As the saying goes, a picture is worth more than 1,000 words.
With the rise of mobile phones, cameras have become more advanced than ever before. This has led to a whole new level of DIY photography where anyone can capture a stunning photo on their phone.
While sometimes this will be enough, in most situations, you’re going to want to retouch photos. Whether you work for a newspaper, a magazine, or your blog, the odds are that you’ll be called upon in your career to make a photo look better.
If you are wondering what basic tips you need to retouch your photos, read on for a short and simple guide.
1. Find the Right Tools
The first thing you need to do for retouching photographs is to find the right photo editing software for the job. There are several options available, and each one has its own set of features and tools that make it ideal for certain tasks.
For example, if you’re just starting with photo editing, then Photoshop Elements might be a good choice because it’s affordable and offers a lot of functionality for beginners. If you need something more advanced that can handle extensive files and create complex effects, then Adobe Photoshop is great for this purpose. Or, you can always consider outsourcing photo editing.
2. Start Small
If you’ve never edited photographs with photo editing software before, then it might be tempting to dive right into making major edits. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a good idea. Instead, it’s best if you start with something simple, such as removing blemishes or red-eye corrections before moving on to more complex tasks.
3. Learn How to Use Different Filters
Filters will help you with your Photoshop retouching to make minor changes without having to edit every single pixel in your picture manually. Learn how to bring out details in an image with clarity masks and use adjustment layers to change the tone of your image.
4. Get Your Colors Right
Color correction is essential for a professional photo retouching job. The best way to do it is by using curves or levels. If you’re looking for an easy way out, try using presets in your software of choice.
5. Clean up Your Background
An essential step to retouch portraits is to touch up your background. If there are objects that distract attention from your subject, then you should remove them. You can do this by using masking techniques or simply cloning over them with another part of the image that doesn’t contain any distracting elements.
Retouch Photos: Turn an Okay Photo into Something Amazing
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to retouch photos and create your own truly stunning images.
It’s easy, and the results are practically guaranteed. Remember that with practice, you can become a professional at this craft and turn your photo retouching hobby into an obsession.
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