6 Top Professional Image Editing Tips

In this digital era, as much as photos are important, image editing service is as paramount. Of course, not everything requires you to knock on their door, but despite your umpteenth attempt, is there still a significant difference between your edited images and those you get professionally done? Want to know their secrets?

Follow the following guidelines and edit your images / pictures like a professional image editing service.

1.     Never Work on the Original Image:

A step many people tend to forgo – creating duplicate layers and working on them instead of the original one – is an extremely crucial detail of photo editing, irrespective of the type of photograph in question or the amount of details to be edited. You never know if you would want to revisit the original photo in the near future, or if you would need to revert to the original in case something goes wrong.

As Adobe Photoshop is home to an array of different features where more than one method exist for one command, there are there ways to duplicate an image:

• Press “Ctrl/Cmd+J”.
• Right click on the “Background” (original) layer in the “Layers” panel and select “Duplicate Layer”.
• Drag and drop the “Background” layer.

Another option is to proceed with the “Filter” menu – “Convert for Smart Filters”. Through this, a sort of plastic wallet is created atop the original photo on which modifications take place without affecting the original image.

2.     Cropping:

Any excess material around the focal point of a photograph merely serves as unwanted distractions. Riding them is one of the essentials of image editing services.

1. Use the “Rectangular selection tool” to make a selection around the area you wish to keep.
2. Select the “Crop” tool from the tool palette or click “Ctrl/Cmd+C” and the unselected portion will disappear.
3. Do not tick the “Delete Cropped Pixel” option as Photoshop automatically deletes the cropped part of the image; if you want to revert your crop, it won’t be possible as it would have been deleted.

3.     Straightening the Horizon:

A slanted skyline in a picture simply does not cut it, even if the photograph in question does not have any significant purpose.

1. Go to “View” menu – “New Guide”; drag the guideline to the ‘horizon’ and let it sit on it. The guideline touching one side of the ‘horizon’ and not the other indicates a tilted ‘horizon’.
2. Click “Ctrl/Cmd+C” (crop tool).
3. Select the “Straighten” icon sitting on the top left in the tool palette (below the menu).
4. Bring the cursor down – click and hold on the ‘horizon’ and drag from one end to the other. Auto rotation of the picture will take place.
5. Click “Return” and “Enter” and voila! The ‘horizon’ will be fixed.
6. To check, apply the “New Guide” as described above.

4.     Color Correction:

Different lights end up casting different shades of shadows on an otherwise neat subject. Such color issues tend to give an unusually unpleasant feeling, making their rectification a vital step for any photo touch up service.

1. Go to “Image” menu – “Adjustments” – “Levels”. It accentuates the differences between the black and white tones.
2. Moving the slider to the right makes the black parts (for example, shadows) blacker; the surroundings, therefore, become a lot lighter.
3. Conversely, going to the left highlights the white parts (for example, snow) of the image more, thereby turning the surroundings darker.

Once done, hit “OK”.

1. Go to “Image” menu – “Adjustments” – “Contrast/Brightness”. It emphasizes the difference between the light and dark shades of a photograph.
2. Decreasing “Contrast” mellows the glaringly harsh colors that irritate the eyes.
3. Increasing “Contrast” predominantly features the color variance, adding life to a dull photo.
4. Adjusting “Brightness” as required thereafter tones down the intense hues following “Contrast”. 

Once done, press “OK”.

5.     Adjusting the Size of the Picture:

Different platforms have their own requirements for the size of a photo. Therefore, when a picture is taken with a camera or smartphone, and it needs to be uploaded to any such platform for whatever reason, image resizing is imperative and image editing service fully understand it. 

1. Go to “Image” menu – “Image Size”.
2. In its description box, select the appropriate figures for “Pixel Dimensions” and “Document Size”, and choose the right option for “Resample Image” according to your requirements.
3. Most social media platforms entail a pixel size of 1024pxl.
4. Resolution is kept at 72dpi for viewing and 300dpi for printing.
5. Once done, hit “OK”.

6.     Sharpening Images

Even with remarkable skills and gear, blurriness or specific areas lacking sharpness are not improbable. Fortunately, image retouching platforms are thoroughly equipped to deal with such situations.

1. Select the “Filter” menu – “Sharpen” – “Unsharp Mask”.
2. Adjust the sliders of “Amount”, “Radius” and “Threshold” as needed to acquire the desired results.
3. “Amount” handles the intensification of the sharpness being applied.
4. “Radius” manages the span of its results around the border of the picture.  
5. “Threshold” minimizes or maximizes the sharpening effect on certain areas when moved right or left respectively.  
6. Click “OK” and the effects will be permanently applied.
7. You can always try a content aware tool to remove people or objects from the image (If needed)

It’s all about knowing the correct tricks to edit and retouch photographs. However, depending on the significance of the said photos, opting for an image editing service is a wise choice.