Editing Tips for Mobile Photography
There is nothing in the world quite like photography. Having the ability to capture some of life’s most precious moments and shooting memories that will last a lifetime can be a very pleasurable experience.
Once you have taken your photos, it is important to take the time to properly edit them. This can include basic adjustments such as white balance, exposure, and contrast, as well as more detailed edits such as invert color, color correction and sharpening. These little changes can completely enhance the look of a photo.
The beauty of photography is that it comes in many forms. Regardless of whether you hire a wedding photographer, who offers something like an Oregon elopement package, to take photos of your special day, or if you want a family portrait, or just want to freelance, there is much to be had from this pastime.
Often, photographers need to share photos with clients and partners. To send large images, professionals need to email or upload large files onto an online storage service. However, many mobile photography apps have built-in image editing tools that can help to make a photo look its best before sharing.
Before you download any of the apps that you can use, check out the following editing tips that can help you in your mobile photography:
- Shoot RAW. If you’re a serious photographer, you’ve probably already heard this tip, but if you’re new to photography and you’re wondering, “so what?” here’s the deal: RAW format files can preserve all the colour and detail information your camera captured when you were shooting. When you shoot in JPEG format, the image is compressed, losing some of that information. The tradeoff is that JPEG files take up much less space, so they’re perfect for uploading your photos to social media sites.
- Have your photos gotten backed up? Mobile photography is a type of photography done mainly with hand-held or portable cameras. When processing your photos on a mobile device, there are a number of editing tips that can help you improve the quality of your photos. One of the editing tips you should consider is backing up your photos. Your photos are precious to you, and you don’t want to lose them.
- Saved edits separately. One of the editing tricks that can help you in your mobile photography is saving edits separately so that you can get back to your editing later. Instead of just saving the edits and deleting the original picture, you can save the edits as “Alternatives” in the mobile gallery and then go back. If you find your original picture looks better, then you can always go back to the edited version.
- Don’t over-edit. As a photographer, editing is a never-ending process. We are constantly looking for ways to improve what we shoot. However, this quest for the perfect image can lead us to over-editing our photographs with software. Over-editing can be detrimental to the quality of your image, especially if you’re trying to capture a candid moment. Mobile photography is so easy that it’s easy to take 20 shots before deciding on the one you like. However, this can lead to over-edits, and over-editing can completely ruin a good image.
- Use other apps to apply different effects. Many amateur photographers are fascinated by how amazing their photos can look, which drives them to edit their photos with special effects. Software like Adobe Photoshop is by far the most popular one. By itself, it is quite powerful, but you can also use additional digital tools like this Photoshop color wheel or a magic tints plugin to further tweak and finish your pictures. However, for those of you who want something simpler, there are other tools out there as well. Some of them are free, and some cost money. The photo-editing app, like VSCO, is a popular choice for digital photographers. With VSCO, editing photos is super easy, and the editing effects can be applied at the same time. However, some effects will not work on all photos. If your photos all have a similar style, you can try other editing apps for different effects. Some editing apps, like Snapseed, provide effects for photos with blurred backgrounds, while others, like Afterlight, offer effects for photos with bokeh.
- Use the native editing apps on your phone. You may be familiar with Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop apps. Professional photography enthusiasts use these to process their images. These professional apps have dedicated hardware (the camera) and run-on powerful computers. But we all have our smartphones. These phones are powerful processing devices. You’ve got the sensors, the lenses, the processing power, and a built-in display. Why not use your phone’s native photo editing apps for this purpose? It’s easy enough to learn, and it’s a great way to do more with your photography. The best way to edit photos from a phone is with an app. Most phones have at least two or three editing apps installed, and it’s easy to find additional apps through Google or the App Store. As you’re probably well aware, editing photos on your phone can get tedious after a while. Luckily, there are ways to keep your editing time at a minimum while still getting the results you want.
- Calibrate your touchscreen. Before you can use the touchscreen for editing, you have to ensure that it’s accurate. The touchscreen on most smartphones is calibrated at the factory, but this can change slightly over time. To calibrate your touchscreen, press and hold the home button on your device, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen. A new screen will appear, with the word Settings at the top. Tap the Settings button, then tap General. You’ll see a calibrated screen here, where you’ll tap Done. That’s it for calibrating your touchscreen.
As with everything in life, sometimes things take a little longer but don’t worry, it’s all good. If you run into any problems with your editing, ask for help. If you get stuck, Google it, and you’ll find the answer. Remember, this is your time to be creative. So, don’t hold back. Be yourself, have fun, and be a little controversial. You love posting your mobile photography, so let that shine – be guided with the tips listed above.