Photoshop How To

Some photographers dread editing images, while others enjoy sitting behind a computer enhancing their work. Whichever camp you fall into, this tutorial will speed up the process and help you achieve superior results.

British photographer James Popsys specializes in travel and landscape photography, and in the video below you’ll see what he considers the most important photo editing tools and how he employs them. And while he uses Lightroom to demonstrate his tips, the techniques he reveals are equally relevant regardless of the software you use.

Popsys kicks off the episode with a topic that deserves far more attention; namely, while the specific adjustments you make are important, the order in which you make them is critical. As he explains, doing things in the wrong order is “kind of like reading a novel starting at page 84.”

As Popsys reveals the tools he considers most powerful, and explains how to apply them, he does so in the proper sequence and we encourage you to take notes. For example, he begins by answering the questions, “Why crop first?” and “Why clone second?” One reason is because he prefers to make other adjustments using the histogram, which may change dramatically once an image is cropped.

After Popsys finishes cropping and does a bit of spot removal to get rid of distracting elements, he can make far more informed decisions about color, highlights, shadows, and other enhancements. The manner in which he then employs his favorite tools is both quick and easy.

You’ll see how Popsys uses the Radial Filter to clean up a messy sky, the power of the Graduated Filter tool, and much more. So check out the video with pen and paper in hand, so you can jot down the correct order for making these important adjustments.

You can find more helpful editing tips on Popsys’ YouTube channel. And be sure to check out the article we posted yesterday, explaining multiple exposures done right,