If you’re new to photography, or overwhelmed with the photo-editing options on your phone, you are certainly not alone. Even though it seems daunting, editing your photos is actually pretty easy (just like having them framed at FramedIt.com!). Whether you are using the general editing features on your phone, an app, or even professional editing software, this will help get you started.
Crop and Straighten
Once you’ve picked your best picture, start with cropping. Not all pictures need to be cropped, however this comes in handy to cut out unsightly elements or clutter, while focusing on a particular subject or portion of the picture. Straightening allows for rotating the photo while zooming in to square it off. This is important in making sure horizon lines, walls, and buildings do not seem tilted at an angle. These edits are at the base of the editing process and help create more purposefully composed images.
Exposure
Exposure refers to the brightness of the picture. If the image is over-exposed, there was too much light and the details of the image became washed out. If it is under-exposed, the image is too dark and the details become lost. In editing, exposure can be adjusted slightly to brighten or darken images, and sometimes is the only edit needed.
Saturation
Increasing the saturation deepens the color to look more vibrant, while decreasing the saturation fades out the bright colors and can make the picture black and white. If you want your image to pop with color, this is where the saturation tool shines.
Contrast
Here you can darken the shadows while illuminating the rest of the image. Contrast can add depth and emphasize the details of the image. This can be powerful, however, so it is best applied gradually in small increments.
Filters
Now that you’ve done the hard part you can try adding filters! While filters are not necessary, this is a fun and creative way to add interest to your image.
While there are many other editing features out there, these edits make for a great place to start on your way to totally frame-worthy pictures!