Photo Editing Fundamentals: What I Actually Use

I used to over-complicate photo editing. Layers, masks, curves, channels...

After 15 years, I've learned: 90% of photos need just 5 adjustments.

Here's what I actually use.

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The 5 Adjustments

1. Exposure - Too dark? Too bright?
2. Contrast - Flat? Lacking pop?
3. Highlights - Blown out whites?
4. Shadows - Crushed blacks or muddy?
5. White Balance - Too warm? Too cool?

These 5 fix almost everything.

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Before You Edit

Shoot in RAW. Always.

RAW files contain more data than JPEG. You can recover highlights and shadows that JPEG throws away.

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The Adjustments

1. Exposure

What it does: Adjusts overall brightness.

Too dark: Bring exposure up (+0.5 to +1.5) Too bright: Bring exposure down (-0.5 to -1.5)

Rule: Fix exposure first. Everything else depends on it.

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2. Contrast

What it does: Makes darks darker and lights lighter.

Flat image: Increase contrast (+10 to +30) Harsh image: Decrease contrast (-10 to -20)

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3. Highlights

What it does: Adjusts the brightest parts only.

Blown out whites: Reduce highlights (-20 to -50) Flat highlights: Increase highlights (+10 to +20)

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4. Shadows

What it does: Adjusts the darkest parts only.

Crushed blacks: Lift shadows (+20 to +50) Muddy shadows: Lower shadows (-10 to -30)

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5. White Balance

What it does: Adjusts color temperature.

Too warm (yellow): Cool it down (-500K to -2000K) Too cool (blue): Warm it up (+500K to +2000K)

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Quick Workflow

My standard workflow:

1. Exposure → Fix overall brightness
2. Highlights → Recover blown whites
3. Shadows → Lift dark details
4. Contrast → Add punch
5. White Balance → Fix color cast

Each adjustment takes 5 seconds. Total time: 25 seconds.

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Python Script for Auto Adjustments

from PIL import Image, ImageEnhance

def auto_adjust(image_path, output_path):
    img = Image.open(image_path)

    if img.mode != 'RGB':
        img = img.convert('RGB')

    # 1. Auto brightness
    enhancer = ImageEnhance.Brightness(img)
    img = enhancer.enhance(1.1)

    # 2. Reduce highlights
    enhancer = ImageEnhance.Brightness(img)
    img = enhancer.enhance(0.95)

    # 3. Lift shadows
    enhancer = ImageEnhance.Brightness(img)
    img = enhancer.enhance(1.05)

    # 4. Add contrast
    enhancer = ImageEnhance.Contrast(img)
    img = enhancer.enhance(1.15)

    # 5. Add saturation
    enhancer = ImageEnhance.Color(img)
    img = enhancer.enhance(1.1)

    img.save(output_path)
    print(f"Done: {output_path}")

auto_adjust('photo.jpg', 'photo_edited.jpg')

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Tools

For Beginners

Canva - Simple adjustments, good for quick edits

For Intermediate

GIMP - Free, powerful, similar to Photoshop

For Advanced

Adobe Lightroom - Industry standard for photo editing

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Checklist

Before you call it done:

• [ ] Exposure correct?
• [ ] Highlights recovered?
• [ ] Shadows lifted?
• [ ] Contrast good?
• [ ] White balance neutral?
• [ ] No blown highlights?
• [ ] No crushed blacks?

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Summary

1. 5 adjustments fix 90% of photos: Exposure, highlights, shadows, contrast, white balance.
2. Subtle is better. Don't overdo it.
3. Work non-destructively. Keep original files.
4. Test at 100% zoom. Check for artifacts.
5. Practice makes perfect. The more you edit, the faster you get.

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Edited 50,000+ photos. Questions? Leave a comment.