Starting Post-Processing – Workflow Tutorial What is Post-Processing?

Post-processing isn’t just a postscript to photography, it’s an essential step in the process. The image captured in the field, although well-composed and correctly exposed, can always be finessed in a post-processing application. Post-processing allows for color balancing, exposure tweaks, detail refinement, and so on, and is an ideal time to intensify the story or mood of an image.

A newcomer may find post-processing daunting because there are so many different tools and possibilities. Knowing a basic, methodical approach makes post-processing a fun, creative exercise instead of a bewildering chore.

Structuring Your Routine

Now, before we start editing in any program, let’s get ourselves organized. Organizing your files will make your life easier and prevent you from losing time.

STEP 1 — Import and Sort
Import your images and sort them into folders based on date, shoot, or project. If possible, use meaningful names for your files and mark (or rate) your favorites. That way, you can later give more attention to the images that are most important to you.

Keep Copies of Originals
This is a no-brainer. Always keep copies of your original files in a different folder or external hard drive, in case you mess up the copy you’re working on, or want to make a second edit later.

Your strategy should be set before you begin. Are you editing to achieve a realistic edit, stylized edit or Instagram edit? I think that having a direction will save you some time from playing around.

Exposure and Color Corrections

First, we’ll work on the global settings which apply to the entire image. These are the edits that help get your image technically correct and provide a good foundation.

Exposure Correction: Correct the brightness and contrast of the photo so that it looks well-exposed. Small adjustments here can make a large difference to the overall quality and detail of your photo. Use the histogram to prevent clipping the highlights or shadows.

Next up is White Balance. You want to make sure the colours are looking as natural as possible. Use the temperature and tint sliders to get rid of any casts that you’re seeing from the light. Not only will this make the image look more professional, it will also help when you’re making other edits later on.

Color and Saturation: Apply slight adjustments to the saturation in order to bump up the colors. If it doesn’t look natural, or if you only want to apply this effect to a certain region, make a local adjustment.

Cropping and Composition Refinement

With the editing tools, you can fine-tune your composition after taking the picture. The crop and straighten tools ensure that the focus remains on the subject and gets rid of unwanted areas.

Crop for Impact. Eliminate unwanted or distracting elements in your photo by cropping the image to the edges of your subject. Take into consideration the rule of thirds, leading lines, and other elements of composition when cropping.

Straighten and Align
Horizons and vertical lines should be straight. Even a slight rotation and alignment can make your photos look nicer and more polished.

Adjusting Locally

Once the global edits are completed, local edits can be used to tweak particular regions of the photo. Local edits can be used to add additional detail, fix an over- or underexposure issue in a specific part of the image, or draw focus to a subject.

Dodge and Burn: Use the dodge tool to lighten areas you want to bring out, and the burn tool to darken areas you want to create depth in. Dodge the highlights to bring out the detail, and burn the shadows to create depth.

Selective Color Adjustments
Change colors selectively to make the subject pop or blend in with their surroundings. (e.g. making the leaves greener without shifting the color of skin).

Spot Removal Remove small imperfections like dust spots, blemishes, or small objects to help draw attention to the subject.

Sharpening and Noise Reduction

Sharpening enhances clarity and detail whereas noise reduction helps to eliminate the grainy texture often present in images taken with high ISO or low-lighting.

Smart Sharpen Use
Apply smart sharpening sparingly and only to details that require it. Over-sharpening can result in awkward hard lines.

Apply noise reduction tools minimally, to reduce noise while maintaining detail. Amount should be applied based on image resolution and intended output.

Which Platforms Should I Export For?

Lastly, think about the intended use of the photo. Your export settings will vary if the image is for web, print, or social media.

File Type & Resolution: Use a JPEG if you are posting the picture online. Use a TIFF or PNG if you are using it for a print. Use a resolution that is appropriate for the size you are printing.

Color Profile — sRGB is perfect for web and if you are going for print, you can opt for Adobe RGB or any other color profile which your printer is supporting. Remember, color profiling helps you to ensure that your picture will look the same on other screens as well.

Compression and Size: Keep your file size in mind, though. You want to find a balance between the best quality and a large file. A huge file may cause your website to load slowly or might be too big to upload on a platform.