Sharpen the shot, brighten the vibe

Too cute to handle and too furry to forget. This adorable dog sticks out his tongue in joy. The photo was lightly edited to enhance overall quality. Photo credit: Panthra Gardineer (12) 

Photo editing isn’t just for photographers — it’s a simple way to make your images stand out. With a few quick adjustments, an ordinary photo can become something eye-catching and memorable. Whether you’re posting on social media, creating content for work, or preserving special moments, editing helps tell your story with clarity, color, and impact.

However, strong editing actually begins before a photo ever reaches editing software. Thinking about lighting, composition, and focus while taking the picture makes a huge difference. No amount of editing can fully fix a photo that is extremely blurry, poorly lit, or out of focus. Paying attention behind the camera lens sets you up for success later. 

“Learn photo composition terms and think about them as you shoot,” said CHS Publications teacher Ms. Robison. “This will make the editing process much less cumbersome.” 

The original image. 

A good place to begin when editing is with cropping. Many photographers use the rule of thirds, which involves placing the main focus of a photo at one of the points where grid lines intersect. If the rule of thirds doesn’t fit your image, the grid can also help center your subject for a more balanced composition. 

 Cropping applied. 

Lighting also plays a major role in photography. It involves considering where the light comes from, how soft or harsh it appears, and its color. These elements help set the mood, highlight details, and guide the viewer’s eye through the image. 

Lighting adjustment options. 

“Start with Adobe Lightroom and don't be afraid to work with masking tools or new tools,” said Rylie Songer (10). 

Most editing apps include a lighting adjustment tool, often located near the cropping feature, though its appearance may vary by platform. Sliders in this section can help correct photos that are too dark or too bright. 

Exposure adjusts the overall brightness of a photo, while brilliance enhances richness and vibrancy by brightening darker areas, reducing harsh highlights, and adding contrast to reveal detail. Shadow controls bring out details in darker areas, and contrast makes colors appear more vivid. A vignette effect can subtly darken the edges of an image to draw attention toward the center. 

“Don’t spend too much time editing, because you’ll lose your mind and the colors will blend together,” said Songer. 

“Don’t spend too much time editing, because you’ll lose your mind and the colors will blend together,” said Songer. 

Color adjustment options. 

Color adjustments like saturation, warmth, and tint can enhance an image but are not always necessary. These tools are commonly overused when editors feel a photo needs more color than it actually does. 

“Fighting grain and color abrasions when shooting sports in particular is time consuming and incredibly frustrating, but it feels necessary to create a quality photo," said Eliot Tiegel (11). 

Many student photographers agree that restraint is key. 

"The biggest mistake is over editing. A lot of people over crop and over saturate, don't change the photo too much. Keep what was already there,” said Arlo Gibbs (12).