Image editing is a growing job sector. In recent decades, software tools have raised this skill to new heights and enabled many to build careers. If digital photography interests you, keep reading to find ways to join this creative field.
There are plenty of resources to help including books, courses, and tutorials. We’ll provide you with a plan to take your first steps in learning image editing. And we will tell you what this profession is all about. Finally, we’ll list our favorite learning resources.
What Is Image Editing?
Image editing is the process of altering images using software tools. Contrary to what you may think, image editing does not only refer to editing traditional photographs.
It also includes working with illustrations and chemical photographs. Additionally, image editing is used to manipulate, transform, and enhance tiny pixelated and vector graphics. You may also want to take graphic design courses to pursue this area.
Image editing programs can create computer art from scratch. And the editing process can make images more appealing to viewers. It can even bring life to old photographs by adding color and other effects.
Types of Image Editing
Image editing is the digital process of adding or removing elements to an image. It is used for wedding photography, social media, art, and much more. Below you can find various styles of image editing.
- Pixel editing. This type of editing alters the original image at the level of the pixel. It is one of the most basic kinds of image editing and is often used to change the size or color in an image.
For example, you can increase the amount of red in an image’s pixels compared to other colors. This type of editing is called destructive editing because it makes permanent changes to the image. Although there are programs now that can edit an image non-destructively.
- Parametric image editing (PIE). PIE, unlike pixel editing, is non-destructive. It can change the number of red pixels but never change the original image. It only records changes as potential parameters.
PIE is a text-based instructional software. You can also use one instruction and apply it to multiple images. This time-saving feature makes it very popular in digital editing.
PIE also lets you compare tools and edits. For instance, with PIE you can view an image with different filters at the same time. It is also a very popular tool in video and graphic-design software.
- High-dynamic-range imaging (HDRI). HDRI is a technique used to capture a high luminous image, unlike digital imaging. It is used to surpass the restrictions of traditional chemical photography to produce an image more suited for human vision.
Usually shooting HDRI scenes with traditional digital cameras requires software to merge low dynamic range (LDR) images with HDRI. The HDRI tonal ranges must be compressed to fit conventional printers and monitors.
- Panorama stitching. An increasingly popular editing technique is combining multiple images for panoramas. Automated software maps out connection points and blends pixels together for a final product.
Image Editing Tools
To master image editing, you will need to learn how to use certain software. There are several editing tools available for different types of image editing.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a very popular program for photo editing for photographers. You can learn photoshop easily through courses and books.
Photoshop is used by web developers, photographers, and other creative professionals. They use it to retouch images, add photo effects, and change image compositions. The software can be a bit pricey. But there are a lot of free photoshop alternatives out there.
GIMP
Speaking of free alternatives, GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is an open-source, pixelated photo editor. There are many differences between Photoshop and GIMP. But you can also learn GIMP through image editing courses. It is user-friendly and offers retouching, free-form drawing, and many more specialized tools.
Adobe Lightroom CC
Adobe Lightroom CC is the industry standard when it comes to parametric image editing software. It offers great organization features and as well as cloud storage.
Adobe offers different versions of this software such as the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite subscription for $10 per month. This option includes 20 GB of cloud storage, Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Light CC. More expensive plans offer 1 TB of storage. If you don’t mind the cost, this software is one of the best image-editing tools out there.
Learning Image Editing
One of the great things about image editing is that you won’t need a college degree to be successful. You can learn image-editing software using books, courses, or online resources.
Remember, software tools for image editing keep evolving so it is important to stay updated.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Image Editing?
Image editing is a skill that can be self-taught. But there is no fixed time for how long it can take. You can learn via short courses in just a couple of hours or spend months on the subject. It all depends on your available time and dedication.
How to Learn Image Editing: Step-by-Step
There are several ways to learn image editing. Use our step-by-step guide to help you get on your way. Feel free to move the steps around according to your learning style.
- Find your area of interest. Before investing in software, use free online resources to find what interests you. But bear in mind there are basic skills all image editors must develop.
- Purchase and install software programs. After finding your area of interest, purchase and install the necessary software. Remember some free software is available.
- Familiarize yourself with your software. It isn’t easy to learn new software, so take your time. Use online tutorials to familiarize yourself with the program’s tools.
- Take classes and read books. There are plenty of classes available to teach you image editing. Choose the courses best suited to your learning style. Most importantly, practice what you learned.
- Build a portfolio. The best way to find employment is by marketing your work. Edit images and compile a portfolio. This will not only enhance your resume but also give you valuable experience.
The Best Image Editing Courses and Training
There are hundreds of image editing courses and training available both in-person and online. Below is a list of some of our favorite picks.
Best In-Person Image Editing Classes
For those who prefer conventional learning with in-person classes, we have you covered. Below are some great options for anyone who wants hands-on experience and works best in a physical learning environment.
Adobe Photoshop CC- Part 1
- Provider: New Horizons Computer Learning Center
- Time: 8 hours
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $790
- Location: Varies
Through New Horizons, you can enroll in a two-day, in-person course on Adobe Photoshop. You will learn the basics of Photoshop including creating basic images, managing colors, repairing images, and refining images. And you can earn certification at the end of the course.
Photoshop Training Class – Introduction
- Provider: American Graphics Institute
- Time: 7 hours
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $595
- Location: Varies
American Graphics Institute offers a foundation course on Photoshop. You will learn how to color correct and retouch images, imaging workflows, and much more. It also includes a copy of the Photoshop Digital Classroom book. They offer an online version as well.
Best Online Image Editing Courses
We understand that sometimes it is difficult to attend in-person courses. So we have compiled a list of some of the best online courses to take from the comfort of your home.
GIMP 2.10 Made Easy for Beginners. Learn GIMP from a pro!
- Provider: Udemy
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: $129.99
Udemy is one of the best online platforms for software courses. This beginners’ course will teach you everything about GIMP. You’ll learn to use the free GIMP software and its amazing editing tools.
Adobe Lightroom CC Photo Editing: Your Lightroom Masterclass
- Provider: Udemy
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: $9.99
This is another Udemy course that offers introductory classes on Adobe Lightroom CC. It covers the basics to advanced-level use of the software. And this 16.5-hours course gives you a certificate upon completion. It’s great for anyone starting out in image editing.
Best Free Online Image Editing Courses
There are tons of free online image editing courses available. Check out our picks below.
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essential Tools – Revised
- Provider: Alison
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
This video-based Alison course is great for beginners. It focuses on Adobe Photoshop for image editing.
Free Photo Photoshop & Lightroom Editing Course
- Provider: Fototripper
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
This Fototripper course teaches you everything about editing RAW images. By the end of the course, you will be able to do basic color corrections, work with image layers, and much more. It is a one-hour video lecture and includes two RAW files to practice with.
Best Image Editing Books
Although it may seem odd, picking up image editing knowledge via books is very possible. We’ve created this list with book readers in mind.
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Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC for Photographers Classroom in a Book, Lesa Snider
You won’t want to miss Snider’s comprehensive guide on Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. This is a great book to start learning image editing using Adobe software. And the web edition of the book contains interactive quizzes and videos.
Adobe Photoshop CC For Dummies, Peter Bauer
Who doesn’t like this book series? Bauer’s book on Adobe Photoshop CC is an awesome resource designed for beginners. It teaches you how to create stunning graphics, use image improvement tools, and much more.
Essential Affinity Photo: Image Editing Techniques using Affinity Photo for Desktop, Robin Whalley
In Robin Whalley’s book, you will learn how to use Affinity photo editing software. This book provides all of the details about how to use this fairly inexpensive tool.
Best Online Image Editing Resources
After taking courses and reading books, you can use online resources to become an expert in image editing. These options will make image editing skills very easy to learn.
Photoscape X
Photoscape X is a free website and a great way to practice your image editing skills. It offers video instructions on almost everything about image editing. It also lets you store and manage your photo archive. This is an impressive resource and definitely worth your time.
Fotor
It is always great to have free tools to practice your skills. Fotor offers a plethora of photo editing software and tutorials. This is a good way to start enhancing your portfolio so you can be job-ready.
SkillShare
SkillShare has a lot of useful tools to help you succeed in the image editing field. They offer paid courses and tutorials that are definitely worth the money. You can also learn about Adobe Lightroom software.
Should You Study Image Editing?
If you are planning to become a professional photographer, you should learn image editing. Also, image editing is in high demand across several industries. Whether for professional or personal use, this technology has a heavy presence in today’s digital world.
And you can easily be a part of this creative field by taking courses and using the resources mentioned in this article.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
