Retouching vs Editing Photos: What Are The Differences?

It can be fun and exciting using photo-editing tools like Photoshop. But such tools can serve two purposes: they can be used for editing photos or touching them up.

Depending on the needs for the photos, it may be best to hire a professional to make your picture look the best that they can.

Many people don’t know the difference between editing and retouching photos. If you’re one of those people, here’s a quick guide to help you understand.

Photo Editing

Photo editing requires different settings to change the appearance of a photo. This can range from changing the hues to adjusting the contrast. For the most part, these changes don’t take as long as some retouching work.

The adjustments during photo editing are necessary because conditions are almost never perfect when taking pictures. Sometimes the clouds come in or you’re not allowed to use flash in a dimly-lit building.

All of these editing adjustments may not sound like much, but combined they make a photo more appealing. These are a lot of the basic settings you might find before posting photos to Instagram.

For the most part, basic photo editing can be done without the help of a professional. There are even free online tools to help out with it. But if you want better quality, you need to find a professional.

Photo Retouching

Retouching photos can be a more delicate process than editing. In general, this process includes cleaning up a photo to make it clearer. Basic retouching shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes per photo.

Eliminating Elements

Some older printed photos might have creases or even stains. Retouching these old photos takes more time than with a recent digital image. But the result is removing those unwanted elements.

In some photos, there may be an item, such as a wire or water bottle, that you don’t want in the frame. As there is no way to avoid including it in the photo, it has to be removed after the photo is taken.

Altering Details

Another step in photo retouching is making alterations to smaller details. Rather than adjusting the brightness or contrast for the overall picture, those changes can be made to just one point.

These changes might include making teeth appear brighter for a better smile or getting rid of red-eye. Professional photo retouching can even reduce the appearance of acne or scars. Or it may just be fixing a few stray hairs that got whipped up in the wind.

All of these retouching services are difficult to do on your own, which is why professional photographers tend to do the work for you.

Retouching and Editing Photos Is Important

Retouching or editing your photos requires skill and takes time. But if you want to show off that picture or hang it on a wall, it’s best to go through these processes to make it look the best it can.

To find a professional photographer that can edit and retouch your pictures to perfection, check out our listings.

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