90% of Photo Editing Basics in Just 15 Minutes

This video, sponsored by Squarespace, offers a concise guide to the essentials of photo editing, emphasizing that mastering the basics is the key to becoming a proficient photo editor. The presenter shares their personal workflow in Adobe Lightroom, starting with organizing the Develop panel according to a preferred sequence. They then demonstrate step-by-step adjustments, including exposure balance, white balance, cropping, tone curve adjustments, color calibration, and HSL modifications. The video also covers sharpening, adding a vignette, and using local adjustments to enhance specific areas of the photo. The presenter concludes with tips on final clean-up and emphasizes the importance of a consistent workflow for efficiency and quality. Additionally, the video includes a giveaway for a comprehensive Nissi filter kit and a mention of Squarespace's features for website creation and e-commerce.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Customize Your Workflow**: Tailor the Lightroom Develop panel to your personal editing process for better organization and efficiency.
• 📸 **Start with the Basics**: Begin with the Basic panel to adjust exposure, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks, and apply a standard softening technique with clarity, texture, and dehaze.
• 🗜️ **White Balance After Exposure**: Adjust white balance once the exposure is balanced to ensure color neutrality.
• 📏 **Consistent Cropping**: Apply consistent cropping to every photo based on your preferred composition.
• ⛓ **Tone Curve for Contrast**: Use the tone curve to adjust contrast by lifting and darkening points for personal preference.
• 🎭 **Calibrate for Color Enhancement**: Utilize the calibration section to boost primary colors and enhance the overall color palette.
• 🌈 **Selective Color Grading**: Apply subtle color grading to highlights and mid-tones to achieve a warmer or cooler tint.
• 🌱 **HSL for Color Simplification**: Use the HSL section to reduce saturation and adjust luminance to simplify and balance colors.
• 🔍 **Detail and Sharpening**: Enhance sharpness and detail in the image with careful adjustments to avoid over-processing.
• 🖌️ **Local Masking for Attention**: Apply local masks with adjustment brushes to draw attention to specific areas like texture in a fence.
• 🧹 **Final Cleanup**: Perform a final check for sensor spots or distractions and clean up the image for a polished result.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to provide a quick summary of the basics of photo editing, focusing on a workflow that can be applied to every single photo for efficient and organized editing.

Who sponsored the video?

Squarespace sponsored the video.

What is the first step suggested in the editing workflow?

The first step suggested in the editing workflow is to balance out the exposure in the basic section of Lightroom.

How does the speaker adjust white balance after exposure?

The speaker adjusts the white balance by using the Color Picker tool to select a neutral color and then adjusting the saturation to 100 to check for any color cast, before resetting it to zero.

What is the significance of cropping a photo during the editing process?

Cropping a photo is significant as it allows the editor to refine the composition, remove unwanted elements, and draw attention to key features in the image.

How does the speaker enhance the colors in the photo?

The speaker enhances the colors by adjusting the tone curve, using the calibration section to boost primary colors, and making subtle adjustments in the HSL section.

What is the role of sharpening in the editing process?

Sharpening helps to bring out details in the photo by increasing the detail level and adjusting the radius in the detail section of Lightroom.

Why does the speaker use a vignette effect?

The speaker uses a vignette effect to subtly darken the edges of the photo, drawing the viewer's attention to the central composition.

How does the speaker ensure they do not miss any steps in their editing workflow?

The speaker customizes and organizes the develop panel in Lightroom in a specific order that matches their workflow, ensuring they go through each step systematically.

What is the benefit of using the adjustment brush for local masking?

The adjustment brush allows for localized adjustments to specific areas of the photo, enabling the editor to enhance details, adjust exposure, or modify colors in a targeted manner.

What does the speaker suggest for cleaning up the overall photograph?

The speaker suggests looking for and removing sensor spots, burnt pixels, or any other distractions, and making minor adjustments to the crop to ensure a balanced composition.

How does the speaker address the giveaway winner?

The speaker congratulates the winner, Mark Wilkins, and provides instructions on how to get in touch to receive the Nissi filter kit prize.

Outlines

00:00

📷 Organizing the Editing Workflow in Lightroom

The video begins with a sponsorship acknowledgment to Squarespace and introduces the topic of photo editing basics. The speaker emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals as the key to efficient and effective photo editing. They also mention a subscriber giveaway for a filter kit. The video then dives into a demonstration using Adobe Lightroom, starting with organizing the Develop panel according to a personal workflow. The presenter customizes the order of the settings for better organization and efficiency, beginning with the Basic panel and proceeding through the workflow to the Lens Corrections and Transform sections. They apply edits to a photo from a trip to Menorca, Spain, adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, white and black points, and dehaze to soften details. The process is designed to be replicable for any photograph, ensuring a thorough and organized editing session.

05:00

🎨 Adjusting Colors and Cropping the Image

The speaker continues the editing process by adjusting the white balance using the Color Picker tool and checking for color casts. They proceed to crop the image to improve composition, focusing on a fence that attracted them to the scene. After cropping, the video moves on to tone curve adjustments to add contrast and refine the look of the image. The calibration section is highlighted as a favorite for color editing, where the presenter fine-tunes the blue, green, and red primary colors. Color grading is discussed, with the decision to apply a warmer tint to the highlights and a subtle bluer tint to the mid-tones. The HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) section is used to refine specific colors, such as reducing the saturation of the orange color to simplify the color palette. The presenter then moves on to sharpening the image and adding a vignette for a more aesthetically pleasing effect. Local masking techniques are introduced to enhance specific areas, such as increasing clarity and texture on the fence to draw attention to its details.

10:02

🔍 Final Touches and Cleanup

The video script details the final steps in the editing process, which include returning to the Basic section to make slight additional adjustments to exposure and highlights. The presenter then discusses the importance of a thorough cleanup, looking for and addressing any distractions such as sensor spots or unwanted elements in the frame. They demonstrate how to remove burnt pixels and use the 'Visualize Spots' feature in Lightroom to identify areas that need attention. The speaker also makes a final decision to adjust the crop to give more space to the buoys in the image, which they feel complement the overall composition. The workflow is emphasized as a repeatable process that can be applied to any photograph for a consistent and organized editing approach.

15:02

🎉 Sponsorship and Giveaway Announcement

The script concludes with the presenter thanking Squarespace for sponsoring the video and providing a brief overview of the services offered by the platform, particularly highlighting its usefulness for photographers to showcase their work and set up online stores. A special offer for a free trial and a discount on the first purchase is mentioned for viewers interested in Squarespace. The major highlight of this part is the announcement of the winner of the 250,000 subscriber giveaway, a complete Nissi filter kit, which includes various filters and a filter holder. The winner, Mark Wilkins, is congratulated and instructed to get in touch via Instagram or the presenter's website. The video ends with an invitation for viewers to ask questions in the comments section, a call to like and subscribe to the channel, and a farewell until the next video, which will be released the following Wednesday.

Keywords

💡Photo Editing

Photo editing refers to the process of altering or enhancing a photo to improve its visual appeal or to correct any imperfections. In the video, the host discusses a workflow for photo editing that includes adjusting exposure, white balance, and color grading, which are fundamental techniques for any photo editor.

💡Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is a popular photo editing software used by professionals and enthusiasts alike. The video script mentions using Lightroom to organize and customize the develop panel, which is a key part of the editing process described. It is where the host applies various adjustments to the raw image to enhance its quality.

💡Develop Panel

The Develop panel in Lightroom is where users can make adjustments to the raw image, such as exposure, white balance, and color correction. The host in the video customizes this panel to fit their personal workflow, which helps in staying organized and ensuring all important editing steps are covered.

💡Exposure

Exposure in photography is the amount of light that reaches the camera's sensor. Correcting exposure is a crucial step in photo editing. The host talks about balancing out the exposure by adjusting highlights, shadows, white point, and black point to achieve a well-lit and visually appealing image.

💡White Balance

White balance is the process of ensuring that whites appear white in an image, which helps in achieving natural and accurate colors. The video mentions adjusting white balance after exposure correction, using the Color Picker tool to select a neutral color and fine-tuning the saturation for a realistic color cast.

💡Crop Tool

The Crop Tool is used in photo editing to remove unwanted parts of an image or to improve its composition. The host uses this tool to focus on the fence that initially attracted them to the scene, demonstrating how cropping can enhance the visual storytelling of a photograph.

💡Tone Curve

The Tone Curve is a tool in photo editing software that allows for adjustments in the tonal range of an image, from shadows to highlights. The host uses this tool to add contrast and fine-tune the mid-tones for a more balanced and visually appealing result.

💡Color Grading

Color grading is the process of adjusting the colors in an image to create a certain mood or look. In the video, the host discusses tinting the highlights and mid-tones to achieve a warmer or bluer color palette, which adds depth and a specific aesthetic to the image.

💡HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance)

HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, and Luminance, which are three aspects of color that can be adjusted individually. The host talks about using the HSL section to reduce the saturation of certain colors and adjust luminance to simplify the color palette and draw attention to specific parts of the image.

💡Sharpening

Sharpening is a technique used to enhance the details in a photo, making them appear clearer and more defined. The host increases the detail and adjusts the radius in the sharpening section to bring out the texture and details in the fence, which is a key element in the composition.

💡Vignette

A vignette is a gradual darkening or blurring of the image around the edges, which can help draw the viewer's attention to the center of the photo. The host applies a subtle vignette to the image to enhance its visual appeal and focus the viewer's eye on the main subject.

Highlights

Photo editing basics can be summarized quickly, forming the foundation of good photo editing.

The video provides a photo editing workflow that can be used as a guideline for every single photo edited.

The importance of organizing the Lightroom develop panel according to personal workflow preference.

Customizing the develop panel from top to bottom in the order of the editing process.

Starting with the basic panel to balance out exposure and adjust highlights, shadows, white point, and black point.

Softening details with negative Clarity, positive Texture, and negative Dehaze.

Adjusting white balance after exposure for more accurate color neutrality.

Cropping the photo to enhance composition and remove unwanted elements.

Using the tone curve to add contrast and lift the mid-tones.

Color calibration as a favorite method to edit color, with adjustments to blue and green primary channels.

Color grading to tint highlights and mid-tones for a warmer or bluer hue.

HSL adjustments to reduce saturation and luminance of specific colors to simplify the color palette.

Sharpening the image with detail settings and using a vignette for a subtle effect.

Skipping lens corrections and transform for less frequently used edits.

Using local masking to enhance specific areas like sunlight and detail in the fence.

Adjustment brush to add clarity and texture to draw attention to specific parts of the photo.

Final clean-up to remove sensor spots and distractions, ensuring a polished final image.

The workflow is designed to be applied to any photograph for consistent and efficient editing.

Sponsor Squarespace is highlighted for website and e-commerce needs, with a special offer for viewers.

Giveaway announcement for a Nissi filter kit, won by Mark Wilkins.

Encouragement for viewers to ask questions and engage with the content.