What you'll need to do these exercises

  1. A computer with a photo editing software installed: Apple photos can do all of the adjustments covered in these videos. You can install a trial version of Adobe Lightroom here. Or install a 7 day free trial of Luminar which is my favorite inexpensive standalone photo editor.
  2. Photos to edit - use your own photos or the sample images provided with this download.

What You'll Learn in this basic photo editing tutorial

Directing Viewer Attention: 18 minutes

The difference between taking a photo and making a photo. Creating focal points in an image and how to draw in a viewer's attention.

Editing your photos to direct viewer attention with selective sharpness, brights, darks, color contrast #intentionallylost

Concepts and post-processing workflow you can use with any photo and any editing software: 13 minutes

  • Why do you want to edit your photos anyway?
  • Photo editing softwares do the same things in different ways.
  • In what order should you make corrections to a photo?
Common post-processing concepts and workflow that you can use for any photo and with any photo editing software #intentionallylost

Basic Edits - Understanding the Components of a Photo: 54 minutes

  • Black point vs Shadows
  • White point vs Highlights
  • White balance and temperature
  • Texture, Clarity, Contrast, Dehaze - how they each create impact in different ways
  • What’s that Curves tool thing about?
  • Sharpening properly and how not to do it.
  • Color contrast and pop using Vibrance and HSL adjustments - hue, saturation, luminance
    Basic photo edits for common corrections to blacks, whites, shadows, highlights, sharpness. You can do these in any photo editing software.

    Universal Edits vs Selective Edits: 47 minutes

    • Selective edits demonstrated in Lightroom using spot, radial, brush and gradient tools
    • Selective edits shown using Luminar individual edits and whole image layer edit
    • What are masks and how do they work - demonstrated in photoshop
    • Purpose of a vignette
    • Full selective edits on one image in photoshop.
    Photography post-processing, universal edits vs selective edits  #intentionallylost

    Common Editing Mistakes - 23 minutes

    • Flat tones or color contrast
    • Oversaturating colors or unnatural colors
    • Oversharpening
    • Selective color
    • HDR overdone
    Common post-processing mistakes when editing photos #intentionallylost
    Hills of Pillaro Ecuador New Edit #intentionallylost
    Worshiper at Imlil Mosque #intentionallylost
    Kebler Pass fall colors #intentionallylost
    Cafe de Confianza Cuba #intentionallylost

    Restored Prambanan Temples #intentionallylost