Photo Photo 4 Essential Tips For Photo Editing

Photo EditingI love editing photos.

It is absolutely a fundamental component of my photographic process and should be for anyone who wants to create a visual journey that is enjoyable and distinctive.

For this reason, I decided to share with you some simple but crucial photo editing tips for a successful shot.

Our eye is unrivaled in terms of perfection; forget about being able to immortalize with your smartphone or digital camera what your eye can see. Don’t think you’re at fault if you can’t achieve this "feat," because it’s completely normal.

It is the same for a professional photographer and if you have one as a point of reference you will surely have read or heard them say that at least 50% of their photographic process focuses on photo retouching or editing.

Press enter or click to view image in full sizeFinding the right conditions, especially lighting, is not always easy.

As Léonard Misonne said:

Light glorifies everything. It transforms and ennobles the most banal and ordinary subjects. The object is nothing, the light is everything.

And this sentence of his makes you understand how essential light is in the photographic process.

But here’s the good news. With the right skills, you can create stunning images that wow your potential customers, your blog readers, and your Instagram followers.

I’m sharing with you these 4 essential tips for your photo editing.

Table of Contents

1. Edit only your best photos
2. Pay attention to white balance
3. Observe the color of the whole scene
4. Practice

Edit only your best photos

One of the biggest secrets to building a photo gallery that captures people’s attention is to be absolutely sure of the quality of your photos.

If you have dedicated yourself to taking a certain number of photos for a particular set, scene or subject you will need to be able to "skim" this quantity.

If you have taken 10 photos, it is almost certain that you will have to select no more than 3–4 of them and start from these to identify your best photo.

Quickly review your photos to make a selection based on intuition and feelings.

Take a break for a few minutes and then look at them again and choose the image you want to edit.

It’s also possible that none of these 10 photos are to your liking, but know that you’re not alone in this discomfort. Don’t worry too much and throw them away.

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2. Pay attention to white balance

When you take your photos, you’ll often notice that your images look a little dull and flat. This is especially noticeable when you focus on the white areas of the photo.

When you look closely, white looks grayer or even dirtier. Fixing this problem is the key to beautiful, eye-catching images!

To get a clean white you need to correct the white balance in the photo.

If you study your photo carefully you will notice that in most cases it will have a color tone influenced by the elements or subjects present in the scene and you will also realize that this color is influenced by the daylight conditions.

Photos taken during the golden hour, early in the morning, or in the hours before sunset, for example, will have a yellowish hue.

The time you take the photo is therefore also crucial and affects the color of the white. Personally, I would never alter the colors of a photo taken during the golden hour, but these are personal choices.

Use the temperature and white balance slider in your editing app to adjust the warm/cool tones and try to get them as close to true white as possible.

Next, use basic tools like brightness and contrast to eliminate any gray areas.

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3. Observe the colors of the whole scene

When you are looking for a specific editing style you must first pay close attention to the colors present in the scene you are about to photograph.

You need to pay attention to your personal tastes and then learn to master them. I tell you this because some people feel the specific need for a consistent color gallery and to achieve this they resort to using presets.

Using presets is the final step in your photo editing, not the initial step.

For this to work, there needs to be a good photo with nice colors from the start. If you want to create a pastel style, make sure you add colors that support that style or photograph a scene that includes them.

This way, the pastel preset you use will be consistent with your original colors.

If, however, you want to create a very colorful, flashy, and exaggerated style, then you can overdo the editing and use the presets as you like.

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4. practice

I know this may seem like super banal advice, but practice is your best bet for training your eye to spot those essential changes that make your photos beautiful and captivating.

So take your best photo and try tweaking all the settings your photo editing app offers. You’ll learn which ones you can’t live without and, more importantly, which ones you need to use right away to enhance the beauty of your photos.

Conclusion

Photo editing is more than just adjusting colors or removing imperfections it’s about enhancing a story through visuals. By applying these four essential tips, you can transform an ordinary image into something that captures attention and communicates emotion. Whether it’s mastering brightness and contrast, refining composition, using advanced retouching tools, or maintaining a natural balance, each step plays a crucial role in producing professional-quality results.

Remember, great editing comes with practice, patience, and a clear creative vision. Don’t rush the process; instead, experiment with different techniques until you find a style that matches your artistic goals. With the right approach, photo editing becomes a skill that not only elevates your pictures but also builds your confidence as a creator.

In today’s digital world, powerful visuals have the ability to inspire, connect, and influence. By following these essential tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating images that truly stand out — whether for personal projects, professional portfolios, or client work. Keep learning, keep experimenting, and let your creativity guide every edit.

Lance Jekel is a Photoshop expert with 12+ years of experience in photo retouching, manipulation, and editing. Discover professional editing services at Pro Photoshop Expert.