90% of Photo Editing Basics in Just 15 Minutes
TLDRThis video, sponsored by Squarespace, offers a concise guide to the essentials of photo editing, emphasizing the importance of mastering the basics for effective photo enhancement. The host demonstrates a step-by-step workflow in Lightroom, starting with organizing the Develop panel according to personal preference, and then proceeding through exposure balancing, white balance adjustment, cropping, and tone curve adjustments. The video also covers color calibration, HSL adjustments, sharpening, and the application of subtle vignetting. Local masking techniques are discussed to draw attention to specific areas of the image, such as enhancing the detail of a fence in the composition. The host concludes with tips on final clean-up, including removing sensor spots and adjusting the composition for a balanced look. The video ends with a giveaway announcement for a Nissi filter kit and an invitation for viewers to engage with the content and ask questions.
Takeaways
- 🎨 **Customize Your Workflow**: Organize the Lightroom Develop panel according to your personal editing preferences for efficiency and consistency.
- 📈 **Start with Basics**: Always begin with the Basic panel to balance exposure, including highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks.
- 🔍 **Soften Details**: Use Clarity, Texture, and Dehaze to soften the overall image details, a technique applied to almost every photo.
- 📐 **White Balance After Exposure**: Adjust the white balance once the exposure is balanced for more accurate color neutrality.
- 🖌️ **Cropping for Composition**: Crop your image to enhance composition, removing unwanted elements and straightening the horizon if necessary.
- ⛰ **Tone Curve for Contrast**: Use the Tone Curve to adjust contrast, lifting and darkening points as per your aesthetic preference.
- 🎭 **Calibrate Colors**: Boost primary colors and saturation to enhance the overall color palette of the image.
- 🌈 **Color Grading Subtly**: Apply color grading to tint highlights and mid-tones for a warmer or cooler look, but keep it very subtle.
- 🍂 **HSL Adjustments**: Reduce saturation and adjust luminance in the HSL panel to simplify the color palette and reduce distractions.
- 🔧 **Sharpen and Add Vignette**: Sharpen the image and add a subtle vignette for a polished look.
- 🖋️ **Local Masking**: Use local adjustments like radial and linear gradients to enhance specific areas of the image, such as bringing out sunlight or correcting dark areas.
- 🧹 **Clean Up**: Lastly, inspect the image for any sensor spots or distractions and clean them up for a final polished result.
Q & A
What is the main focus of this video?
-The main focus of this video is to summarize the basics of photo editing in a quick workflow that can be applied to every single photo, using Lightroom as the editing software.
Why is organizing the Develop panel in Lightroom important?
-Organizing the Develop panel in Lightroom is important because it helps to stay organized, remember the editing workflow, and ensures that no steps are skipped, leading to a more efficient and consistent editing process.
What is the first step the video suggests in the editing process?
-The first step suggested in the editing process is to balance out the exposure, as it is the foundation for further adjustments and helps to bring out details in the image.
How does the video suggest adjusting white balance?
-The video suggests adjusting the white balance after balancing out the exposure for better accuracy. It recommends using the Color Picker tool to select a neutral color and then adjusting the saturation to check for any unrealistic color cast.
What is the purpose of using the Tone Curve in the editing workflow?
-The purpose of using the Tone Curve is to add contrast to the image by lifting certain points and darkening others, which can enhance the overall look and feel of the photograph.
How does the video recommend enhancing colors in a photo?
-The video recommends enhancing colors by using the Calibration section to boost primary colors like blue and green, and adjusting the saturation of red. It also suggests using the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) section to fine-tune individual colors.
What is the role of the HSL section in the editing process?
-The HSL section is used to fine-tune specific colors in the image by adjusting their hue, saturation, and luminance. This can help to simplify the color palette and draw attention to certain elements in the photograph.
Why is sharpening an important step in the editing process?
-Sharpening is an important step in the editing process because it enhances the details in the image, making it appear clearer and more defined, which is especially important for high-quality photo presentations.
How does the video suggest using local masking in the editing workflow?
-The video suggests using local masking to enhance specific areas of the photograph, such as applying a radial gradient to emphasize sunlight or using an adjustment brush to bring out detail in certain elements like a fence.
What is the significance of the giveaway mentioned in the video?
-The giveaway is a way to engage the audience and show appreciation for their support. The prize is a complete Nissi filter kit, which is valuable for photographers and can enhance their photo-taking capabilities.
How does the video suggest cleaning up the final photograph?
-The video suggests looking for and removing any distractions such as sensor spots or unwanted elements in the frame. It also recommends using the 'Visualize Spots' button in Lightroom to help identify any issues that might be missed.
What is the benefit of using Squarespace for photographers according to the video?
-Squarespace is beneficial for photographers as it provides a professional platform to showcase their work through customizable galleries and portfolio designs. It also offers e-commerce features to sell products and an asset library for easy content management.
Outlines
🎨 Photo Editing Basics and Workflow in Lightroom
The video begins with an introduction and acknowledgment of the sponsor, Squarespace. It emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics of photo editing as the foundation for any good photo editor. The speaker shares their personal workflow in Adobe Lightroom, starting with organizing the Develop panel according to their preferences. They demonstrate the process of editing a photo from a trip to Menorca, Spain, discussing the steps taken from balancing exposure to adjusting white balance and cropping. The focus is on creating an efficient and organized workflow that ensures no important steps are skipped.
📈 Tone Curve, Calibration, and Color Grading Techniques
The speaker continues their photo editing workflow by discussing the Tone Curve and how they adjust it to their liking. They then delve into the Calibration section, which is a favorite for color editing, and explain how to boost primary colors to enhance the image. Moving on to Color Grading, they mention adding a warmer tint to highlights and a subtle blue to mid-tones. The HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) section is used to refine specific colors, and the speaker shares their approach to simplifying the color palette. The video also covers sharpening the image, adding a vignette, and briefly touches on Lens Corrections and Transform, which are not heavily utilized in this workflow.
🖌️ Local Adjustments with Adjustment Brush and Masking
The video script describes using the Adjustment Brush to bring out details in specific parts of the photo, such as the fence in the composition. The speaker shows how to create new masks and use the brush to add clarity and texture to draw attention to the fence. They also discuss the use of radial and linear gradients for local adjustments to enhance sunlight and balance shadows in certain areas of the image. The process of cleaning up the photograph by removing sensor spots and other distractions is also covered, emphasizing the importance of a final review before considering the edit complete.
🎉 Sponsor Acknowledgement and Giveaway Announcement
The speaker thanks Squarespace for sponsoring the video and outlines the benefits of using Squarespace for website and e-commerce needs, highlighting features like professional portfolio designs, customizable galleries, and an online store. They also provide a discount offer for viewers interested in Squarespace. The video concludes with the announcement of the winner of a 250,000 subscriber giveaway, which includes a complete Nissi filter kit. The winner, Mark Wilkins, is congratulated, and the speaker invites viewers to reach out if they have questions and to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and commenting.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Photo Editing
💡Lightroom
💡Workflow
💡Exposure
💡White Balance
💡Crop
💡Tone Curve
💡Color Calibration
💡HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance)
💡Sharpening
💡Vignette
💡Local Masking
Highlights
The basics of photo editing can be quickly summarized and are essential for a good photo editor.
Photo editing involves balancing exposure, adjusting white balance, and cropping to enhance the composition.
Tone curve adjustments can add contrast and refine the mid-tones of an image.
Color calibration is a powerful tool for enhancing colors in a photo.
Gradual adjustments in HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) can help simplify and balance color palettes.
Sharpening and adding a vignette are common final touches to a photo edit.
Local masking can be used to selectively adjust specific areas of a photo for enhanced focus or detail.
The use of an adjustment brush can emphasize texture and detail in particular subjects, like a fence in this example.
Cropping can be adjusted to ensure visual balance and to avoid cutting off important elements.
Removing sensor spots and other distractions can clean up the final image.
Customizing the Lightroom Develop panel can streamline the editing workflow.
Starting at the top of the Develop panel and working down ensures a thorough and organized editing process.
Using the 'Visualize Spots' button can help identify and correct sensor spots.
Sponsor Squarespace is highlighted for its robust online platform for website and e-commerce needs.
A giveaway for a Nissi filter kit was announced, showing engagement with the audience.
The winner of the Nissi filter kit giveaway is Mark Wilkins, demonstrating transparency in the selection process.
The video concludes with an invitation for questions and engagement from viewers.
Subscription and like encouragement shows an effort to grow the channel's community.