Basic Photo Editing: Quick Changes that Will Give Your Photos an Instant Boost

We talked a lot this week about the composition of your photographs and how important it is to the overall feel of your photograph as well as its saleability.
Today, I prepared for you a quick little video that explains some of the edits I might make to a few of the photos you submitted for this month’s Photo Challenge.
You’ll find this video on basic photo editing here:

As I’ve been saying all week — it’s important to keep in mind that a lot of these edits should be made in your camera when you first take the picture, rather than in editing afterward.
If there’s clutter in the background of your photo, you should remove it before taking the picture or get in closer so that it’s no longer distracting.
If you’re not getting enough light on your subject’s face, try using a reflector or adjusting the exposure compensation on your camera to get more light. (Look up “exposure compensation” in your camera manual if you don’t know how to do this.)
Stock photo agencies have the strictest guidelines on photo editing. Too much editing (like some of the examples in this video that I used to illustrate what I would like to have seen done by the photographer when he or she shot the image) will ensure you get a rejection.
You MUST get it right when you take the picture and edit only for minute details if you want to sell your photos as stock.
Editorial guidelines are a little less strict. But too much cropping on your computer might result in a photo that’s too small to print.
Fine art and photos for websites have quite a bit more wiggle room, but try not to limit yourself to just these two markets. Take what you’re learning this week and practice getting it right in your camera before you click the shutter. I promise you’ll thank me in the end.
I also promise that practicing good photo composition is fun. We’re not selling used cars here.  We’re selling pictures from our travels and memory books. So grab a friend or family member this weekend and get started.
Happy Easter!
And don’t forget about my Breakfast Stock Club. You can check us out on Facebook.com by searching for Breakfast StockClub. StockClub is one word. It’s free to be a friend.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]