Image editing

Consumer cameras usually boost the colours for a more vibrant look but introduce noise and artifacts. This is especially noticable when cropping or printing enlargements. Professional cameras produce neutral image files that can often look a bit flat or grey if used straight from the camera. However, they do contain more detail and have less noise, which ultimately gives a better result. To turn good professional digital images into great pictures they need some editing.

In the example below we see an image taken at the studio as it came from the camera (left) and after some editing (right). The original image was taken with neutral colour and contrast settings on the camera in order to preserve the fine detail in the highlights and shadows, but it looks a bit dull to the eye.

editing example

The image on the right has received some basic adjustments, including added contrast, enhanced color profile and sharpening. Some of these changes can be automated, but that will rarely give the same quality as adjustments guided by a skilled human editor.

editing example close-up