in my circle of photography friends, one of the things i get the most compliments on is my photo processing. which is so nice…really my photography friends are so kind. plus it’s also one of the most frequent questions i get here on my blog ~ how i achieve the look of my photos.
well so the other day, when i was drying my hair, i had this great idea that a couple of times a month i would share with you how i edit a photo from start to finish in lightroom. which is where i do the majority of all my post-processing. and i can’t tell you how much this has streamlined my whole workflow.
you can see my whole lightroom workflow from import to export here:
but before i share with you the video, i would like to share with you my personal philosophy about photo editing and post-processing in general.
- to start with, photo editing is completely optional. it’s a personal preference. and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
- in my personal opinion, no amount of post-processing can turn a shitty photo into an unshitty photo. that being said, there are times when, in tricky lighting situations, post-processing can make all the difference. but for the most part, i try my best to take well composed, well exposed photographs.
- which leads me to my next point…post-processing is for me, a creative outlet. a fun way to play with my photos. playing around with different effects can change the whole feel of a photo. and usually the whole intention in my editing choices is to convey a mood or emotion.
- a very big part of my post-processing journey has been about finding my own, personal style. and i could write a whole blog post about finding style i think. but really, i think it boils down to taking bits and pieces – looks that you like – and putting them together in your own, unique way.
ok, with all of that being said, here is the photo i am editing today. this is SOOC. not a bad shot at all, but i think i can add a little polish and personality to it.
here is the edited version of the photo.
granted there isn’t a whole lot of difference. but that’s fine with me today…i wanted something bright and happy. 
so i hope this is helpful…that it sort of demystifies some of the lightroom sliders. like i said in the video, if you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact me or leave a reply to the blog post and i’ll try to help.
and with that i’m going to sign off and get on with my day. hope you have a bright and happy weekend my friends.
love, kelly
Very pretty tulips. – I need to check out Lightroom someday.
thanks! it’s really quite simple to learn!
I do love the soft and dreamy feeling of the edited image. I don’t have lightroom or photoshop for editing. I do a little in Picasa. Someday, I may try one of the editing programs, but I’m afraid I’d just be more tied to this computer! 🙂 Enjoy your weekend!
haha. I understand Cathy…but honestly LR makes this part of photography faster. and I swear this isn’t a paid advertisement. lol 😉
Kelly, Thanks so much for the excellent video. I use Photoshop CS6 and was able to duplicate your process. Thanks again for the great tips. Margie
oh that’s great Margie! so glad you found this to be helpful!! 🙂
OMG, Kelly! You sound an awful lot like our friend Kim Klassen! Some of the phrases are straight out of her lexicon. But you did a wonderful job! I tend to keep my editing simple, like you I have a set of steps I follow but much simpler than yours. But I’m inspired to try these ideas. And … I’m going to email you right now with a suggestion!
xo