Basic Composition Rules
Making Photos Brighter or Darker
Overexposed photos
White areas lose detail, appearing bleached
Perfect photos
All details visible with balanced brightness
Underexposed photos
Dark areas are unclear, like in shadows
- Simple test: If it looks comfortable to your eyes, it’s right
- Too bright: Find "Exposure" slider, drag left (values become negative)
- Too dark: Find "Exposure" slider, drag right (values become positive)
- Recommended range: Adjust 0.5-1.0 at a time, gradually to satisfaction
- Remember: Multiple small adjustments work better than one large change
- Keep photos looking realistic after adjustments
- If colors look strange after adjustment, you've overdone it
- Compare before and after, choose what looks most comfortable
- Remember: Natural is more important than perfect
Making Photos More Vivid
Vivid photos
Clear contrast between black and white, looks three-dimensional
Flat photos
Grayish and dull, looks two-dimensional
- Contrast is the tool that controls the difference between black and white
- Think of it: Just like adjusting TV contrast
- Find "Contrast" slider, drag right to add depth to photos
- Recommended values: +10 to +25 is enough, don't go too high
- After adjustment: blacks become blacker, whites whiter, photo looks more vibrant
- If overdone, photos will look artificial
- "Clarity" slider: Makes photos look sharper (+10 to +30)
- Good for landscapes: Mountains, trees, buildings become clearer
- Be careful with portraits: Too much clarity makes skin look rough
- Remember: Moderation is key, excess looks unnatural
- Landscape photos: Moderately increase contrast and clarity
- Portrait photos: Add a little contrast, be cautious with clarity
- When unsure: Better to adjust less than to overdo it
Rescuing Bright and Dark Areas
Sky too white
Can't see cloud shapes
Shadows too dark
Can't see faces or important parts clearly
- All these can be rescued through simple adjustments
- It’s like giving “first aid” to photos
- Find "Highlights" slider, drag left (becomes negative)
- Recommended range: -30 to -60, adjust gradually
- Mainly used to rescue white skies, lights, etc.
- After adjustment, you can see more details
- Find "Shadows" slider, drag right (becomes positive)
- Recommended range: +30 to +60, don't go too high
- Mainly used to make dark areas more visible
- Note: Too high will create noise (grain)
- Backlit portraits: Use shadow slider to brighten faces
- Landscape photos: Use highlight slider to add sky detail
- Indoor photos: Balance brightness between outside and inside
Making Colors Look Natural
Photos too yellow
Like old photos with yellow tint
Photos too blue
Like shot in shadows, cold feeling
Normal colors
White objects look white
- Simple understanding: Make white paper look white in photos
- Find"Temperature" slider: drag left for cooler (blue), right for warmer (yellow)
- Photos too yellow: drag left a bit
- Photos too blue: drag right a bit
- Indoor lighting photos: Usually too yellow, need cooler adjustment
- Cloudy day photos: Usually too blue, need warmer adjustment
- Daylight photos: Usually don't need major adjustments
- Remember: Natural is best
- Backlit portraits: Use shadow slider to brighten faces
- Landscape photos: Use highlight slider to add sky detail
- Indoor photos: Balance brightness between outside and inside
- Look at white objects in photos (clothes, paper, walls)
- If they look white, colors are correct
- If they look yellow or blue, adjustment needed
- Trust your eyes, if it looks comfortable, it's right