Tip of the week . . .
How to retouch digital photos
You don’t need to master a photo-editing program—only a few simple tricks.
Crop first. Cut a picture down to just the part you want before retouching, because even a “small spot of deep black or bright color” can “throw a program’s ability to balance an image’s light or color levels.”
See the light. “Reduce the brightness and increase the contrast” when there’s too much flash. When there’s not enough light, do the opposite.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Focus on the eyes. If you don’t have red-eye reduction, “zoom in on the offending eyes until you see the individual pixels.” Then “dab at the red eye” with your program’s airbrush or “desaturation” tool. It drains the color, but “boring gray beats demonic red.”
Fade out. If you can’t get rid of unnatural shades caused by bad lighting, there’s always a “last resort”: Convert the image to black and white.
Source: Popular Mechanics
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
One Aldwych: where London's creative spirit takes centre stage
The Week Recommends This five-star Covent Garden hotel is the epitome of elegant independence
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Charlotte Dujardin and equestrianism's dark side
In the Spotlight Olympic gold medallist and dressage star's suspension over horse whipping brings abuse in horse sports back into the spotlight
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Roman epic Those About to Die has split the critics
Talking Point Sword and sandals miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins puts spectacle above story
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published