apple's claims about memory are correct.

Unified Memory vs Swap Memory

Two terms you'll hear a lot when referring to memory on apple silicon.

First, it's important to understand what unified and swap memory are because these terms are crucial to understanding the performance of Apple Silicon processors. A non-Mac PC has RAM and vRAM , with the former serving as memory for the CPU and the latter providing memory for the GPU. You'll likely see a standard configuration these days with 16GB of RAM and 8GB of vRAM, but numbers can climb much higher, especially on higher-end GPUs .

On the other hand, Apple Silicon uses a system-on-chip (SoC) design that houses the CPU, GPU, RAM, and other components on a single die. The CPU and GPU can pull memory from the same pool of RAM, hence the "unified memory" moniker. This has benefits and drawbacks. On a PC, the GPU wouldn't be able to access system RAM if it needed more memory; it would just run out of space. Apple Silicon computers, on the other hand, can access RAM directly, so it improves efficiency. However, it could mean that more RAM is needed to service both parts of the SoC, at least in theory.

Apple Silicon uses a system-on-chip (SoC) design that houses the CPU, GPU, RAM, and other components on a single die.

Apple says that the unified memory architecture means you don't need as much RAM on a Mac as on a PC. "Comparing our memory to other system's memory isn't equivalent because we have such an efficient use of memory, and we use memory compression, and we have a unified memory architecture," said Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of worldwide product marketing, in an interview with Bilibili . "Actually, 8GB on an M3 MacBook Pro is probably analogous to 16GB on other systems. We just happen to be able to use it much more efficiently."

So, if system memory needs to go beyond physical memory, something called swap memory comes into play, taking a portion of your computer's SSD and using it as RAM, making up for the difference between needed and available memory. However, using Swap isn't often a good thing. RAM has much higher bandwidth and speeds than an SSD, so using swap memory can often make your system feel sluggish.

Using the M2 Mac Mini for typical use

Web browsing, photo editing, and powering two external displays.

When moving over to the M2 Mac Mini as my primary work machine, I was surprised at how well it handled my typical tasks. I hooked the computer up to two external monitors and a few USB devices for primarily web-based processes and photo editing. These tasks use up to around 12GB of memory on my M3 iMac with 16GB, so I was surprised to see the Mac Mini work much more efficiently with only 8GB available.

Pixelmator Pro, my photo editing app of choice, was near the top of my RAM usage list in Activity Monitor. A bunch of open tabs were taking up a few gigabytes of memory combined as well, and some apps needed limited amounts of RAM, too.

However, throughout hours using the M2 Mac Mini for work, I never saw system-wide memory usage go far above 6GB. That equates to about 75% memory usage, which was the same percentage I experienced on my iMac with 16GB. This suggests that Apple Silicon will use around 75% of memory whenever possible and can get much more efficient on systems with less physical memory.

How memory fares in benchmarks

Synthetic tests show ram is quickly consumed in graphical tasks.

However, my daily workload is fairly light regarding graphics, which may be why I didn't notice a difference in usability on my Mac Mini. Running the Cinebench R24 benchmark on my Mac consumed a massive amount of unified memory almost immediately after starting the test. At its highest point, physical memory hit around 7GB used and swap memory used more than 2GB. During the test, Cinebench used up nearly 7GB of the total ~10GB used by physical and swap memory.

Depending on your workload, your results might vary using a Mac with 8GB of unified memory. Web-based workflows are becoming increasingly common, and Apple Silicon handles these tasks extremely well. But anything related to graphics seems to stress the 8GB memory on the M2 Mac Mini, and you'll start to notice the system slow down during tasks like rendering and video editing.

Is 8GB of RAM enough on a Mac in 2024?

It was a bit surprising to see 8GB of memory remain the starting configuration for the best Macs at this point in time, but there appears to be some truth to Apple's claims that its products simply handle memory better than PCs. I could switch from a Mac with 16GB of memory to one with 8GB of memory without any noticeable differences. Sure, there were limitations found in synthetic tests, but real-world usage matters much more.

The average person might find 8GB of memory to be enough as long as they don't do graphics-heavy work. Realistically, people doing 3D rendering or video editing aren't considering a base-model Mac anyway, so this isn't much of a knock against these computers. The problems really start when you think about the Mac's ability to stay relevant and capable over time. Memory demands are increasing in perpetuity, and I don't think 8GB of memory will be enough a few years down the road. For people with average workloads, 8GB of memory is enough on base-model Macs, but it won't always be that way.

I used a Mac with 8GB memory in 2024. Here's how it went.

Guided parent-child discussion can help address subtle racism

racial bias

  • Institute for Policy Research
  • Social Justice
  • Weinberg College

Experts have long pointed out the need for white parents to have conversations that directly address racism with their children to reduce racial bias. But many parents fail to have these crucial discussions.

Psychology researchers at Northwestern University have published the first study to demonstrate the immediate effectiveness of a guided discussion task to promote parent-child conversations about racial bias in white U.S. families.

The researchers created a discussion guide that would support parents to have “color conscious” conversations with their children that would explicitly acknowledge the existence and history of racism, and its continued presence.  

According to the study, parents who engaged in color conscious discussions with their 8- to 12-year-old child showed a significant decrease in anti-Black bias, and so did their children. However, even in conversations in which parents made comments that downplayed the importance of race or deflected blame away from white perpetrators of racism, the researchers saw reductions in bias.

“A lot of parents worry that talking to their kids about racism could increase their children’s biases, and they also feel like they don’t know how to do it,” said corresponding author Sylvia Perry. “Our key finding, however, was that when parents used color conscious language while discussing interpersonal racism, it was associated with a significant decrease in their child’s negative implicit biases toward Black people.”

Perry is an associate professor of psychology and principal investigator for the Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes Laboratory at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern.

Perry said two questions prompted the research. First, if white parents and their children participated in a guided racism discussion task, would they have color conscious conversations? Second, if white parents and their children did have color conscious conversations, would children show a measurable decrease in their anti-Black biases following the conversation? 

Guided discussion as a tool

The researchers recruited 84 self-described white parent-child pairs to participate in the study.

Parents were asked to start a conversation with their child after watching videos that depicted interactions between a white child and a Black child. The series of scenes featured overt prejudice, subtle prejudice or neutral interactions between the children. Parents were provided with suggested discussion prompts such as, “Why did the white child do what they did?” and “How do you think the Black child felt after it happened?” — intended to encourage parents and children to articulate whether racial prejudice had occurred and to consider the negative impact of racism on Black children.

Parents and children individually completed implicit association tests to measure their degree of anti-Black bias before and after the guided discussion task.

Using colorblind language

The researchers were surprised to find that even when parents used colorblind language in discussing the videos with their children, for example, saying, “Black and white people are all the same,” their children still showed reductions in their biases; the effects were just smaller.

Perry noted, however, that the observed decreases occurred while parents and children were participating in a guided racism discussion task designed to mitigate prejudice. While some families used colorblind language at some point during their discussion, most of those families also used color conscious language. Overall, 92% of parents and 95% of children, used color conscious language during the discussion.

The children's anti-Black biases showed a significant decline after completion of the discussion task. Children showed a moderate preference for white over Black individuals, with an implicit bias score of 0.41 before the task. After the discussion task, the score was reduced to 0.16, bringing them closer to little or no bias. Parents’ anti-Black biases also decreased significantly, from 0.53 to 0.34, after the discussion task.

Addressing subtle prejudice

Because subtle forms of prejudice have negative effects on the mental and physical health of Black individuals, Perry said it is a lost opportunity to engage only in conversations about blatant racism. “Parents can help children confront the idea that being uncomfortable around a Black child is not only wrong, but should be attributed to the child who engages in that behavior in a way that holds them accountable for their prejudice,” Perry said.

Perry said children aged 8- to 12-years are psychologically and cognitively capable of having more challenging and complex conversations about things like racism. “During middle childhood kids are becoming less comfortable speaking about how they really feel in social groups and are more likely to impression manage and say, oh, I don’t think negatively about this group,” Perry said.

Perry noted, however, that even preschoolers are capable of having conversations about race, stating, “By preschool, children can reason about and understand concepts like fairness and racial inequality.” Perry added, “It is important for parents to start these conversations early because we know that around age three, children are already showing preferences for white over Black individuals.”

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