Basic Editing Techniques

3 Basic Editing Techniques

The beauty of digital photography is the ablility to “correct” images with editing tools. Photoshop is the most popular editing software, but can be quite pricey. There are alternative software programs available for free download through Open Source, one favorite is GIMP.

Another free source for editing software is Picasa 3 from Google. Picasa 3 is a very valuable tool that all digital photographers should consider. Besides providing an acceptable basic editor, Picasa will help keep your images organized and easily accessible.

When I am trying to locate an image file on my computer, I sometimes forget what file it is in. With Picasa, all of my images are visible as thumbnails, and it is easy to scroll through until I find the one I am looking for. Invaluable for me.

Which ever editing program you use, there are a couple of steps I recommend you follow when editing your images.I am going to use Picasa 3 to show an example of the 3 basic editing steps.

Straightening a Crooked Image

The first thing I look for is how straight the image is. If you have a shot with a horizon line, it really improves the shot if the line is straight. Picasa has a great tool for straightening your image. Very easy to use.

As you can see on this image the horizon is slightly crooked, I don’t know how many photos I tossed out because they were crooked before I learned how to straighten them!

Open the image in Picasa 3 and select the “Straighten” tool, top row middle button.

A grid will pop up, which will allow you to adjust the image to straighten it using the guidelines.

Using your mouse on the white button at the bottom, slide the button left or right until your image is straight, then hit “apply”.

Adjust Levels

The second step I always do is check my levels. Often times I will be disappointed with the way an image has turned out, it is either too dark, or too light. That is easily fixed by  adjusting the levels. In “Photoshop” type programs, select “image”, “adjustments”, and “levels”. Play with the levels until you are happy with the image, and save.

In Picasa, you do not have as much control over the levels, but the “Auto Contrast” feature works almost as well, and you may want to try the Auto Color as well to see how that affects your photo.

This is the original image before adjusting. This one does not need much adjustment, but see if you can notice the subtle difference between the two images.

Contrast Adjusted

Cropping Your Image

Always look at your photo with a critical eye. Is your subject clearly focused on in the picture? Is there too much sky, or ground, or distraction that takes away from the focus? Don’t be afraid to crop your image. Use the Crop tool to improve your picture.

Photoshop and Picasa both have excellent tools. Picasa is easier to use. I personally use both editing tools, Photoshop for levels and cropping, Picasa for any straightening I may need to do.

On this image I felt there was just a little bit too much sky and water. The highlighted area you see below will be the result after I crop.

Now you can look at both the before and after image to see if you can tell the difference. Even though it is subtle, I personally prefer the edited version.

Once you are done editing your image be sure and save it! When you are done, hit the Back to Library button, and in the right hand corner of your screen you will see an option “Save to Disk”. Click on that button to save any changes you have made to the image.

My passion for photography comes from a desire to share the beauty that I have been privileged to witness. Whether it is a beautiful sunset, a gorgeous landscape, a glimpse of wildlife, or the beauty of a single flower, I edit, to present the best image I can.

I give most of the credit to my camera, second to opportunity, and third to editing abilities. Friends have told me I have a natural talent for photography, but then that is what friends are for. What I think I really have is the ability to edit a fair image into a better one.

When editing my photos, I am always looking to see if my picture can be improved, light adjustment, does it need cropping or straightening? These 3 simple basic steps can dramatically improve your image.

Once you get the basic editing techniques down, you will be ready to explore all the other fun things you can do with your images using a Photoshop type program. Then the fun and creativity really begins!