How To Edit A Photo In Three Steps With Photoshop

We all take photos, whether it’s with our smartphones or with our cameras, and as technology advances more and more photos seem to be taken and shared more frequently. If you haven’t noticed, your images may seem brighter and clearer on your camera or smartphone screen than when you upload them to your computer. With three simple steps in Photoshop (which can be done in other programs as well) you can make your own photos look their best before sharing them with all your friends and family. And you don’t have to be a Photoshop expert.

To make it easy, I will be going through step-by-step how to get to where you need to go in Photoshop in order to accomplish these simple editing steps. Before anything, load Photoshop and open the photograph you wish to edit. To accomplish this go to file < open (or hit ctrl+O) and choose your desired file.

Now that it’s on screen, we are ready to do some editing.

Levels

In photo editing, the levels tool alters and stretches the brightness, tone and contrast of your image using black tone, white tone, and a grey mid range. As you see from my RAW photo above, the image is somewhat dull even though it was taken on a sunny day. With changing levels we can enhance the black, white and grey tones of the photograph.

To change the levels of your photo go to Image < Adjustments < Levels (or hit ctrl+L). The levels panel will now be open and you can adjust the tones as you see fit.

Color Balance

The color balance, as suggested, changes the balance of color in your photo. My photo, for example, was taken in a primarily green area so it seems a little green. By adding more blue and magenta, I was able to find the right balance to match the original area where I took the photo.

To edit your color balance go to Image < Adjustments < Color Balance (or hit ctrl+B). The color balance panel will open and you can adjust them as needed to bring your photo to life.

Brightness & Contrast

Probably one of the most important but looked over tool is brightness and contrast. With this tool you can brighten your photo and bring out more contrast, or less if needed. Bringing both attributes up will make your photograph pop.

To enhance the brightness and contrast of your image, go to Image < Adjustments < Brightness/Contrast (there is no shortcut key for this tool).

Finishing Up

As you can see, with these three simple steps you can edit your own photos like a pro. No longer do you have to settle with what your camera or smartphone gives you. It may take that extra minute or two to upload the photos from your device, edit them, and upload them to your favorite social media account but the finished outcome will blow your friends away.

Take a look at the image below to see the steps from start to finish. The changes may seem slight or may be drastic, but putting your raw image next to your finished outcome you can really see the difference!

One Response to How To Edit A Photo In Three Steps With Photoshop

  1. Great tips thank you!

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