Photo Editing Basics: Make Good Images Great Without Expensive Software

Ever wonder why your pictures never quite look like a professional's? It's simple. The answer is editing. Half of making an image great is the edit itself.

This class will teach you how to use basic, professional editing techniques with free/affordable software (I'll cover Photoshop but it isn't required) to turn your amateur snapshot into a professional image.

Over 2 hours of video content and over 20 additional resources included!

What a lot of people don't know is that you can make professional images without Photoshop or other expensive editing tools. Whether you are new to digital photography or you are experienced but would like to enhance your ability to edit, this is the class for you. From theory to practice, you will come away from this class with  two of your photos that will go from good to great.

We'll start with the basics of what terms like Brightness, Contrast,
Exposure, and Levels really mean and how we can use a histogram to our advantage.

We'll look at how these tools exist across almost any image editor. From there, we'll review free and paid software options and dive into using these tools to see how they work in conjunction with each other. Many free image editors already exist on your computer!

Programs I'll be showing you how to work with:

• GIMP
• Pixelmator
• Preview
• Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Photoshop

After we cover those basics, we will see how much we can
improve basic images just by using these simple tools and following a proven formula.

Next, we'll then jump beyond the very basics and get into color editing, using gradients, and even some techniques to help you with
object removal and cloning to create a unique look to your images.

Through all of this, we will cover the do's and dont's of editing as well.
We'll cover what editorial and printed images need versus digital images
along with exporting your images for either print or the web.

I'm going to show you how these proven techniques can be carried over to editing images on your cell phone. The built-in Instagram filters are nice, but I'll teach you how to edit your own photos to turn out exactly how you want them to. 

Editing Skills/Tools Covered

• Brightness/Exposure
• Contrast
• Levels
• Color
• Straightening/Cropping
• Dodge and Burn
• Clone Stamp
• Gradients
• Sharpening your image
• Blur
• Layers
• Exporting
• Advanced Editing with RAW (NEW)

By the end of this class, you'll be able to...

• Work across any editing program
• Understand the relationship of available tools
• Read a histogram
• Enhance any photo
• Create a unique look and tone
• Correct underexposed images
• Discern the difference between bit depth

By the end of this class, you'll have the skills to edit portrait and
landscape images worthy of the front page of any major publication, website, or magazine!

• Trailer
• Class Welcome and What We'll Cover
• Choosing an Editor
• Similarities Between Programs
• What Are Pixels?
• How To Crop and Straighten Your Image
• Understanding the Histogram
• Editing Terms and The Tools at Hand
• Editing a Landscape
• Editing a Portrait
• Sharpening your Image
• Using Gradients
• Using the Clone Stamp Tool
• Using Dodge and Burn
• Using Blur For Creative Effects
• Black and White
• Getting the Vintage Look
• Fixing a Problematic Photo
• Exporting for Print and Web and Class Wrap
• What is RAW?
• RAW Editing Software
• Editing RAW Files
• Using The New Tools on the Phone