Editing photos consist in making some changes to the images once the photo has been taken, in order to improve it. (But if we go overboard, editing doesn’t always improve an image!)
Thanks to editing apps, or the default gallery app on your phone (or computer), you can adjust brightness, contrast, cropping, colours among other things. You can also apply ready-made presets, that combine several edits (and usually change the colours to a certain, less natural, “style”).
Before I give you a link to 5 quick edits you can do to make your photos better for print, we need to ask some important questions.
Do we need to edit each photo before printing?
Learning to do simple edits manually can help you make your photos look more vibrant, less dull or highlight your subject better. But, does it mean you have to edit every single photo you wish to print?
As a professional photographer, I pretty much edit every single photo I take… except for my phone photos.
What?! Why?
When you take a photo with your phone or camera, it usually saves as a JPEG, a ready-to-use file format that’s been edited and compressed automatically by your device.
So my phone photos are usually “good enough as they are” and I’m spending enough time editing my other photos. (This being said, if there was a photograph I really valued that could be improved with editing, I would definitely do it.)
So most of your phone photos don’t need editing, but you may want a better result. If you find that your photos look dark or flat when you get them printed, you have two options:
- Try a new printing service (they’re not all equal, please refer to my Ultimate Family Print Guide)
- Try editing your photos before print (if it sounds daunting, only do your very favourites).
What kind of edits will make a big difference to your photos, fast?
Editing can improve an image before printing, especially if it was taken in difficult lighting conditions, or if it didn’t turn out as you hoped (brightness, contrast, colours etc.)
Simple edits can make a big difference to your images in (literally) seconds. The key is not to overthink it, or aim for perfection.
An image might look a little dull and need more contrast. Or it may look too dark and need more brightness. You may have taken the photo from too far away and crop a little bit. If the photo looks a little cold, you can warm it up. Finally, straightening is often an easy fix for a crooked horizon.
(Watch my free tutorial to see these edits applied in real time on real, phone photos.)
These edits may sound too easy, but I promise you that we, professional photographers, use these simple edits on our photographs.
We might also tweak colours, and make local adjustements to photos, but the bulk of the edits are exactly what I have listed above.
I’ll show you how to edit phone photos for print
I’ve made a free video tutorial to show you 5 easy phone photo editing tips that’ll help you fix dark or dull images and get better results without needing to upgrade your camera.
Want to know the 5 edits that will make a big difference to your images in a few seconds?
>>Watch my free tutorial: 5 Quick Edits for Better Photo Prints<<
This tutorial is for you if:
- You love taking photos of your family life and adventures, but struggle to find ones that feel “ready for print”.
- The memories are priceless, but the photos sometimes look too dark, too dull, or the colours feel off.
- You want your favourite moments to ‘pop’ with life and look just as vibrant on your walls as they do in real life.
- You’re not looking for complicated edits or fancy presets, just quick, easy tweaks that make a big difference.
The good news?
You don’t need fancy softwares or hours of editing to get a pro-like result.
In this free video, I’ll show you:
- 5 quick, easy edits that instantly improve your photos for print (whether you use a phone or a ‘big camera’).
- Edits that are available on phones (tap that ‘edit’ icon), Google Photos, or editing apps.
- How small tweaks can make a big impact, without over-editing or making your photos look unnatural.
From Blah to Beautiful: The 5 Quick Edits for Better Photo Prints
You don’t need fancy softwares or hours of editing to get a pro-like result.
Get instant access
A 15-mins video tutorial showing you 5 quick edits that can make a big impact on your photos before printing.