Editing

Photo editing and post-processing techniques.

The sun rising behind a ridge rakes across a mountain slope while the sky burns almost pure white and the foreground rocks fall into deep shadow

What Is Dynamic Range? When the Scene Won't Fit on the Sensor

Why does the sky come out white? How many stops of dynamic range you have, how to measure a scene's range, and what exposure blending really recovers.

A tree-lined footpath at night lit by street lamps, a lone figure walking in the distance, the bushes along the edges falling into deep shadow

Editing

What Is Image Noise? Where It Comes From and How to Reduce It

Where photo noise actually comes from and how ISO fits in: the two sources of noise, and what really reduces it in the field and in editing.

A black and white photograph shot from above: two people walking across the white stripes of a pedestrian crossing, their long shadows stretching across the asphalt

Editing

Black and White Photography: What's Left When the Colour Goes?

How to shoot black and white photos: why desaturating makes mud, what the B&W colour mixer really does, and which scenes actually suit monochrome.

Editing

RAW vs JPEG: Which Format Should You Shoot?

Should you shoot RAW or JPEG? The real differences, the flexibility-versus-file-size trade-off, and which one to pick for every kind of shot.

Editing

The Right Order in RAW Editing: A Workflow from White Balance to Sharpening

The order in which white balance, tone curve, noise reduction and sharpening should be done when editing RAW files.

Editing

Reading the Histogram: Expose by Data, Not by the Screen

How to read the histogram, clipping warnings and the expose-to-the-right technique — the truth of data against the lie of the screen.

Orange and blue ink clouds mixing in water against a dark background

Editing

White Balance Guide: Capturing Colours Correctly

What is white balance and when should you fix it? The Kelvin scale, presets and mixed-light fixes for capturing accurate colours, with examples.