Editing your photos opens up a whole new world of artistic possibilities. Not only can you iron out imperfections and get the perfect image, but you can also experiment with different effects to make something completely new.

For many photographers, especially those shooting on film, the concept of photo editing is very new. If you are not used to it, you may be daunted because you don’t know where to start. The good news is, there are so many excellent pieces of software out there that make it simple to get started. It requires some time investment to learn the more advanced tools, but you can get going with the basics right away. This beginners guide will help you get to grips with photo editing and build a good foundation.

Finding the Right Hardware and Software
This is the first step. You need the right photo editing software and you need the right hardware to run it on. Photo editing programs can be quite demanding, so if you are working on an old computer, it may be time for an upgrade. Something powerful like a Lenovo Intel i9 Laptop is perfect for photo and even video editing. You won’t run into performance issues and you can work with very high resolution images.

When it comes to choosing editing software, Adobe is the best known option. They offer Photoshop or the more professional Lightroom, both of which are excellent. Lightroom is arguably the best photo editing software you can get right now.

Luminar is also a popular choice among professionals. It has a lot of the same functionality you get from Lightroom, and it’s also available for a single flat fee, rather than the monthly subscription you have to pay for Adobe products.

There are also free options like GIMP or Canva. If you are new to photo editing, try some of these first so you can learn the basic tools and concepts. You can then graduate onto the paid options.

Shoot Photos in RAW
Most digital cameras have two options for file type; JPEG and RAW. A JPEG is the image file type that most people are familiar with and it’s fine for everyday photos. But if you want to edit your images, always shoot in RAW. You have so much more flexibility to make changes to the contrast, colors, and exposure. On a JPEG, these things are much more limited, so you can’t always make the changes you want to.

Always Start With Exposure
More often than not, it’s the exposure that is the issue with your photo. If you want to make it look better, always start there. You want a good balance between light and dark, so you can pick out the right details.

Experiment
Once you have fixed the exposure and you are happy with the overall image, it’s time to start experimenting. The best way to learn the software and work out what you can do with your images is through trial and error. Always save a separate copy of the original and then you are free to explore as much as you like.

Once you start editing your photos, you can get so much more out of them. So, what are you waiting for?