Tweak Your Travel Photos to Increase Saleability

What’s the closest living relative of the almighty Tyrannosaurus Rex?
The chicken.
Remember that the next time you look through your photos for something to sell as stock. Sometimes, all a photo needs is a little tweaking to go from poultry… to powerful sales.
Take a look at these before and after travel photos sent in by one of our readers. It’s amazing what a few quick edits in Lightroom can do…
Under-Exposed Gargoyle of Notre Dame


Sometimes a photo just looks better in black and white. I liked the moodiness it added to this shot. With Lightroom, converting to black and white is as simple as one click. To bring out the contrast, I adjusted the exposure, tone curve, and clarity. Total editing time: 20 seconds.
Shadow-Faced Woman from Panama


The light is very contrasty in this photo (too bright in some areas, too dark in others), making it hard to see the woman’s face while at the same time attracting our eye to the bright area on her blouse and necklace. This, too, can be fixed in Lightroom. I brightened her face and then darkened just the bright spots on her necklace and blouse.
Total editing time: 60 seconds.
Dark and Drab Bull Fighters of Cotacachi, Ecuador


This is a classic example of what a little editing can do. I straightened this, cropped it, brightened the exposure, and adjusted the color and contrast.
Total editing time: 25 seconds.
Gray, Flat, and Hazy Waterfall in Kauai

Again, the simplest of editing tricks turned this otherwise flat and hazy travel image into a much clearer, sharper image.
Total editing time: 20 seconds.
The point? Every photo you intend to sell as stock needs a little editing. And photos you intend to sell to other markets do, too.
[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.]