My Go To Editing Tips For My IG Photos
At least a few times a month I get several DMs asking how I edit my photos, what preset or filter I use ….and what apps I use to edit…
I’m here to dive a little deeper into my process and I truly hope it gets your creative juices flowing!
First and foremost, I often get asked who the heck takes my photos?
I’m gonna shed a little bit of praise for my favorite man, my husband.
His weeks are jammed packed with work (running his own business) and yet he still makes time to assist me with taking photos. I don’t know how I got so lucky but he’s the mystery photographer.
My husband Dave does not have a photography background.
However, he's a smart cookie and loves learning!
It was honestly touching when he bought some photography books and watched some YouTube videos to better understand photo concepts, camera settings and lighting.
At this point we have a rhythm going and I can tell he feels much more confident behind the lens.
When Dave is swamped with work and I need something in a pinch I grab my tripod and shutter remote and do it myself.
To be successful at blogging you do not need anyone but yourself and a dash of confidence! You can create stunning images all your own.
Okay - now to the good stuff!
I have a Canon EOS Mark IV and I use Sigma Art Lenses (they’re my favorite)
Camera Lenses:
I Shoot everything manually aka my husband shoots on manual and I adjust the settings for him depending on the lighting and our location. However, my F-stop seems to stay between F1.4 - F1.8 if that helps to know.
I shoot in JPEG because RAW photos are amazing for editing but this is just for Instagram so I don’t feel it’s very necessary. For other professional avenues? Totally necessary.
I use the editing software, Lightroom on desktop (I have an iMac) and I get to work playing around with all the tools.
Exposure:
I start by adjusting this on all my images - sometimes the image needs to be more bright and other times it’s a little washed out. This tool helps to even everything out.
Slide the scale on the negative side to make image darker
Slide the scale on the plus side to make image more exposed (lighter)
Temperature:
After messing around with the exposure I play around with the temperature tool (this gives off the effect I am using a filter/preset) … and that’s understandable because this is how a filter is made!
My photos fall more in the “warm” toned category so I start by making the photos very warm and then dropping the “cool” tone just slightly.
Contrast:
I always bump up my contrast just a little! This helps to make the image really pop! The saturation tool will do this with the colors in the image if you’re learning towards a really bright and colorful photo but I do not use that tool personally.
Highlights and Shadows:
I play around with these last! They should be used sparingly - too much of this tool and your photos can get washed out quick or appear too dark and grainy.
However, they are a game changer! If you have a lot of shadows in your photos it’s nice to brighten them up!
Honestly, this is all I do!
I save the image to my desktop - email myself the images and save to my camera roll! I like to keep things pretty simple.
Hope this answered any photo editing questions!
xo
Jessy
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