Basic Photo Editing
Importing & Editing Photos in Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom. These tips may work for other photo editing programs. A Beginner’s Guide to Organizing, Editing, and Enhancing Your Photos
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Course Overview
This course will teach you how to import, organize, and edit photos using Photoshop and Lightroom. You’ll learn the basics of photo organization, exposure adjustments, color correction, and applying lighting tools to enhance your images professionally.
What You’ll Learn:
✅ How to import and organize photos on a computer or tablet.
✅ Basic photo editing techniques in Photoshop & Lightroom.
✅ How to adjust exposure, contrast, and color balance.
✅ How to apply basic lighting tools for a professional look.
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1: Importing & Organizing Photos
1.1 Transferring Photos from Camera to Computer/Tablet
• Using a Memory Card Reader: Insert the SD card into a card reader and connect it to your computer.
• Using a USB Cable: Connect your camera directly and transfer files.
• Wireless Transfer: Some cameras support Wi-Fi transfer via apps.
1.2 Organizing Your Photos
• Create a dedicated folder for each project.
• Use descriptive file names instead of default names (e.g., “Portrait_Session_01” instead of “IMG_1234”).
• Store backups on external hard drives or cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, Adobe Cloud).
1.3 Importing Photos into Editing Software
• Lightroom: Import photos into a catalog for easy organization.
• Photoshop: Open photos directly for detailed editing.
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2: Basic Photo Editing in Photoshop & Lightroom
2.1 Understanding Editing Basics
• Crop & Straighten: Adjust framing and alignment.
• White Balance: Correct color temperature for natural-looking tones.
• Exposure & Contrast: Brighten or darken your image while maintaining details.
2.2 Adjusting Exposure, Shadows & Highlights
• Increase brightness for underexposed photos.
• Recover details in highlights and shadows using adjustment sliders.
• Use the histogram to balance light and dark areas.
2.3 Color Correction & Saturation
• Use Temperature & Tint sliders to fix color shifts.
• Adjust Vibrance & Saturation for natural or dramatic color enhancement.
• Use HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) tools to fine-tune colors.
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3: Applying Basic Lighting Tools
3.1 Using Lighting Tools in Lightroom
• Exposure & Contrast sliders: Adjust brightness and shadow balance.
• Curves Tool: Fine-tune brightness and contrast.
• Radial & Graduated Filters: Apply selective lighting adjustments.
3.2 Enhancing Lighting in Photoshop
• Dodge & Burn Tool: Lighten or darken specific areas for a 3D effect.
• Adjustment Layers (Brightness, Curves, Levels): Make non-destructive edits.
• Lighting Effects Filter: Simulate professional lighting setups.
Final Project: Editing Your First Photo
✅ Import a photo and organize it properly.
✅ Adjust exposure, contrast, and colors in Lightroom or Photoshop.
✅ Apply lighting effects to enhance the image.
✅ Export the final photo in high-quality format.
Conclusion & Next Steps
By the end of this course, you’ll confidently import, edit, and enhance your photos using Photoshop and Lightroom.
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