One of the aspects of photography that beginners seem to fail at most is in the post-processing phase.
And believe me, I understand why...
Learning Lightroom and Photoshop was a time-intensive and at times frustrating task for me, and that was back in the day with neither program was as robust as it is now.
But there are common mistakes that people make when learning how to edit photos in Lightroom, and if you can avoid them, you'll have a better shot at a good final result.
James Popsys understands why Lightroom edits go wrong for beginners. He addresses that very topic in the video above.
Have a look and see if you're making these two critical Lightroom mistakes!
For a quick summary of James' points, check the outline below.
Editor's Tip: The process of creating a beautiful photo doesn't end with post-processing. It ends with getting a gorgeous print. See what your photos look like as fine art.
Lightroom Editing Problem #1: Feeling the Need to Manipulate Everything
Lightroom is chock-full of powerful editing tools that you can use to make your photos look better.
But just because a tool is there and its slider looks so inviting to move left and right doesn't mean that you should.
In some photos, you'll need more contrast; in others, you won't.
In some photos you'll need to add a little clarity; in others, you won't.
In some photos you'll need to adjust the Curves or Levels; in others, you won't. You get the picture...
The point is that for the best results, only manipulate the settings that need to be manipulated. Less really is often more!
Learn More:
- Editing With Lightroom For Beginners: Tips and Tricks to Supercharge Your Photo Editing Skills
- How to Change Any Color in Lightroom
Lightroom Editing Problem #2: Adding and Removing the Same Edits
A common mistake that photographers make in Lightroom is adding an edit only to remove it (or add more of it) later on with another edit.
Here's a prime example...
You add contrast by moving the Contrast Slider to the right, then you remove contrast by reducing the Shadows, increase the local contrast again by moving the Clarity Slider to the right, then increase the overall contrast in the image yet again by manipulating the Curves into the often-recommended S-curve shape (as shown in the screenshot above).
I know it sounds crazy to do that, but in the heat of the moment editing photos, you'd be surprised how many photographers waste their time adding and removing the same effects over and over again.
In fact, as James notes in the video, he doesn't know of any photographer that didn't make this mistake when they were a beginner. I wholeheartedly agree!
Editor's Tip: Not sure what lens you should use to take portraits? Learn why an 85mm lens is ideal for portraiture.
Lightroom Editing Tips: How to Approach Editing the Right Way
Let me start by saying that there is no one "right" way to edit an image...
As you develop your creative eye and get more comfortable with how to edit photos in Lightroom, you'll find that your workflow will very likely be different from everyone else's, and that's okay!
But simply pointing out the two biggest mistakes to avoid when editing in Lightroom isn't enough to help you progress. Instead, you need some pointers on what to actually do with your images as well.
James offers a great little tutorial in the latter half of the video above in which he explains how he would edit an image. It's less than three minutes of your time, and it'll be wildly beneficial to your images.
See what James does, check out the "Learn More" links in this article for further Lightroom tips, and get on track with your editing today!