The 10 Photo Editing Tricks I Wish I Knew Earlier

Have you ever looked at photos of your favorite influencers and wondered how they get their images to look so perfect?

As an amateur photographer, I used to think people were just born with an eye for photography or had access to expensive cameras and editing tools.

Turns out, the secret is in the editing. After years of trial and error, I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade to make my photos pop.

If you’re looking to up your photo editing game and make your products shine, here are 7 easy photo editing hacks I wish I knew when I first started out.

These techniques have been total game changers and taken my photos from meh to wow.

Get ready to impress your followers with photos that look straight out of a magazine.

Trick 1: Adjusting exposure and contrast

Have you ever taken what you thought was a great photo, only to be disappointed with how it turned out? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

The good news is, with a few simple edits you can transform your shots into images you’ll be proud to share.

One of my favorite tricks is adjusting the exposure and contrast. A photo that’s too dark or too bright can be fixed in seconds. Just slide the exposure slider to the right to brighten a dark photo or to the left to darken an overexposed shot.

Then adjust the contrast to add more definition. Your “dud” of a photo will suddenly pop with vibrant color and life.

With a few taps, you can turn a lackluster photo into something magical. Play around with these settings and you’ll be an editing pro in no time! Your photos will thank you, and so will your followers.

Trick 2: Utilizing the histogram

The histogram is your photo’s best friend. This handy tool shows you the distribution of shadows, midtones, and highlights in your image.

If the histogram is bunched up at one end, your photo will be too dark or too light. For the best results, you want an even spread across the histogram.

To access the histogram, open your photo in an editing app like Lightroom or Snapseed and look for the histogram icon. It’s usually a bar graph-looking thing.

Tap it, and you’ll see your photo’s histogram. If the graph is clumped to the left, your image is underexposed. If it’s clumped to the right, it’s overexposed.

Make adjustments using the exposure slider. Move it left to darken an overexposed photo or right to brighten an underexposed one.

Keep an eye on your histogram as you edit and adjust until you have an even spread for a perfectly balanced exposure.

With the histogram, you’ll be rescuing lackluster photos and turning good shots into great ones in no time. Your photos will thank you for discovering this simple but transformative trick!

Trick 3: Mastering white balance

Have your photos ever looked too yellow or blue? That’s because the white balance was off. White balance controls the color temperature of your photo, and when it’s right, whites actually look white.

The auto white balance setting works okay, but for the best results, set it manually. Take a photo of a plain white surface, like a sheet of paper.

Then go into your camera’s menu and select “custom white balance” or something similar. Choose the photo you just took as the reference.

Now your camera knows exactly what white should look like in that lighting. Take another test shot—the difference will amaze you. Colors will seem richer and more realistic.

Mastering white balance is a game changer and one of the easiest tricks to dramatically improve your photos.

Trick 4: Removing background imperfections

Have you ever taken what you thought was the perfect product photo, only to find little imperfections in the background you didn’t notice before?

Slazzer’s background removal tool is a lifesaver for easily erasing those small flaws in seconds.

With Slazzer, you just upload your photo, and roughly mark the area you want to cut out, and the software instantly detects the edges of your main subject and removes everything else.

Any little spots, marks or uneven edges in the background are erased along with it. Your product will look like it’s floating on a blank canvas, completely blemish-free.

Forget spending hours in Photoshop meticulously erasing and retouching. Slazzer’s background remover does all the work for you in the blink of an eye. Your products will look their absolute best, and you’ll get hours of your life back. It’s a win-win!

Trick 5: Enhancing colors with saturation and vibrance

Want your product photos to pop? Crank up the saturation and vibrance. Saturation intensifies the colors that are already there, making reds redder and blues bluer. Vibrance does the same thing, but in a more subtle way.

It boosts less saturated colors more, so it looks more natural.

For the most dramatic results, increase the saturation first. Move the slider to around +15 to +30. Then, increase the vibrance to +10 to +25. Keep making small adjustments and checking how it looks. You can always undo if you go too far!

Your products will beam with bright, bold colors that catch the customer’s eye.

Trick 6: Creative use of cropping and composition

Cropping your photos is one of the easiest ways to improve their composition and make your products pop.

Zoom in and cut out any distracting background details or trim edges to focus the viewer’s attention.

Play around with different crop sizes and aspect ratios to see which one highlights your product best. A tight crop around the main subject is an easy way to make it the star of the show.

For example, a close-up shot of a watch face or handbag clasp helps showcase interesting details. Or crop in on a model’s smiling face and eyes to create an engaging portrait.

Cropping is a simple but transformative editing trick, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

Your photos will be much more compelling and professional-looking in no time.

Trick 7: Adding depth with shadows and highlights

The final trick is all about enhancing depth and dimension. Adding shadows and highlights in strategic places can make your product photos pop off the screen.

Use the dodge and burn tools to lighten and darken specific areas. For example, dodge the edges and corners of your product to make them brighter, and burn the sides to make them darker.

This helps define the shape and gives a 3D effect. You can also use layer masks with these tools to target the adjustments to specific parts of the photo.

Play around with the opacity and exposure settings on the tools to get the look you want. Start subtly and build up the effect gradually. Zoom in close to check your work and make sure the adjustments look natural.

With a few simple clicks, you can take a flat product shot and turn it into something eye-catching that highlights all the best features of your item.

Using these highlighting and shadowing techniques, you’ll have professional-looking product photos in no time!

Conclusion

So there you have it, 7 simple but powerful photo editing tricks to make your product shots look their absolute best. Armed with these techniques, you’ll be creating images that capture attention and drive sales in no time.

The best part is, these hacks don’t require expensive equipment or software – just a few free tools and a little practice. Now get out there and start snapping photos!

Your products deserve to shine, and now you have the skills to make that happen. Remember, the right photo can make all the difference. Thank you for Reading.