Peaks toward the middle of the histogram represent midtones, whereas peaks toward the left represent shadows and peaks toward the right represent highlights. The histogram shows the distribution of tones in your image. These days, pretty much every camera offers a RAW file format ( even smartphones!). Fortunately, programs like Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom are designed specifically for RAW editing, so they make the conversion process quick and painless.īy the way, you can set the file format in your camera’s menu – and if you’re struggling, check your camera’s manual. Before you can send a RAW photo to friends, post it on social media, or post it on your website, you’ll need to use a RAW editor to convert it to a JPEG.

One RAW drawback: It’s not an easily displayable format. Whereas JPEG files only allow limited changes (and if you edit a JPEG file too heavily, you’ll end up with various unwanted artifacts, like banding). It’ll give you far more flexibility with a RAW file, you can dramatically alter exposure, white balance, color, and more. You see, cameras offer two main file formats: RAW and JPEG.Īnd while the JPEG format is nice for quick snapshots, if you want to do serious photo editing, then you need to be using RAW. Technically, this guideline is about photographing, not editing – but it’s so important that I feel obligated to include it. Note: My instructions below reference Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic, but you can achieve the same results with any editing software, including Lightroom CC, ON1 Photo RAW, Capture One, and more. So if you’re ready to get started with photo editing for beginners, then let’s dive right in! They’re quick, they’re easy, and they’ll remain useful, even as you level up your editing skills and dive into more advanced applications.

Specifically, I offer a series of basic principles that you can use when editing any image. There are a few simple steps you can take to get great results right off the bat, which I share in this article. Open up any post-processing program, and you’ll be confronted by a slew of sliders, tools, and options (it’s enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed!).įortunately, basic photography editing isn’t nearly as hard as it seems.

Lightroom 5 tutorials for beginners