90% of Photo Editing Basics in Just 15 Minutes

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In this week’s episode, you'll learn photo editing basics in just 15 minutes. There's a ton of information surrounding tips, tricks, and techniques regarding how to edit photos, but the basics can be summed up rather quickly. And the basics are the foundation of any good photo editor, but also the most important part of it all, as the basics are where most of the heavy lifting occurs and the rest is just polishing all the small details. In this video, I'll review the editing process I go through on all my landscape photos in an effort to provide you with a framework you can follow to not only help you stay organized, but to also ensure nothing is missed. I hope you enjoy this week's video and as always thanks so much for watching! - Mark D.
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[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

🔥QUICK SURVEY: How long have you been editing photos?

[@christianblizzard5522]

Since 2003 when I began my Graphic Design/Photography journey 😊

[@thesacredsage4699]

2-3 Years. I've been learning a lot thanks to you, Mark! 🙌

[@JohnHPettigrewFujishooter67]

Probably about 5 years but really only getting to grips with it this past year or two, I use Luminar and Photoshop Elements and I have found that when processing sometimes less is more. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@HankMiner]

For about 10 years, when I started doing creative studio photography with colored light, glass, water, and reflections.

[@micheljoffres37]

Since I started photography, first with the enlargers for film, then any software I could find for digital.

[@user-hf8oi9hp1k]

I've deliberately been putting off the whole post-production thing as it all looks far too complicated. However the 15 minutes just spent watching the video has probably been the best quarter of an hour I've spent on youTube in the last 6 months and have simplified things so much....thanks Mark.

[@audreyrice996]

Hi Mark! I'm new to your channel, but not to photography. I've been a novice for approx. 50 years, and have learned more from you in the past month than I have on my own all this time. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge in such a clear and concise way. By the way,I work in LIghtroom all the time, and never knew that you can reorder the adjustments panel. Such a simple thing that can make a huge impact to my workflow. Thanks again!

[@tomandyv]

I've seen a lot of Lightroom training videos on KZbin, many really good ones, but I think your video here is the most rewarding of all the ones I've seen so far - thank you very much👍

[@markwilkins9048]

As I struggle to learn the editing process, customizing the development panel is a genius way to follow a sensible structure. Another great video.

[@margaretstanford4349]

This was THE best video on editing and the workflow involved . Very easy to understand!

[@lisastoyanovich3410]

Editing has been a struggle for me. I love this workflow and can't wait to set it up and try it out. I can see that it will help me stay organized.

[@richardsmith5021]

Mark, thanks for this video. I didn't realize I could customize the organization of the panels. It will definitely help me smooth out my workflow. Thanks again.

[@chegeliterarylenswriters]

I keep coming back to this video, it has become a personal preference to my basics and i hope to learn even more

[@prismwing]

Thank you for this. I really appreciate how clear and focused this walkthrough was, but also how clear and focused my own work can be.

[@nancyturek1121]

What can someone who is not naturally artistic do to better learn the art of seeing where to apply Lightroom’s tools? I can easily see and appreciate the before and after comparisons of edited photos but struggle with enhancing my own images.

[@Altic3]

Typically it's just practice and remember that a lot of it is trial and error. Try different things and if it turns out good, go back and remember what you did, see what other effects will change what you did and if that effect is happening because of one thing or all of it together

[@evertking1]

The main thing is a good photo.. no amount of editing will make a good photo. There is no secret editing trick.. Adam Gibbs gave the best advice and shoot the light. Look at what the light is doing, streaming through limbs, fog? Bouncing off a cliff wall and lighting up a fern? Get a banger photo and then play with it.

[@BenjaminFriday-xd2bs]

Really wow

[@maeveofthelongbows9552]

A good photo starts with a good composition. All the best cameras, gadgets, and photo editing software cannot make a poor composition into a great photograph. So, it sounds like perhaps you have not had much formal art education if you state you are not naturally artistic. True, talent plays a part, but training makes up a good part of talent. I would recommend you take some beginner Art classes, so you learn how to draw, about line, form, texture, light and shadow, color theory….. in other words: the basics. You will learn in Art classes the understanding of what makes a good composition. A good composition is the same for all media, whether photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, fabric art, etc.. Photography is an art form. A good photograph is a piece of artwork. When you develop your artistic eye for composition, your photographs will improve, no matter what camera or photo editing software you use.

[@MoBo71]

Brother you just turned a photo that didn't even look like a keeper into an incredible image! Just got my first decent quality dedicated camera, after mainly using a cell phone for years and just recently started messing with editing photos again since HS. Used to never touch em if it didn't look good post shoot id just trash em, but now, even with a cell phone and LigthtRoom mobile you can create some stunning images. Really enjoyed your video man, literally just boosted my confidence with this new journey like 10 fold! Definitely earned a sub!

[@kumarkrishnan8309]

Very helpful as always! Thanks, Mark. A friend of mine just got her camera and asked if I could teach her Lightroom, so this is a perfect video to help her out. So easy to follow.

[@juliebaughan7533]

Really great video Mark, I refer to your videos all the time and my photography has improved so much. I used to find editing so complicated but can honestly say you have taught me everything I know! I am even starting to win competitions at my local camera club, I can’t thank you enough…really. Please keep the videos coming, and thank you again 😊

[@karlarivas3961]

Thank you! this helps me stay focused. My adhd makes me go all over the place and I forget steps. I hope this helps me to stay consistent! Cheers!

[@iainwolstencroft3764]

Thanks for a great video demystifying some of the Lightroom features. I didn't know that the workflow could be customised, so that tip alone was worth it's weight in gold!

[@markgarrett2971]

Fantastic video as always! Really appreciate your style and how you teach. Was wondering if you could go back a few steps and talked about how you curate your photos after a shoot. I'm trying to come up with a system to do a first pass and get rid of the garbage photos and then identify which ones need topaz, and editing process like you have, and then identify which ones have been processed so I can filter. Thanks for all the hard work and making these videos!

[@frankisaldivar2021]

Excellent video! I’m still in the process of learning how to use Lightroom and developing my own workflow. This was super helpful!

[@timbakerbartholomew]

You have an extraordinary talent for simple and encouraging teaching. Superb video, thank you.

[@renegadevida011]

This is awesome thank you for making this video!

[@miguel-rn1ej]

thank you for the tips as a starter in photo editing it is so useful

[@faith3305]

I'm a beginner and this has been the most helpful video on editing for me! It looks like DarkTable will allow me to do most of this so I will try these techniques!

[@austinarmentrout10]

Love the video, I didn’t know you could change the editing order layout! Your the first video to ever mention that, and that is something I am going to have to do to my Lightroom!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear this!

[@user-qw9ot3kq9l]

Great video Mark, a simple approach to what can otherwise be a complex and mind numbing process

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much!

[@lolottee93]

Not only is your work magnificent, but you also take the time to mentor us absolute beginners in this intimidating process at first. I am so incredibly grateful for this video, it gave me the motivation i needed to explore more seriously an interest I've been postponing developping for years. Thank you so much!

[@LuisFelipe-eq8tw]

Do you know what program is he using?

[@DutchDiederik]

Interesting process. Learned some new things here. Thank you.

[@philbrown8181]

Mark, hi, thanks so much for this video. As with much of your content, it is clear, simple, thoughtful and super helpful. Thank you.

[@JonathanRobinson11]

Another great video! Explanation as well layered as your workflow.

[@ChuckErvin]

Thanks Mark. This was another very helpful video and something I will implement.

[@ksnmurthy4476]

That’s a fantastic way of editing. Which is a comprehensive and also very condensed and simplified. Thanks Mark for your tutorials which are leading us to excellence. Your editing skills are amazing and the presentation with demonstration is very useful. Tha ks again. 👍😎

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear this - thanks so much!

[@urgetogo]

Awesome tutorial. Super well explained and no confusing stuff. This will be very helpful. Thank you very much!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Awesome to hear you enjoyed it!

[@RafaelCBeltrame]

Thank you so much!

[@rlau68]

Awesome content Mark! Thanks Again!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad you liked it!

[@TonieA-mw8xk]

This video has been so helpful to me.

[@Cre8ivtouch]

I have edited my images since beginning digital landscape photography about 9 years ago, mostly just cropped & brightened shadows whenever needed. Have learned quite a few editing tips from your vids, thanks!👍

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear - thank you!

[@willypaul70]

Another very helpful and informative video Mark, thank you. Really nice tip to reorganize the Develop module panels into the workflow order you use. Will help bring my thought process into control ( if that’s even possible 😂), and keep me from bouncing around the module. I’ve been editing images for as long as I’ve been using a digital camera, probably 15 years or so, but of course did some dark room editing (developing) prior to that. Either way, it’s with the intent of optimizing my photos. Thanks again!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much - happy to hear you enjoyed it!

[@markrobinson6916]

Superb video--really helpful!

[@MSACoachMike]

I'm curious as to why you don't use the lens correction feature? I find it useful to correct for any lens distortions and chromatic aberrations. I created a preset that I use just to apply the lens correction when importing. Having said that, are there any actions that you take on every photograph that you edit that you might put into a preset and apply during import?

[@Tinishcade]

Mark Thank you very much my friend

[@richardpesce5325]

Great advice Mark! Thanks

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Richard!

[@DrewMcKechnie]

Mark, been following you and enjoying your videos since you first quit your day job. Your success is an inspiration and your plain-spoken approach makes even your most technical videos very accessible for your audience. Thanks for that. I’ve noticed recently that you (and a few other YT photographers) like to soften the image with negative clarity and negative dehaze, and then moments later, go ahead and add a bunch of sharpening and detail back into the image before you finish the edit. Can you explain how these steps aren’t at direct odds with each other and don’t introduce new artifacts (subtly) into the image itself? The finished products speak for themselves, but I’m wondering a bit about the rationale for approaching it this way in your workflow. Thanks in advance for your consideration. Keep up the great work!

[@williamcollins5417]

Excellent...thank you

[@timip3658]

I normally use Photoshop and usually just adjust their brightness and contrast but after watching this I feel like I should use Lightroom after my next shoot. thanks for this 👌

[@alainthibodeau9602]

Very interesting video even known it the starting base of post processing. Though you speak quite fast, the tone is calm and make it easy to understand by a French Canadian. Explanations are very accurate and complete. Examples are well chosen for each demonstration. The most interesting thing in learn in this video is how to reorganize my ACR panel (I use more often ACR than LR). Thanks for all your good avice.

[@micheljoffres37]

As usual, so useful Mark! One thing you did not mention is when masking, after you select the brush, what do you like to use in terms of "feather" and "flow"? It varies for me depending on the photo, but was wondering how you do it. Thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank YOU! Usually around 75-100 on the feather and flow is generally at 100.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@markgarrett2971]

Hey Mark, I'm applying your great tutorial on some photos I took of an amazing sunset. when you crop, do you always lock ratio or do you select one IE 5x7 or, do you just free style it?

[@davidletz9123]

Thanks Mark! FWIW, I like to use the L key while cropping, as it will "mask" the area outside of the crop and make things less distracting.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks for sharing!

[@sarahmitchell7390]

As usual, another great tutorial. When editing your photographs, do you ever use the clipping tool?

[@ketk1420]

Very useful tips in LRC..Thank you for sharing.🙏

[@niksiotv6204]

Thank you for a fantastic tip 😃 It will help me a lot because I've never customized anything with tools. Unlike you I prefer to start with removing tool or after overall editing before I go to masks. Because after heavier masking it's harder to remove things without noticing that something isn't right.

[@noelmallia]

Well done Mark great video as always. I have been editing since early 2000. I used to scan 35mm negative and edit on photoshop 5 at that time

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Really appreciate it my friend!

[@WolfQuantum]

Much appreciated. That makes sense. I'm not a fan of spending hours per photo. The organization makes great sense. It's easy to get lost in LR tweaking this and that. I've always gone more to the stronger clarity and dehaze. I do like to see things pop. However, what I really want to master are those painterly-looking landscapes. In the film days, I went with Velvia and slow shutter speeds on a tripod. Cutting back a little on clarity and dehaze are the parts I was missing. That alone was worth the 15 minutes. The rest just made it even better.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to do it!

[@sutv6754]

That's great Mark. Thank you.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to do it!

[@tomschenkenberg]

Many thanks for sharing your workflow Mark. I do think it's helpful to make the distinction between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom (thanks Adobe 😐.

[@lamboshe]

Thank you

[@Permitmon]

I like Fujifilm jpegs, so I don’t do a lot of editing RAW files. I’ve done it but in the end, especially for landscape and travel photography, I end up comparing and choosing the jpeg because of color rendering, exposure, and contrast. That’s just me.

[@glennn.3464]

Mark, when you edit is it to make a photo look "better" or are your edits done to bring the photo closer to the way you remember seeing things and experienced the scene at the moment you photographed it?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I aim for a balance of both.

[@michellewhite6692]

Very informative video. Can you do something similar for Capture 1?

[@stevenschneider1346]

About 2 years...9 months with LRC. Loving it!

[@stevenschneider1346]

P.S. love the calibration tutorial. Using it constantly now.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Awesome to hear - thank you!

[@rdbimages]

Mark, Why do you adjust white balance after tonal adjustments? Would it not be better to have the proper white balance before adjusting tone?

[@MikalRamirez]

Thanks!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much my friend!

[@tjsinva]

Keeping it simple. 👍

[@hotflashfoto]

Rearrange the right panel? Who ever heard of such a thing? Nice!

[@heelfan78]

Hey Mark. Love the video and thanks so much for the helpful guidance. Terrific advice to have a template to follow that is used by a professional photographer. Question: Why do you disregard and put the Lens Correction at the end? I have heard so many times how I need to use the lens correction at the very beginning of my processing. What’s your insight on the use (or non-use) of this LR tool? Thanks again very much.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

LR doesnt have the lens profile for any of my Fuji Lenses so I don't use LR corrections, but if they did I'd use it early in the process.

[@RamDasDiwakaran]

Very nice! I think I'll refer to this regularly from now on and adopt your flow. Just curious what the reason is for cropping after doing your first round of basic normalization as opposed to cropping as the very first step in the editing process and just focusing on editing the copped one.

[@RamDasDiwakaran]

And I remember when you were making this photograph during the hike there! I'm intrigued how you bring out a very beautiful image from such locations that i'd just passed by without realizing such 'hidden' scenes right in front of our eyes. :)

[@jbasproductionseditorial1287]

Mark! As regular viewer and learner from your most informative Channel, I enjoy and respond to monochrome photography. BUT, MONO-chrome means ONE colour, i.e. not only B&W, Sepia etc. it can be MONO-any colour. Could / would you develop this side of things? Thanks - you are fast becoming my 'go-too-guy' for informative and well produced photo ideas.Thanks. Jack in Arizona.

[@wayfairing_soul]

Mark, have you made a video about organizing photos for a long-term project? I just started a five year project and wondering the best way to organize the photos. Especially since I will be going back to the same spots every year and taking photos of change over time.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

No I haven't made one on that

[@clausgiloi6036]

Hi Mark, enjoy your channel. A problem I see with LR and PS instruction is that those who teach (like you) have been using PS for a long time and understandably favor the classic version. I don't know the statistics, but I suspect that hte majority of new users have the subscription version(s). The UI is different enough that instructional content doesn't translate very well. Allow me to suggest that you run tutorials in the subscription version even if that is not what you personally use. Thanks!

[@douggabler3731]

I read or saw one time it is better to do spot removal and cloning before doing mask adjustments as sometimes it can leave artifacts on your mask. Have you noticed this?

[@Murkeri]

im too broke to hire a photographer for my senior photos, so I borrowed a family member's camera and downloaded the free trial of lightroom, You are saving my graduation announcement cards. thank you lol

[@barbarakeshen5539]

Helpful video. Why do you reduce clarity and dehaze?

[@trudigrin8625]

Any thoughts on using AI Denoise reduction? Are you using it and if yes, are you applying it as per Adobe's recommendation, before applying other tools, including AI masks and Content-Aware? I have compared my own manual NR with AI Denoise on several images and I am amazed at how good of a job it does.

[@xponent425]

I'm ordering my first camera, lens, tripod, as well as having a mount attached to my wheelchair this month, and can honestly say that besides being informative your videos make me that much more excited to start. I have a question, although I know that you don't personally focus on printing your photographs, I'm curious if you can recommend someplace to learn a little bit about that? I'm not going into it expecting to make $ on printing, it's just something that interests me.

[@user-qw9ot3kq9l]

Hi Brandon, Hudson Henry does a series of you tube videos on the topic of printing photos. In particular his monitor colour calibration was an eye opener for me when I got some prints back much darker than expected

[@hivyfalou1393]

Hey Mark, would you please tell us what editor you're using?

[@MrPhillipgraham]

Hey Mark thanks very much for this basic tutorial on light room its so helpful. But can i ask please, would you mind making a video showing how you edit a photo from scratch to fully finished using the latest Lightroom tools?! Youve added tons of videos with new techniques now but it would be brilliant if we could see all of these combined in one photo!

[@andyrcampbell]

I thought he just did that !

[@MrPhillipgraham]

@@andyrcampbell Oh I know that and I really appreciate what he's done but it would be great to go into more details like local adjustments for sky, midground, background, using luminance masks, dodging and burning etc etc. Like all the new features, tips and pro techniques bundled into one editing video. I'm proabaly asking too much haha.

[@suxxesphoto6419]

Back to basics. In the detail panel always sharpen with the mask but never really understood what radius and detail sliders are about...

[@ReidThaler]

Does the new Point Mixer tool impact your use of Color Calibration? Seems like the new Point Mixer would give you more control and precision

[@julesgardet659]

Great idea…

[@Katherine_Olson]

What version of Lightroom do you use? Mine never looks the same as yours does. 🤨

[@miguel-rn1ej]

by the way do you have a video about PhotoScape? thanks for your response in advance

[@JimboEM]

It's interesting that I see so much back and forth on Lr Classic vs CC. Do you have anything against CC or do you find you can do more with Classic?

[@longingbydesign]

CC is just useless for people that take a lot of pictures in high resolutions.

[@perceditabenemerito3774]

what app is used to edit photos for starters?

[@billkipper3264]

I noticed you didn't use any denoise and maybe that photo didn't really need any. If you were to use it, when in the process would you apply it? Seems to me that unless you use it at least very early in the edit that it becomes unavailable, at least most of the time, as I saw with your example. Thanks.

[@Suhailkhan53]

Nice video indeed.😊

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank you!

[@MarcusNunes]

Great video, Mark, as always. I have a question, though. Do you have any reason to not use the Masking option when you were applying Sharpening to this photo?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Marcus! No reason other than I forgot:) I normally would.

[@MarcusNunes]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto hahaha I see. Thank you!

[@watashimaiku]

Hi Mark I have a quastion: In a couple of videos your talking about why you use Capture One as your main photo editor, so why are most of your tutorials for Lightroom? Is it because most people tend to use Lightroom or have you changed your mind? Anyways thanks for your videos they are awesome! 👍

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Most folks use Lightroom

[@BGTuyau]

As ever, a quick run through a myriad of details. The ultimate question, perhaps, is what is the desired final result -and why? It would seem that personal taste and client expectations, if any, are the key criteria here. A corollary question could center on which of the numerous parameters are basically ignorable. How fine a point should the photographer seek to put on his or her work? Thank You ...

[@eastbayjay]

Is this the same photo basic process you also use in Capture One? You can really customize the development panel in C1.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Yep, same process

[@MichaelKalume]

what app are you using

[@craigforrest8539]

Why was the image so underexposed in camera? Were you trying to expose for the sky initially and then planning to recover in post?

[@christianblizzard5522]

Do you typically add a orton effect or high pass to your photos?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Usually Orton in the highlights.

[@pederkristensen4691]

Thanks gain Mark for great demo and the suggestion to setup the menu for workflow sequence. I made an import preset where I apply my lens corrections. On a different note. I have tried a few times to apply to your Free Lightroom Essentials Course, with a Thanks so much for your interest! Your copy of The Lightroom Essentials Course is on the way along with My Free Landscape Photography Guides as well. However, no email with code arrives. I guess something is not working ok.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Send me a message via my website with your email address and I'll make sure it gets to you.

[@pll66]

Thoughts on Solo Mode for Development panel?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Game changer!

[@MrRussBaum]

Perhaps you know this, but (Windows) right-clicking almost anywhere in the develop panel section and choosing 'solo mode' means that you don't have to close a panel when finished with it because clicking on the next panel header closes the previous one automatically.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Love Solo-Mode!

[@NN.Gaming2024]

how is the app called

[@joetagg1961]

I’m sure I’m not the only follower of you that would like to see how you built your website!! Just a thought..

[@redbaron2342]

Did I get that right, this edit was all done in LR?

[@farhankhatri8]

I am a complete beginner to editing, I just like to click pictures in my phone and I would like to edit them too. This guide is nice, but it mostly went over the top of my head, since I do not know anything here. Can anyone recommend me where to start??

[@farhankhatri8]

I wanna click pictures from a camera too, but will do that once I start earning 😁