How to Make Your Photos Look Better FAST

We all want our photos to look better!! But let’s face it… Many of us never get down to editing images because it can be a “time-consuming” process. However, the results of photo editing can be monumental!! 

While editing can indeed be taxing, it does NOT always have to be a long and tiring job!

Here’s how to make your photos look better fast via Photoshop.

#1 Crop Photos

Cropping can enhance an image by removing portions that distract the viewer or add nothing to the photo. 

Here’s how you can crop photos:

1. Open the image
2. Choose the Crop tool and select the section you want to remove.
3. You can also choose your desired aspect ratio – click on the drop-down menu, enter your preferred dimensions, or choose from the available options: Original Ratio, Unconstrained, or Preset.
4. Move to photo to reach your desired output. It can be hard to decide what to get rid of, the best option is to look at your photo from a critical point of view and decide the element that you wish to focus on.
5. You can also use the popular thirds trick that says an image is divided into thirds, vertically and horizontally. 
6. Select the section you want to keep, press Enter, and you’re done.

#2 Clean Up Spots

You can use the Healing Brush to clean up spots and make your image neater. Here’s how:

1. Select the Clone Stamp tool 
2. Choose a suitable brush size – bigger for bigger areas and smaller for crisper results
3. Select brush options for the opacity, flow, and blending mode
4. Select a sample from the photo by selecting your desired area and clicking once while pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows).
5. Go to the section that needs improvement and press once, continue to press till you get your desired results.
6. You’re done.

#3 Take Care of the Exposure and Make Adjustments

You can use adjustment tools to correct exposure and highlight details. 

Go to the Menu Bar, click Image, and select Adjustments to access the tools. You will get the following options:

1. Brightness/Contrast
2. Curves
3. Levels 
4. Exposure 
5. HDR Toning
6. Shadows/Highlights 

All you have to do is move the slider and you will see results in real-time!

Stop when you reach your desired output. However, for some options you may have to use the histogram. 

In addition to this, consider making color adjustments as well. Turn to Color Balance and adjust highlights, shadows, mid-tones, or Selective Color. 

Here’s how: 

1. Open your image and create an adjustment layer
2. Go to Image, click Adjustments, and choose Color Balance. 
3. Make your required changes by playing with the slider.
4. Check the Preview and Preserve Luminosity boxes.
5. Stop when done.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comment section below!!