THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTO EDITING AND PHOTO RETOUCHING

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTO EDITING AND PHOTO RETOUCHING

The Digital Age Of Photography

IN TODAY’S DIGITAL AGE, ALMOST EVERY PHOTO WE SEE HAS BEEN TOUCHED UP IN SOME WAY OR THE OTHER. WHETHER REMOVING BLEMISHES, ADJUSTING THE COLOR, OR REMOVING UNWANTED ELEMENTS FROM AN IMAGE, PHOTO EDITING AND RETOUCHING HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS, DESIGNERS, AND MARKETERS ALIKE. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTO EDITING AND PHOTO RETOUCHING? WHILE THESE TWO TERMS ARE OFTEN USED INTERCHANGEABLY, THEY REFER TO DISTINCT PROCESSES WITH DIFFERENT GOALS AND TECHNIQUES.

What Is Photo Editing?

PHOTO EDITING IS A BROAD TERM ENCOMPASSING VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE OR MANIPULATE DIGITAL IMAGES. IT INVOLVES MAKING BASIC ADJUSTMENTS SUCH AS CROPPING, RESIZING, AND COLOR CORRECTION, AND MORE ADVANCED TECHNIQUES LIKE COMPOSITING MULTIPLE IMAGES AND CREATING PHOTO MANIPULATIONS. PHOTO EDITING IS TYPICALLY USED TO IMPROVE AN IMAGE’S OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL AND MAKE IT MORE VISUALLY APPEALING.

Types of Photo Editing Techniques

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON PHOTO EDITING TECHNIQUES INCLUDE:1) COLOR CORRECTION – ADJUSTING BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, AND SATURATION TO MAKE THE IMAGE LOOK MORE VIBRANT AND BALANCED.2) CROPPING – REMOVING UNWANTED ELEMENTS OR RESIZING THE IMAGE TO FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC AREA.3) SHARPENING – ENHANCING THE DETAILS AND MAKING THE IMAGE APPEAR CLEARER.4) NOISE REDUCTION – REDUCING THE GRAININESS OR “NOISE” IN AN IMAGE.5) COMPOSITING – COMBINING MULTIPLE IMAGES TO CREATE A NEW IMAGE.

What Is Photo Retouching?

ON THE OTHER HAND, PHOTO RETOUCHING IS A MORE SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUE THAT INVOLVES MAKING MINOR, LOCALIZED ADJUSTMENTS TO AN IMAGE TO IMPROVE ITS APPEARANCE. RETOUCHING IS TYPICALLY USED TO REMOVE IMPERFECTIONS OR ENHANCE SPECIFIC AREAS OF AN IMAGE, SUCH AS THE SKIN OR HAIR.

Types of Photo Editing Techniques

THE MOST STANDARD PHOTO RETOUCHING TECHNIQUES INCLUDE:1) SKIN SMOOTHING – REMOVING BLEMISHES, WRINKLES, OR OTHER IMPERFECTIONS FROM THE SKIN.2) TEETH WHITENING – MAKING THE TEETH LOOK BRIGHTER AND MORE VIBRANT.3) HAIR RETOUCHING – REMOVING FLYAWAYS OR ENHANCING THE HAIR’S COLOR AND TEXTURE.4) EYE BRIGHTENING – MAKING THE EYES LOOK MORE VIBRANT AND REMOVING REDNESS.5) BODY & FACE -- CHANGING THE BODY OR FACE TO LOOK SMALLER OR LARGER

What's The Difference?

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTO EDITING AND PHOTO RETOUCHING IS THE SCOPE OF CHANGES MADE TO THE IMAGE. PHOTO EDITING INVOLVES MAKING BROADER CHANGES TO THE PICTURE AS A WHOLE, WHILE PHOTO RETOUCHING INVOLVES MAKING MINOR, LOCALIZED ADJUSTMENTS TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE IMAGE.ANOTHER KEY DIFFERENCE IS THE GOAL OF THE TWO TECHNIQUES. PHOTO EDITING IS USED TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY AND APPEAL OF AN IMAGE, WHILE PHOTO RETOUCHING IS USED TO REMOVE IMPERFECTIONS AND ENHANCE SPECIFIC AREAS.

When To Use Photo Editing Vs. Photo Retouching

KNOWING WHEN TO USE PHOTO EDITING VS. PHOTO RETOUCHING CAN BE TRICKY, AS IT DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE IMAGE. PHOTO EDITING IS GENERALLY USED FOR MORE BASIC IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS COLOR CORRECTION, CROPPING, AND COMPOSITING. IN CONTRAST, PHOTO RETOUCHING IS USED FOR MORE TARGETED ADJUSTMENTS, SUCH AS REMOVING BLEMISHES OR ENHANCING THE SKIN.HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RETOUCH A PHOTO?PROFESSIONALS PUT IN TIME AND EFFORT TO ENSURE YOUR PHOTOS COME OUT IDEALLY. MOST OF THE TIME, THEY SPEND A QUICK 30 MINUTES OR HOURS EDITING, AND ON SOME PROJECTS, THEY SPEND DAYS BEFORE THEY GET A PERFECT FINISH. THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER TO HOW LONG PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE TO EDIT PHOTOS.