[Tips] Subtle Photo Editing Techniques that Make a Huge Difference

If you are working as a photographer, or if you enjoy photography as a hobby, or even if you are just trying to take a perfect selfie for a new profile picture, you know just how difficult it is to make a perfect photo. Fortunately, you don’t need to constantly delete your photos and make new ones, until you find a perfect fit.

You can use Photoshop and simply improve the photo. Even if you manage to capture a perfect moment, you can use the photo editing services to turn a good picture into a great one. In the following article, we will share some of these simple Photoshop tricks that you can use to make a huge difference in your photos.  

Crop out distractions2 (2)

Maybe the image you are looking at doesn’t look too bad; maybe all it needs is more focus on the central figure. You’d be surprised at just how much a picture can change if you simply crop out all of the distractions.

You should try to crop your images in the shape of a square, that way the object or person you want to focus on can be in the center of the photo. This is a great trick to know if you want to create high-quality product photography, or if you want to take pictures of nature, wildlife, urban city scenery etc.

Basically, any image with a lot of distractions and unnecessary elements can be improved significantly if you crop out the useless elements. You can also change the angle a bit as you crop, to add more harmony or symmetry to the image.  

Black and white3 (2)

If you want to transform or significantly alter the image, you can turn the photo into a black and white version of itself. However, it is advised not to rely on the built-in feature “convert to gray scale”, since there is a different way which will provide much better results.

You can change each color layer individually, by creating a new “black & white” adjustment layer, and moving every slider until you get the desired results (there should be six color sliders). Using a black and white picture you can make it look more vintage and more professional.

This is a great solution if you need a professional photo for your website, or social media profiles or anything else that requires you to have serious and professional photos.

Desaturation and modification of contrast and brightness

One of the reasons why you might think your image is not good, or overburdened with unnecessary colors. When there are too many different colors competing to grab your attention, the image can become bothersome to look at.

Using the previous example with a black and white photo fixes this problem, but there is also another way around it. You can simply tone down the color, or saturation, and then emphasize the contrast between the areas that are light and dark. With this kind of action you can easily reinvigorate the image and make it more appealing.  

Use the healing brush4 (1)

If you want to make selfies, portraits, or simply close ups of faces, then the Photoshop healing brush is your next best friend. When the main point of attention is the face, you start to notice all kinds of irregularities.

You can use the healing brush to easily remove pimples, or any other type of inconsistency that is visible on your skin. You can get rid of any minor distractions and turn the type of photo that you would have immediately deleted into your next profile picture.

When you buy magazines and see the entire top models on the cover with pristine facial features, know that the effect was achieved thanks to the healing brush. Bear in mind that the success of healing brush is highly dependent on your attention to detail, so you need to have a good eye and the ability to spot even the most minor facial irregularities in order to use it.

This is why you should use high resolution images, because you can enhance them, or zoom in, for a more thorough overview, and notice tiny spots that would otherwise be unnoticeable.

Photoshop Action tool kits

Finally, you can get a whole lot of new photo editing tricks by simply downloading Photoshop action packs. These are basically new filters and new effects that you can add to a picture with just a few simple tricks.

There are a lot of cool frames and effects here, but those that look the coolest are usually the ones you have to pay for. Luckily, there is a wide selection of free Photoshop packs that can make a significant difference.

You should definitely get Free Photoshop Action to add light pop and toning, and you can get the one called Eye Doctor to sharpen the eyes in your pictures. Magic skin actions can help you out with skin irregularities, much like the healing brush.

There are really numerous action packs, and you should definitely look them up, since you can use them for wedding photography, wildlife photography, portraits etc.

If the image needs heavy editing 

In the event the images you have require heavier editing, you should go through online tutorials to fully master photo editing tools. You can also outsource photo editing to companies who have experts that can edit images much quicker, since they know all the shortcuts and techniques by heart.

These were some of the easiest photo editing tricks that can make a lot of difference and make your photos look absolutely amazing. It is not too difficult to create better photos, and every action listed here won’t take up more than 20 minutes of your time, so it would be a shame not to try them out and master them.

Hopefully, the article was helpful and you will use it to improve your images in the future.

6 Best Photo Editing Apps to Enhance Your Social Media Profile Pics [New]

Social media is a vast sea of different content, which is a double edged sword. You can communicate with people, discover new amazing content, and even go viral. However, since social networks are teeming with content, it is also possible for your posts to simply get lost or get trampled with other posts.

Luckily, there are ways to ensure that your posts have higher visibility, and get noticed. One way of increasing their popularity, is by simply boosting your posts, and they will be featured on many news feeds. This is not such a bad idea, because you’ll ensure the important announcements are seen by your target audience.

Another way of boosting visibility is by having better photos. Photography is quite important nowadays, since buyers can be influenced to purchase a product based on the package, cover, or online photo. Also, if you need to get noticed in general, and gain more followers or subscribers, having high quality photos is definitely a good thing. Here, we will discuss how to create photos for social media profile pictures, or to be precise, which apps to use in order to create a better profile photo.

Adobe Photoshop Express2

We all know about Photoshop for PCs or Macs, but there are also versions that can be installed on your Android or iPhone. Photoshop is one of the most famous photo editing tools for a reason, and if you need reliable software for editing your images, then you cannot go wrong with Photoshop.

It has many different features one of which is called Photoshop Mix which allows you to combine many different pictures into a single image. This can be really useful for creating an interesting profile photo for social networks.

Aviary

Aviary is an app that allows you to tweak out minor details on your picture and turn it into a more attractive one. By using this app, you can apply over 1500 different effects and also apply different filters. Furthermore, you can use the app to whiten the teeth in the images, erase blemishes, fix baggy eyes or zits, etc.

This can be really useful if you want to have a pristine face and look more professional in your photos. Business owners and those who want to look beautiful in their photos should get the Aviary app as soon as possible.

Prisma3

When it was released on Android, Prisma had so many active users that the servers could barely work. It was so popular and good that it caught on like wildfire, and the user base was large in numbers from the very beginning.

Prisma allows you to turn your photos and videos into images that resemble artistic paintings. The filters that are found are inspired by styles of Picasso, Munk, Van Gogh, Levitan, etc. It has over 30 styles and new ones are added with each update, and many people actually use it to create a quality profile picture for their social media accounts.4

Repix is another photo editing app with a large base of users. In fact, more than 15 million people are using Repix to manipulate images. It has over 25 effects, brushes, and it has 16 filters; additionally, there are more than 10 frames in the app to add more fancy effects for your profile image. Lastly, there are editing tools for brightness and saturation, which can help you flare up the images and make them more noticeable.

PicsArt

PicsArt is another photo editor that went viral and received huge number of downloads. It was downloaded over 300 million times, and it is because it contains myriad of useful options. You can edit photos, make collages and even draw. It is created for sharing images on social networks so it already has in-built sharing features. Like with other tools, you have filters and brushes, lens flares and also speech bubbles to make the editing process more interesting and to give you more options. It is a free to download app, so make sure you find it and check it out.

FaceTunen

As far as profile pictures are concerned, FaceTune is definitely a must. The app is designed with the purpose to help users improve and enhance the quality of their selfies and portraits. You can use the app to widen your smile and brighten your teeth so that you can also remove pimples and blemishes. Moreover, dark circles underneath your eyes will be a thing of the past, and you can also remove red and white-eye effects from any image. In addition to these features, FaceTune can be used to change your hair color in the image, or to fill bald patches. You can even tweak or tune your nose and jawline and apply makeup.

It goes without saying that there are many different tools and filters for camera that can help you with your profile picture. We have selected these due to their reliability, user friendliness, and large user base. Of course, these tools can only get you so far, and since a lot of people are using them, sooner or later your images will lose their uniqueness. If you want to truly stand out from the crowd, you will need to do more professional editing on your photos rather than rely on what is presented on the surface of these apps.

How to Take Your Street Photography to the Next Level [Tricks]

Street photography is a very interesting “sub-specialization” to pursue. You don’t need models, high end gear, nor do you need to travel in order to practice and learn it. All you need to do is get out with your camera and be ready to meet new people, document life on the streets, and the ways of our civilization.

While street photography may sound like something very straightforward, there are certain tricks and tips that could help you bring your game to the next level. If you are eager to find out how to do so, you are at the right place. Stick with us because we are going to share some tips you might find useful. 

The Gear2 (1)

The thing about street photography is not the immaculate image quality, but the moment captured on it. I mean, yeah, you have to know to take clear shots with as little damage as possible, but the scene and the emotion is what counts the most. And, you won’t be able to achieve this with a big lens that makes you look like a Soviet spy airplane.

You need to use a smaller, wide-angle lens that will help you to stay discreet. Whilst on the subject of discretion, try not to wear something that will make you stand out. If you want to take real action shots, you have to get close to people and blend into the crowd.

Another important thing is to stay as light as possible. You don’t want to miss that perfect shot that awaits you just around the corner just because the heavy gear wore you down and you have to take a breather at some local café.

Inconspicuous gear is what will get you unnoticed and allow you to make shots a few centimeters away from the subject. This is why you should leave that “threatening” DSLR and buy a compact point and shoot camera. Make sure to get the model that allows shooting in manual mode and can store images in raw format, so that you can send those raw files to experts, should you decide to pay for photo editing services.

Some of the cameras you should check are Nikon 1, Canon EOS-M3 and Fujifilm X100T. If you want to be able to make those ninja shots from the hip, a camera with a flappable screen is a nice addition to your ninja gear. Stealth mode will allow you to get some very nice shots without being noticed.

Get Some Accessories

While getting accessories is not of the utmost importance, they are still handy and could help you a lot on the streets. Get a strap that you can tie to your camera and around your wrist. Put on some cool shades and you are ready to blend in and take some very close shots.

There is No Need to Be Afraid of People

Rule number one of street photography is: “Do whatever it takes to not kill the candid moment!” And, asking people for permission to take a photo is exactly this. Sometimes, asking for permission is a must and it all depends on the circumstances. For instance, you won’t take photos of someone sitting in a café or restaurant without previously asking them, while on a busy day in a marketplace, or public transportation, you can go wild and capture dozens of candid moments with your camera.

Get Out at Night3 (1)

Nightlife provides amazing opportunities for street photographers. The dimmed lights at night can provide that unique moment in your frame. If you haven’t practiced shooting in the night before, you will need a bit of practice. The catch is to learn how to avoid blur and how to compensate the lack of light with your aperture and ISO.

Make sure to bring your tripod with you if you want to play with long exposure shots. Traffic lights on the busy street can help you take some of the most amazing night shots you have ever made.

Ask around if there is an open basketball court nearby. You can take some very dramatic close ups of the street players. Make sure to ask people for permission in this case, especially if you are not familiar with the neighborhood.

Become a True Moment Hunter

Street photography is all about capturing the emotion and drama of the moment on the image. There is no general advice to read and become instantly enlightened. You will have to discover this for yourself. Usually, the first thing that attracts your attention as a photographer on the street is very possibly your street photography niche.

Also make sure to learn as much as you can about composition. While there are many things that can be fixed with professional photo editing services, bad composition is not one of them.

Use Your Smartphone

The Fujifilm X100T, the compact point and shoot camera that we have mentioned above, is fully compatible with a smartphone. This means that you can place this camera wherever you want and take full control over it with your smartphone. When you can manually control your camera via smartphone, you will be able to take those close-ups without anyone ever suspecting that you are taking shots.

As any other photography field, street photography requires experienced and a knowledgeable photographer in order for it to be rewarding in a professional sense. You could see quite clearly that this particular field requires far more mingling, wandering through town, and having a sense for the right moment to take a shot. This is why the most passionate street photographers don’t spend time post-processing their street images but instead use photo editing services. This way, they get more time to spend out there, on the streets, developing their eye, intuition and confidence.

[Tips and Tricks] Photography: Learn and Do It the Professional Way

Photoshop is an extremely useful tool with myriads of features for image manipulation, and with every new version, more useful options are added. However, just because it has numerous capabilities, it doesn’t mean that anyone can tap into its full potential. Today, anyone who is running an online business, or an online store, relies heavily on Photoshop, since product images need to be enhanced and altered in a way so that they can be more attractive. Also, movie posters, book covers, album covers, etc. require Photoshop skills, if we want to see a quality product.

Unfortunately, a great Photoshop job requires a wide range of skills, and even though you can learn some of them online, it will still take an immense amount of time. In other words, mastering Photoshop is an extremely time consuming and tiresome endeavor.

In the following article, we will share some Photoshop tricks and techniques to help you out. These are not tutorials since, as mentioned, it is not something you can master easily. These are Photoshop premium actions or effects that can transform a whole image in a few clicks.

25 HDR Photo FX V.2Photoshop Trick

HDR stands for High-Dynamic Range Photography. It is an amazing technique which can help you create powerful imagery. It is a Photoshop package that includes 25 different effects that you can use to adjust images. There are also four sharpness levels, and as a bonus action, you can get a starburst generator which will allow you to create some impressive images.

Realistic Painting Effect V2Photoshop Tricks

This is one of the best effects that you can have for your pictures. It looks really cool, and the best thing about this painting action is that you can easily apply it to any image. This feature allows you to simulate the look of traditional oil paintings. You are going to have 15 different colors sets, layers that are fully editable and everything else you will need to express your creative side. If you want this type of graphic design that resembles a painting, this is the best Photoshop action for you.

90 Premium Actions SetPhotoshop Techniques

If you need numerous different actions or wider ranges of versatility, you should definitely go for the 90 Premium Action Set. Much like its name suggests you get 90 different looks that you can use to customize and edit photos. This allows you to create a wide spectrum of professional photos that can have a retro-vintage effect, or stunning black filters, and many others.

These will be useful if you are trying to create an online store and need to enhance the photos of your fashion accessories. With so many different actions, you can easily offer Photoshop services on freelancer platforms and successfully complete many Photoshop jobs.

Dimension PhotoshopPhotoshop Technique

Dimension Photoshop can give your photo an incredible fracture like effect, and it is an awesome action package for many purposes. You can use it to create more alluring fitness photos; you can use the effect for an awesome album or book covers, you can use it to express different emotions in the picture, etc. The package itself features eight different glass patterns as well as ten color options which can be mixed to create even more verity for images. The effect looks really good and, when you think that it only takes a few clicks to achieve, it makes this package only more alluring.

Fury Photoshop ActionPhotoshopTricks

If you need to create images that symbolize energy and power, then you have to try Fury Photoshop service. You are going to be really impressed. You can Photoshop athletes, action heroes, comic book characters, and all of them will look awesome. The effect is applied easy; all you need to do is brush over the era where you want to see fire-like colors and shapes, and press play, it is that simple. Once you download the action package, you will have access to additional instructional materials, and you will fully master this effect as a true Photoshop pro.

Advanced Double ExposurePhotoshopTechniques

If you need a package that is trendy nowadays, then you can’t go wrong with Advanced Double Exposure Photoshop Action. Merging two different photos and achieving an awe-inspiring effect was never easier, and with Advance Double Exposure, you will open up a whole world of new possibilities. This is an advanced level of manipulation made much more accessible and with 18 different colors; you will be able to pull off some amazing feats.

Noire PhotoshopPhotoshop Tricks Techniques

Lastly, in case you want to achieve a cinematic photo effect, or change images so that they are more glamorous and movie-like, then Noire Photoshop Action is the answer to your prayers. There are 12 different actions within the package, and you will also be provided with quality instructions, as well as fully adjustable effects.

As you can see, there are different ways to use Photoshop even if you lack the necessary experience to edit photos. In case you need more concrete or more specific options, then it would be best to find Photoshop services and outsource these jobs. Even though we can all successfully create beautiful pictures, there are some things that only a true Photoshop pro can do.