During the times when going out to shoot is either not possible or just not necessary, you can still use your spare, indoor time to refine some other critical skills for your photography practice, namely post-production. In our current photo world, where half of the job is editing and organizing your photos, it really pays to be on top of your editing game, regardless if you’re a working pro or a casual hobbyist. The more familiar and experienced you are with your craft, the easier and more fun it becomes.
For photographers, Adobe Photoshop is still the gold standard of editing applications, and the one to which all others are compared. And even if you’re not a Photoshop user, its omnipresence almost acts like the foundation of a communal language from which to talk about editing photos in general. So while I’d like to cover some ways in which to hone your Photoshop skills, think of this more like a series of ideas for upping your editing capabilities in general, regardless of the software you prefer.
Learn Some New Skills
The most obvious place to start is to learn more about the software you’re using. I think everyone begins using Photoshop to accomplish the few things they need to do, while ignoring a majority of the application's other capabilities. Spend some time while you have it learning a new feature or two or ten; you might be surprised by what you gain. Slow down and teach yourself how to make a selection using several different tools and then reflect on which tool was the fastest, which was the most precise, and which was the most intuitive. One of the best/worst aspects of Photoshop is that there are many different ways to do the same thing; the key is having as many of these tools at the ready so you can pick which one will be best suited for the specific editing scenario you have on hand.
While I’m a huge advocate for getting lost in Photoshop and figuring out things at your own pace, sometimes some motivation and direction are required to get to some of the more hidden nooks of the applications. This is where I’d recommend digging into a book or class, such as Matt Kloskowski’s Photoshop CC Crash Course or Scott Kelby’s aptly named How Do I Do That in Photoshop?, which can teach you specific tools and functions in very clear, concise, and repeatable ways. There are also myriad videos and tutorials online for learning a quick tip here and there, but sometimes having a regimented class and series of lessons can help with retaining all of the knowledge.
Accessorize
There’s a reason why most professional and working retouchers work almost exclusively with a Wacom tablet... so use this time to find out what you’re missing out on. The Intuous Pro Creative Pen Tablet is great for photographers because it mixes an appropriate amount of space with the sensitivity desired for fine retouching and editing needs. Working with a Wacom tablet and pen can be a little tricky at first, as it requires a new form of dexterity, compared to just handling a mouse or trackpad, but once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to go back. Making selections and general brush-styled edits to a photo are faster, more intuitive, and higher in precision than working with a mouse, and it becomes more comfortable after you’ve developed this new muscle memory. And, just like with Photoshop itself, you might take a look at the specialized Wacom Tablets and Photoshop CC book, from PhotoshopCAFE.
Another useful peripheral for Adobe Photoshop has to be the Loupedeck+ editing console, which is a customizable board built for upping the efficiency of your editing workflow. Compared to entering individual tools and menus with each edit you need to perform, this console can be set up to make these adjustments using physical sliders and dials. It’s great for working with batches or large quantities of images because it simplifies the process of making repetitive edits over time.
Move to Mobile
Especially with the recent announcement of Apple’s new iPad Pro, along with Adobe bringing a well-rounded version of Photoshop to mobile devices, now would be a good time to learn how to perform your editing skills on a mobile platform. While a computer is still the preferred tool for robust editing needs, it’s becoming increasingly viable to move some of your editing workflow over to a tablet in order to reduce weight and up efficiency when traveling. It’s also a good time to learn some of the new methods of editing on the tablet. Consider picking up an Apple Pencil for a Wacom-like editing experience, so you’re ready to go once travel shooting becomes a reality again.
Calibrate Your Monitor
While not specific to working with Photoshop, or even editing in general, it’s worth remembering that you should be calibrating your monitor often. And what better time to do it than now, while you’re trying to develop other good habits for your digital workflow? If you don’t have one already, invest in a colorimeter, such as the SpyderX Pro from Datacolor or the X-Rite i1Display Pro, which simplifies the process of keeping your monitor in color-accurate shape and benefits you every time you need to print or publish your photos.
Pick up Some Plug-Ins and Actions
Along the same lines of spending time learning the ins and outs of Photoshop, now is also a good time to invest in some tools to expand Photoshop’s own capabilities. One of the best things about Photoshop is that it can incorporate additional tools to further benefit your workflow. In the form of plug-ins, other applications can be used within Photoshop to perform specialized tasks in a very direct way: JPEGmini reduces the file size of JPEGs to free up more space on your computer; Perfectly Clear Complete is a trio of plug-ins to help make quick, automated adjustments for portraits; and SPC Photoshop Makeup 3 has a variety of specialized retouching tools for applying makeup effects.
Differing a bit from plug-ins, Photoshop Actions is another area of the application to spend some time getting to know. Actions are essentially automated processes that you can apply on-demand to images, which help to perform editing tasks in a very quick and repeatable manner. Actions can be created yourself—for example, I create numerous Actions for resizing files to various sizes for sharing online—or premade Actions are also available to achieve certain looks. Photographers Photoshop has the Painterly/Airbrushed Photoshop Effect and 42nd St collection available as easy-to-use methods of producing creative one-click looks to your photos.
The most important suggestion I can make for any level photographer is to just give it time and you will invariably become better at editing and more familiar with the tools you are working with. Use this time to reinforce the skills you already have, as well as pick up some new techniques; don’t be afraid to try something new, get a little crazy, and push the software to its limits. I’ve been actively working in Adobe Photoshop for about 18 years and continue learning new techniques all the time while also continuing to improve the processes I’ve been using for close to two decades. Just like with your shooting practice, treat your post-production and editing skill set like its own independent practice, and give it some time to match all the work you put into shooting already.
Do you have any other suggestions of ways to expand your working knowledge of Photoshop, or any other editing software for that matter? Let us know some of your tips and tricks for post-production in the Comments section, below.
To delve even deeper into your Photoshop tool kit, take a look at our article on Focus Stacking for Macro Photography.
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