Refining images.
WHAT EDITING SHOULD DO
Correct, before it enhances.
WHAT TO CORRECT FIRST
Exposure White balance Straightness Cropping
WHY STRAIGHTNESS MATTERS
Tilted horizons and verticals read as careless immediately.
WHAT NON-DESTRUCTIVE EDITING MEANS
The original remains unchanged, with adjustments stored separately.
WHY IT MATTERS
You can revisit decisions, and you cannot ruin the original.
WHAT RAW FILES PROVIDE
More information to recover from, particularly in highlights and shadows.
WHAT THEY COST
Size, and a processing step before use.
WHAT TO SHOOT IN
Raw, where the image matters and storage allows.
WHAT TO ADJUST CAREFULLY
Saturation, which quickly looks artificial Sharpening, which produces halos when overdone Skin, which becomes plastic
WHAT RETOUCHING SHOULD REMOVE
Temporary blemishes.
WHAT IT SHOULD NOT REMOVE
Permanent features that make someone themselves.
WHY THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS
Heavy retouching is both dishonest and unflattering.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A consistent look across a set.
HOW
Editing one image, then applying its settings to the rest.
WHAT TO EXPORT
Sized for where it will be used, not the maximum.
