Edit a portrait and landscape picture into a professional image

Tools of the Trade: Image Editing Software

Select a basic and advanced image editing program/software

Our goal of this project step is to select an image editing program that best suits you and your needs. The ultimate goal of this class is to show you that if you know the tools, you can work in any single program.

The major differences between a basic and advanced program are the tools available and the ability to edit on a pixel level. The basic programs will allow you to do about 60-70% of what we cover in this class, but an advanced image editor will be needed to take you the rest of the way.

Take a look the choices in the video as well as the Additional Resources section and make a decision on what program you will be using for this course or pick your own that isn't on this list! Remember, as long as the basic tools are available, it doesn't matter which photo editor you use!

Your Photo Editor Will Need:
- Dodge/Burn
- Feathered Brushes
- Layers
- Clone Stamp
- Gradients
- Blur
- Sharpen
Basic Photo Editing:

Preview (Mac, FREE, pre-installed)

Live Photo Gallery (PC, FREE, pre-installed)

Advanced Photo Editing:

GIMP (Mac/Windows, FREE, www.gimp.org) -

Windows - Download

Mac - Download

Photoshop (Mac/Windows, PAID) - Subscribe

PixelMator - Download
We will be using both a BASIC and ADVANCED editor during this class. Which ones will you be using and why?

Prepping Your Image: Straightening and Cropping

Find the crop tool in your editor
Locate the crop tool in your editor. Remember, the symbol is universal and will look the same across all programs!

Note: If you're using GIMP, Paint.net, or Preview, you will need to use the selection tool and then crop your image from the selection.
Select your best portrait photo
1. Select a nice portrait image that you took. If you haven't done so yet, go out and take one! Try to pick an image that has good exposure and lighting and a wide range of detail. We will be using these images again, so it's important that you pick a good one.

TIPS IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN IMAGE
- Follow the "golden hour" method and take a picture an hour before sunset or an hour after sunrise. Your results will always impress you!
- Zoom in to your subject and stand far back (if you have optical zoom)
- The closer you stand, the better depth of field (blurry background) you will get which always make a nice portrait
- if you're shooting during the day, put your subject in the shade and have light behind them
- Try and follow the Rule of Thirds (Check out The Additional Resources in this Unit)
If you're still new to photography, I'd recommend Frank Wang's Skillshare beginner class on photographic composition.

Here's my image that I'll be using through the class:
Select your best landscape photo
1. Select a nice landscape image that you took. If you haven't done so yet, go out and take one! Try to pick an image that has good exposure and lighting and a wide range of detail. We will be using these images again, so it's important that you pick a good one.

TIPS IF YOU NEED TO TAKE AN IMAGE
- Follow the "golden hour" method and take a picture an hour before sunset or an hour after sunrise. Your results will always impress you!
- Try to keep the horizon straight
- Do your best to make sure the sky isn't too bright or the land isn't too dark
If you're still new to photography, I'd recommend Frank Wang's Skillshare beginner class on photographic composition.

Here's my image that I'll be using through the class:

I took this on my phone at Golden Hour, so anything's possible with the device you have!
Straighten and crop one landscape image

1. Try and follow the "rule of thirds" but remember it's only a guideline. Refer to the "resources" page to find more about the Rule of Thirds on Wikipedia. It's a great article!

2. A straightened landscape will almost always look better. But remember, less is more. Don't feel like you have to crop a photo.

3. Don't feel that you have to crop your images.

NOTE: If you're using Preview, Straightening is not an option. That's okay! Do your best with the crop tool and you can straighten your image later with one of the advanced image editing programs.

Reading The Histogram

Find the histogram in the editors you chose
This tool is critically important for editing images. It's a lot easier to understand than it may appear, so be sure to watch the video a few times to get a good grasp of it.

Hunt down the histogram!

Did you find it?

Hints:

- In GIMP, look under "Colors > Info"

- In Photoshop, look under "Window"

- In Pixelmator, look under "Image > Color Adjustments... > Levels"

- In Preview, look under "Tools > Adjust Color..."

- In Live Preview, click "Fix" then look under "Exposure"

The Basics: Brightness, Contrast, Highlights/Shadows, Levels, Saturation and Temperature/White Balance

Find the specified tools in your editor
Find The Tools from The FIRST Video in your program:
- Brightness/Exposure
- Levels
- Hue/Saturation
- White Balance/Color Balance/Temperature
- Highlights/Shadows
Remember, these tools (or variations of them) exist across virtually all programs!
- Remember, brightness may be referred to as "exposure" or vice versa. The terms are somewhat interchangeable and it's important to remember that while these tools generally do the same thing, they sometimes operate a bit differently from editor to editor.
- Other names for White Balance may be "temperature" or "color balance".
- Highlights/Shadows don't necessarily exist in GIMP, but you can adjust them in a similar way with levels
- The Histogram is only a reference point. There is no "good" or "bad" histogram. It just "is".
Edit your landscape image using these basic tools
Alright, so now you know how the tools work. It's time to put them to use! Remember - don't over-edit! Watch my video to get an idea of how I approach it.

1. Edit your landscape image using the photo editor of your choice. Since we're only working with basic tools, you can use a basic image editor or advanced image editor.

2. Take your time and get a feel for what the tools do and how they work together!

I edited my image below using ONLY the tools from this step!
Edit your portrait image using these tools
Alright, so now you know how the tools work. It's time to put them to use! Remember - don't over-edit!

Edit your portrait image using the photo editor of your choice. Since we're only working with basic tools, you can use a basic image editor or advance image editor.

Remember to try and keep detail on the face - Don't make it too light to where portions of the face become pure white. Try to retain detail in the eyes as well.

I edited my image below using ONLY the tools from this step!
Upload your progress
Show us the "before" and "after"! How'd you do?

Advanced Tools: Clone Stamp, Sharpening, Gradients and Working With Layers

Start working with layers
Watch the first video on working with layers.

Once you've watched that, find the layer panel in your editing program.

Dont See your Layers Panel?
- In Pixelmator, go to View > Show Layers
- In GIMP, go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Layers
- In Photoshop, go to Window > Layers
Next, get comfortable working with layers and using the eraser tool. Got the hang of it? Good! We will be using layers a lot from now on.

Note: I know I teach you layers with sharpening, but I may suggest sharpening your image last after you've done the other steps from this unit. Eithe way, it won't hurt too much if you sharpen first.
Add a gradient to your landscape
It's time to get creative! Watch my video on working with gradients and put it to use.

I suggest using the gradient on your sky, but get creative and try to use it for other things like darkening the ground, lightening the open space next to your portrait, etc. I tried a blue gradient, but try using black or white or even blue to yellow for a sunset effect!

A properly executed gradient on your sky can really add a dramatic feel to your image.
Clean up your images with clone stamp
Watch my video to get an understanding of how this tool works.

Your Clone Stamp tool will look like this or something similar, though I show them in all three programs in the video.

TIPS TO REMEMBER
- It takes practice!!!
- Play with the softness/hardness of the brush
- Play with the opacity of the tool
- Sample a new area if it isn't looking right
- You may need to adjust your brush size multiple times
- You may need to zoom in a lot if you're doing detail work
- Softer Brushes usually work better
Upload your progress
What kind of change did a gradient or clone stamp make to your image? Show us your progress if you'd like!

Creative Tools: Dodge/Burn and Blur

Use dodge and burn to enhance your image
Watch the video to first get a feel for how the tools work. Then, build upon your edited image with the tools

The dodge and burn tools are very powerful in giving you fine adjustments and allowing you to bring focus to particular areas.

On your portrait, I'd recommend to try brightening the eyes and/or background. Or, you can also darken the background with burn.

THINGS TO REMEMBER
- It takes practice!!
- If you burn close to an edge, you may end up with a glowing effect. Soften your brush and lower the opacity to avoid this
- If something is already pure white, you cannot bring color back into it
I edited my image below using dodge/burn and a gradient for the sky
Add blur to your image
Watch the video to see the technique I use for blurring an area

If you don't want to add blur to your image, that's okay! Play around with it a bit to get a feel for the tool and the power it has.

SOME IDEAS FOR BLUR
- Use it to fake the Tilt-Shift effect
- Use it to give depth of field (blurry background) to your portrait
- Use it to to create focus on a particular area
Here's a cell phone image of mine where I use blur to create a tilt-shift effect and bring focus to the particular building.
Upload your progress
Interested in sharing your progess? Add it to you project!

Color: Black and White, Cross Processing, and Color Toning

Adjust the color of your edited images for a creative look
So now that you know just about all of the essential tools, it's time to give your photos a particular look and feel through the use of color.

1. Play with the tools mentioned in the video lesson and get a feel for how they work.

2. Decide whether you want a vintage, black and white, or natural look to your image.

3. Edit both your previously adjusted landscape and portrait image using the color tools mentioned in the video lesson.

I edited the color of this image by adjusting only the color temperature

THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Less is more. Don't overdo it too much!
- DON'T CHEAT BY USING PRE-INSTALLED FILTERS!
Upload your progress
Care to share what you came up with? If you'd like, upload what you came up with!

Fixing Problematic Photos

Correct and enhance the attached file
For this Project Step, it's time to bring it all together. With all of the tools we've learned throughout the class, correct the attached file (the same one you see in the video) to the best of your ability. I really want you to focus on working with layers and getting creative. It's important that you make the image look nice but I want to see you use all of the tools you know how to use! Come up with something awesome!

1. Correct/adjust the color as you see fit

2. Burn/dodge necessary areas

3. Use the clone stamp tool to clean up the image

3. Adjust color to give it a unique look

Here's what I came up with in the video in under 10 minutes

Bring it all Together: Exporting for Print or Web

Find the image resize tool in your program
Where to find these tools:
- n GIMP, go to Image > Scale Image...
- In Pixelmator, go to Image > Image Size...
- In Photoshop, go to Image > Image Size...
- in Preview, go to Tools > Adjust Size...
Review pixels in Unit 1 and Additional Resources
Remember how pixels relate to screen size? Well, how about print size? First, review the information from Unit 1 before getting started.
Export and upload your best portrait edit
Alright, we're done! Export your best portrait edit at 1200px on the biggest dimension. Be sure to upload the original so we can see the changes you've made!

Also, don't feel the need to creatively color your images if you don't want to. This is about uploading your best looking edit for us all to see.

So, here's what I came up with through the class:
Export and upload your best landscape edit
Alright, we're done! Export your best landscape edit at 1200px on the biggest dimension. Be sure to upload the original so we can see the changes you've made!

Also, don't feel the need to creatively color your images if you don't want to. This is about uploading your best looking edit for us all to see.

So, here's what I came up with through the class:

And that's it! I really hope you enjoyed this class and I hope you take away one main thing - It's about the tools, not the software. Keep practicing and keep making your good images great.

Bonus: Editing with RAW for the Ultimate Flexibility

Set your camera to shoot RAW
If your camera supports RAW, set it now! I cover briefly how to set your camera to shoot RAW in the first video.

1. Go to "Menu" on your camera

2. Look for "Image Quality" or "File Format"

3. Check for RAW availability and, if so, set it now!

4. Get outside and take a picture

Note: If you're a Mac user, it isn't really necessary to set RAW + JPG since OS X can natively display RAW files.
Select your Program of Choice
As planned, all programs we've been using support uncompressed (RAW). However, some must first convert your file to a .TIFF (a standardized uncompressed format).

Keep in mind that Pixelmator actually only allows you to edit in 8 bit while Photoshop, GIMP, and even Preview will allow you to edit your files with full 16 bit capability. Even though Pixelmator only allows you to edit in 8 bit, you will still gain a lot of flexibility due to the extra exposure data.
Convert/Edit Your RAW File
Put into practice! I suggest really going crazy with the edit just to see how much further you can push it compared to a JPG.
Export a JPG and Upload
Once you're happy with your edit, export for JPG as we've already covered.

What I didn't mention in the video is that a RAW file is non-destructively edited by nature. This means that even if you make an awful edit, you can always RESET your photo to the default and start all over. With a JPG, we first must save a copy to edit, but with a RAW, this isn't necessary.

Note: You can save your uncompressed file as a .tiff or native program file (.psd, .gimp, etc.) if you'd like to work on your edited image later. Remember, since it's uncompressed, you won't lose quality every time you edit it!

Bonus 2: Editing on Your Cell Phone

Edit an image on your cell phone
1. Select one of the image editing programs from the Additional Resources list

2. Make a rad edit

3. Upload it! Let's see what you can do with just your phone!

I edited my image completely on my phone using Picsay Pro
Pick an image editing app
As an Android user, I must recommend PicSay Pro. At $3.99, it simply can't be beaten!

For iPhone users, here's an exhaustive list of what's available to you.

As you know, you're looking for the tools we learned in this class. There are hundreds of filter apps out there, but it's important to find one that's full of the tools you now know how to use.
Select a photo to edit and get to work
Are you going to edit a new photo or try to edit one of your photos from this class to see how close you can come to what you created on your computer? Either way, give it a shot!

For consistency, I used the same image I've been using through the whole class. Here's what I came up with. I think I may have done better on the phone than with the computer programs!

Feel free to share if you'd like!

Additional Resources

PDF of Videos
PixelMator (Mac) - $15.00 - This is far and away my top choice for an inexpensive image editor. Unfortunately, it's only available on the Mac, but it's the easiest to use and has a beautiful user interface. The online support is also great and it's full of professional tools.
Best free editors for Windows -Here's a nice writeup on what's available for Windows. My top choice for Windows? GIMP!
Best free editors for Mac - If $15 (Pixelmator) is too much for you, look into some of these available tools.
Photoshop CC - $20.00 per month - Everyone knows Photoshop, but the programs I listed will do everything Photoshop can do for this class. I will still quickly cover it, though.
What are pixels?
Rule of Thirds
PDF of Video
Understanding Histograms
What is "contrast"?
Understanding color balance/white balance - Remember, "cool" white balance refers to an image with blue tones, while "warm" refers to an image with yellow tones.
Sunrise Gradient - Check out this inspiring image! This person created a faux sunset by using a gradient making it fade from orange to blue!
Enhancing the Sky With Gradients - Here's an awesome tutorial on using gradients in the sky. The tutorial is done in Photoshop, but the principles and tools are the same in any other program!
Vignetting - Ever see images with darkened or lightened edges? Vignettes can be created with burning, dodging, or even the blur tool. Give a read about vignetting and see how it's surely a technique you've seen used before.
Using Dodge and Burn to Correct Images - Here's a great tutorial on the basics of dodge and burn and how they can be used for simple tasks like giving contrast only to a particular area. Give it a read!
Using Hue and Saturation to Split Tone/Color your Images - Here's a great little write-up on using hue and saturation to create different coloring eddects. The article is on Adobe Lightroom, but the same tools exist in your editor as well!
The real deal on DPI
How Many Pixels Do I Need to Print? - Here's an excellent, succinct article by Sue Chastain which will hopefully give you even more understanding of how pixels relate to printing.
Pixel Density - More information all about pixels
Programs/Plugins

MANUFACTURER EDITING/CONVERSION PROGRAMS
- Nikon (ViewNX)
- Canon (Digital Photo Professional)
- Sony (RAW Viewer)
- Olympus (Olympus Viewer)
- Panasonic (SILKYPIX)
- Pentax (SILKYPIX)
- Sigma (Sigma Photo Pro)
FREE NATIVE RAW FILE EDITORS
- RawTherapee - Mac/Windows/Linux (Select your operating system, then "All Bit Depths", then "Stable")
- DarkTable - Mac/Linux
PLUGINS
- UFRAW (GIMP, for advanced users. Windows users, search the page for "Windows" to find buried link)
Lesson - PDF
Additional Reading
- RAW File Format
- Color Depth
- What are "Bits"?

Jennelle Barajas

Ready to learn!

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