Hey everyone, welcome to the fourth episode of our Edit Explorer series! In Edit Explorer, we dive deep into submitted photo edits, offering constructive feedback and valuable tips that can enhance your photo editing workflows and techniques. If you’re a member of ON1 Plus, you can submit your edited photos along with sidecar files for review. Today, we’ve randomly selected three submissions from the community to discuss editing techniques and inject new life into these images.

Photo #1 Wyoming Scene:

Common issue: Darkening sky too much can create a flat or dull look.

Recommendation: If you can, bring back whites into the adjustment. Whites will ensure that the sky doesn’t look flat and that it matches the look of the foreground.

Photo #2 Macro Nature:

Common issue: Various elements that aren’t near subject are in focus and can be distracting.

Recommendation: Use the Lens Blur filter to soften and blur these elements to ensure they aren’t distracting from the subject.

Photo #3 Flowing Water Scene: 

Common issue: Sky replacement is a bit too strong for the original scene.

Recommendation: Try lowering the opacity of the sky replacement to blend the new sky into the original one. Also, try fading the edges inward so that the new sky covers more of the original foreground.

Photo #4 Bear Portait: 

Common issue: Local adjustment masking is distracting as it isn’t blended in with original photo enough.

Recommendation: Try feathering the adjustment more to soften the edges and ensure things look natural. For creating custom vignettes with a local adjustment – try making the size of the shape small and then feather out as far as you can.

Thanks to everyone that submitted their images! Submit to the next Edit Explorer here —›