Are you a total editing noob? Here are 15 photo editing tips for beginners who deserve better but don’t know what they are doing!

1. Brighten the subject first

A strong photo always starts with proper exposure, and the subject, especially when it’s you, deserves that spotlight.

When the main person or product looks dim, every other edit looks weaker, no matter how much color or contrast you add. Brightening first sets a healthy base and gives the rest of your adjustments room to breathe.

Once the subject looks balanced, the entire frame becomes easier to shape. Shadows sit naturally, highlights stop clipping, and color tone shifts feel cleaner. Treat this as the very first and best of photo editing tips because this is the foundation of every edit.

2. Boost contrast for defined shapes

Contrast separates elements in the frame, especially when lighting feels flat. So as another important photo editing tip, you should start with slightly increasing the contrast to define edges, fabrics, landscapes, and skin. This will dramatically make your photo more intentional and also realistic.

This contrast adjustment looks simple but believe me it works wonders on everything from product shots to portraits. Once you adjust the contrast, and do it right, you’ll actually know what you’re doing! That’s because strong shapes guide attention, and a balanced contrast curve keeps photos crisp without feeling harsh.

3. Correct white balance for natural colors

A professional photographer would say “expressions matter”. But as a photo editor, I’d definitely tell you white balance is the mother of emotions in the image. It sets the emotional tone of the photo.

• too warm, and your subject looks sunburned…
• too cool, and everything feels dull or lifeless…

Fixing this early will give your colors a realistic anchor. Once the temperature feels right, color grading becomes much easier. Skin tones improve instantly, clothing looks true to life, and outdoor scenes match the mood you intended. This is honestly one of the most realistic photo editing tips I learnt earlier in my career.

4. Use AI Object Removal to clean the scene

Clutter ruins great photos, and reshooting isn’t always an option. An AI object remover like ImagineArt’s app cleans up distractions like messy backgrounds, photobombers, cables, stains, or stray objects with natural reconstruction.

Replace and Remove Objects with ImagineArt App

This tool works so smoothly that the final result looks untouched. The empty space blends with lighting and texture, gives your photo a clean, professional finish. It’s perfect for travel shots, product images, portraits, and social content.

5. Enhance eyes and facial Detail

Eyes are the emotional anchor of every portrait. A light clarity boost brings out color, sharpness, and depth; and guess what, your subject wouldn’t look artificial.

As a starter, try improving details around the eyes, eyebrows, and lashes to create a more expressive and polished look. When viewers stop scrolling, it’s usually because the eyes caught their attention.

6. Use shadows to create depth

Shadows give photos a sense of dimension and realism. Adding them strategically can turn a flat image into something rich and cinematic.

In portraits to lifestyle photography, subtle shadows shape faces, objects, and environments. It’s one of the top photo editing tips for beginners that makes every photo all the more professionally captured and edited.

7. Fix Distortion and Perspective

Phones and wide lenses bend lines more than people realize. Straightening architectural elements or correcting lens distortion instantly cleans up your photos.

This matters especially for product shots, building exteriors, and anything geometric. Straight lines equal visual trust and that trust makes your photos look polished.

8. Play With Selective Color Adjustments

Adjusting specific color ranges gives you more control than broad, heavy filters. You can warm only the reds, deepen the blues, mute the greens, or change the mood without affecting skin tones.

Creators love this because it simplifies brand matching. One nudge on a single color can transform the entire image.

9. Tone Highlights for a Cinematic Look

Highlight toning adds style without overpowering the photo. A soft warm tint creates vintage charm, while cool highlights bring a modern, moody vibe.

This technique works beautifully for street photos, portraits, and travel content. It’s subtle: but it’s the kind of subtle that people notice.

10. Crop for life (and stronger composition)…

Cropping fixes weak framing and pulls attention straight to the subject. Removing unused space gives your photo more impact, especially in social formats.

Try centering subjects for bold visuals or using the rule of thirds for a more balanced arrangement. A good crop often does more than complicated edits.

11. Add grain for a film texture.

Disclaimer: do this carefully!

Grain brings warmth and texture to digital photos. Instead of that ultra-clean “phone look,” you get a charming, organic finish.

Use light grain for portraits and heavier grain for street photography or vintage edits. It adds character without feeling forced.

12. Use light flares for atmosphere

Flares add mood instantly: a sunbeam, a neon reflection, a soft glow behind the subject. They can shift a simple photo into something emotional and cinematic.

Just keep them subtle. A well-placed flare enhances the light direction and drama, while an overdone one can distract.

13. Combine blur and sharpness

This is another best photo editing tip because sharpening the subject while adding background blur creates instant depth. The contrast between crisp and soft makes the subject stand out naturally.

This trick works wonders for portraits, product shots, and aesthetic lifestyle scenes. It mimics the shallow depth of field of expensive lenses.

14. Swap Background Colors for Branding

A clean background color can turn any photo into a brand asset. Adjust hues to match your logo, theme, or social feed identity. This helps influencers, businesses, and designers create a cohesive look across platforms. One simple edit makes everything feel intentional.

You can also change backgrounds with ImagineArt's AI background changer app. Just type in a prompt and add details like solid, gradient, busy, pattern, landscape and AI will do your thing!

Replace boring backgrounds with fun ones!

15. Create a Signature Style Preset

A preset saves your favorite adjustments so every photo stays consistent. This helps creators maintain a recognizable look across Instagram, TikTok, or portfolios.

Once your preset becomes part of your visual identity, people recognize your photos instantly, and consistency builds trust. For that, you can pick and choose your favorite apps, for example ones that change lighting and change backgrounds and use ImagineArt workflow tools to keep your photo editing stuff organized.

Edit photos like you know what you are doing!

So this list of pro photo editing tips concludes here. Are you ready to experiment with your photos now? Or maybe, let AI do it? You can tweak lighting, remove distractions, fix colors, and sharpen details… or you can let ImagineArt apps handle the boring work while you focus on the fun parts. Modern AI takes care of cleaning up your photos so you can skip the stress and jump straight to great results.

If you want the easiest gateway into better edits, try a quick object cleanup and see how fast your photo transforms. Once you see the difference, the rest of your editing workflow starts to feel a lot more natural — and a lot less intimidating.

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