The ability to edit electronic photographs has revolutionized not just the work of professional photographers, but the millions of home users who don’t have to trash photos that just weren’t right after they’ve waited a week for them to be developed.

Everyone who uses photo-editing software (as millions do) will know that a few mouse clicks can result in a much better photo. However, over recent years just as many photographs have been ruined by photo-editing.  Here are a few of the classic mistakes have crept into the process.

The following are four of the most common photo editing mistakes:

  1. Zombie Eyes. If there is one tool used most often in photo editing it has to be the tool to remove “red eye”. It is undoubtedly a highly useful tool as it helps put an end to millions of photographs with red-eyed relatives. However, there is a problem that is often seen in other quick fix tools: overuse. It can be far too easy to overuse these tools and in the case of fixing red eye it can result in the common mistake of creating eyes that look blank and lifeless. If the subject has blue eyes, over use of the red eye tool can result in black eyes that would look more in place in a zombie movie. Less is definitely more. The same goes for the Eye Doctor action that helps put sparkle into a subject’s eyes. Remember a slight twinkle is good, but anything else will look unnatural and possibly scary. Software is there to help, but the user should always remain in control.
  2. Sharp Enough to Cut? The sharpness tool on most photo editing software is really useful and can be a quick and easy way to turn a photo into a professional looking picture. However, a common mistake is to sharpen too much. The aim of sharpening should be to give a photo a crisp look. If it is overdone then the image will go past crisp and become muddy and false looking. The best idea is to zoom to 100% before sharpening, as much over-sharpening damage can not be spotted until a picture is printed.
  3. Too Much Contrast. Many photographers go a little crazy when it comes to contrast. It may be that it’s one of the easiest tools to see a significant difference in when using, but this means it is all too easy to over do the contrast in a picture that will invariably lead to a negative effect on shadows. Remember that in real life shadows have shape and are not fully black. Adding too much contrast will render shadows fully black and this will kill the realism of the picture, not to mention quickly emptying a black ink cartridge every time you print.
  4. It’s not Black and White. Most users of photo editing software will at some point need to convert an image to greyscale. After all, what could be easier? A photo was color and now it’s black and white. The problem here is that greyscale is not the same as taking a photo in black and white in the first place. It’s a common mistake to think this and the result is often washed out blacks and grey looking whites. The best method to avoid this (apart from shooting in black and white in the first place) is to use “curves”. A word of warning, they take a little getting used to, but they’re worth the effort. However, if you haven’t the time or you’re in a rush, a decent compromise is to use the black and white adjustment layer.

Avoiding common photo editing mistakes is easy once you recognise what the mistakes are and then once you’ve done that, you will be well on the way to having your photographs stand out from the crowd.

Kevin Harris is a freelance writer for Adobe. Adobe software, such as video software, and services revolutionize how the world
engages with ideas and information; anytime, anywhere, and through any
medium. They also offer many other products like a photo editor.