Let's Talk More About Editing

I've talked about editing photos in the past, but this time I want to talk about how different a photo can look depending on how you edit it.  You can take the same photo and evoke a different idea or feeling from that photo depending on the effect you choose.  A photo can go from looking bright and cheery to dark and mysterious with a couple clicks of your mouse.  I'm going to stop typing now and let a few pictures do the talking.

For this demonstration, I will take the same photo and edit it in a variety of ways to show the endless possibilities.  Most of this editing (except for basic, maintenance editing) was done on Picnik.

The original, with very little editing.

The 60's effect.  Obviously, it gives it that aged photograph from the 1960's kind of feel. You can even choose to have rounded corners on the photo if you want.

This is "gritty".  It adds a harsher look to your photos.  I don't personally use this one much, but it can be interesting with the right photo.

This is the Ortonish effect.  It brightens the colors and gives everything a hazy, ethereal look.  I use this one frequently, though I often use the "fade" bar to lessen its impact.

This one is a little crazier.  This is the posterize effect, which gives photos the look of a poster or painting.

This is an effect I discovered recently called "Dramatic Sepia".   It can be found in Curves under the Advanced tab. It's basically a darker, gloomier looking sepia effect.

Another wild effect.  This is the HSL filter.  You can use it to play with the colors in the photo.  It allows you to slide the bar back and forth until you get the hues you so desire.

As you can see, you can choose from a wide range of effects which each present the photograph in an entirely different way.  You can make small, subtle changes, or go crazy with the wilder effects. As always, I really encourage you to try out different effects for yourself on www.picnik.com.  Photo editing can be a lot of fun with this website.  You will be shocked by how easy it is to use to site and will be addicted in no time!  Check it out!