Before and After: Photo Editing

I have a new toy that I can't seem to get enough of.  Meet my new Canon SLR camera :)

Last month I waited very impatiently for the geek squad to fix my camera and unfortunately my camera couldn't be fixed.  This was sad, but it was also kind of nice that I still had insurance on the old camera and I was given the full amount I paid for it 3 1/2 years ago.  {phew!}  Instead of purchasing the exact same camera, I decided to apply that amount toward a new camera!  And oh my I am in love with it!

I know cameras are a lot of money, but now that I am an online shop owner, blogger, wife, and mother to adorable little bostons I decided it was worth the investment to purchase a good camera that I knew would get a lot of use.  I do think it is easier to take good photos when you have a good camera, but there are always ways to improve your photos, no matter what type of camera you have!  

Photo editing

The truth is, I edit about 90% of photos uploaded to my computer, especially the photos I upload to my blog and my etsy shop.  Sometimes it just takes simple adjustments to make a photo look a lot better.    Here are some examples of how editing can change or enhance the look of your photos.

increased contrast and color adjustment.

think about how cropping an image can give it a better focal point.

crop and try black and white.

crop and color adjustments were made to this photo to better show detail and the actual colors of the design the way it appears in person.

brighten an image and crop slightly.  images not perfectly centered can be more interesting.

have fun with a photo and try a lot of color and contrast adjustments.

Photo editing can be a lot of fun and addicting.  It is worth spending a couple minutes {give or take} on each photo to improve the look of it.  I have seen really cool photos that were surprisingly shot with a tiny point and shoot or even a camera phone.  If you are new to photography or you just started an online business and need to take photos of your products, try looking up blog posts and tutorials on how to get the best shots.