Photography Education • Business Resources • Written by Lindsay Herkert
3 Editing Tips for Photographers That Instantly Improve Image Quality
TL;DR
Strong editing starts with the basics. Before applying presets or stylistic edits, focus on three foundational editing tips for photographers: check your histogram for tonal balance, verify RGB values for healthy skin tones, and finish by cropping, cleaning, and straightening the image. These simple steps elevate image quality and help deliver galleries that feel polished and professional.
Have you ever delivered a gallery and held your breath a little when the email notification came through?
Not because you weren’t proud of the images, but because you wondered if the client felt what you felt when you were editing them.
Recently I delivered a gallery and received an email that stopped me in my tracks. She wrote:
“Lindsay!!! We are speechless!! Every single photo is incredible and so special. We’ve worked with many photographers over the years, but Matt and I both fully agree that you were the most fun and enjoyable to shoot with, and your photo quality and the magic you captured is by far superior. Thank you for capturing so much love.”
This wasn’t a public review — just a private email.
But what stood out to me was something I hear again and again from clients: the quality of the images delivered.
That didn’t happen by accident.
Hi, I’m Lindsay — a family and branding photographer based in Austin, Texas — and I share weekly content about marketing, visibility, and building a photography business that attracts the right clients and keeps them coming back.
Everything I teach falls inside something I call Systems for Success, which centers around three things:
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Intent-based marketing
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A website that converts
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An exceptional client experience
Today’s topic sits squarely inside that exceptional client experience category.
Because once you have a client, the goal isn’t just to serve them well once — it’s to create an experience and deliver work that makes them want to return and refer others.
One of the biggest pieces of that experience is the quality of the final images.
Why Do Editing Tips for Photographers Matter So Much?
Early in my career, I was honestly a little intimidated by how easy it was for anyone to call themselves a photographer.
There’s very little barrier to entry in this industry.
That realization pushed me to pursue Click Pro, an advanced portfolio-based accreditation where photographers submit 150 images that are evaluated across technical and artistic categories.
It took me about a year and a half to complete that portfolio.
The process forced me to refine my technical standards and editing discipline in a way nothing else had before.
One thing became very clear during that experience:
Editing can enhance a strong photo, but it can’t rescue a technically weak one.
Editing is the polish — not the foundation.
That’s why these editing tips for photographers focus on the fundamentals that should happen before presets, actions, or stylistic edits.
What Are the Most Important Editing Tips for Photographers Before Applying Presets?
1. Check the Histogram for Tonal Health
The first thing I check in every image is the histogram.
The histogram shows the tonal distribution of your image — from shadows on the left to highlights on the right.
When reviewing it, I’m looking for two common problems:
Blown highlights
When highlights push too far to the right and lose detail.
Clipped blacks
When shadow areas collapse on the left side and lose information.
Both reduce the overall quality of the image.
Instead, I aim for a balanced tonal range that preserves detail across the photo.
This step also helps when working with different lighting styles.
For example:
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High-key images lean toward brighter tones
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Low-key images emphasize shadows and darker tones
Both styles can be beautiful — the goal is simply to maintain healthy tonal information.
If you’d like a deeper explanation of how histograms work, Master Class has a helpful guide here.
Among the most valuable editing tips for photographers, learning to read the histogram is one of the fastest ways to improve image quality.
2. Check RGB Numbers for Healthy Skin Tones
Once tonal balance looks good, the next step is checking RGB values.
Clients might not know the technical language behind color accuracy, but they absolutely notice when skin tones feel slightly off.
Using the color sampler tool in Photoshop, you can check the Red, Green, and Blue values in a skin tone area.
Generally speaking, healthy skin tones follow a pattern where:
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Red is the highest value
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Green is slightly lower
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Blue is the lowest
This relationship can shift depending on lighting conditions and skin tone, but the balance between the channels should still feel natural.
If those numbers drift too far out of balance, skin can start to look:
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overly magenta
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gray
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green
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or unnatural
This is one of the editing tips for photographers that many people overlook, yet it dramatically improves portrait quality.
3. Crop, Clean, and Straighten the Image
The final step before stylistic edits is refinement.
This includes three small but important adjustments:
Cropping
A thoughtful crop strengthens the composition and removes distractions around the edges of the frame.
Cleaning
This might include removing small distractions like stray hairs, blemishes, or objects in the background.
Straightening
Even subtle alignment issues can make an image feel slightly off. Straightening the horizon or vertical lines creates visual stability.
These finishing touches may seem simple, but they contribute significantly to the polish of the final image.
Consistently applying these editing tips for photographers helps create galleries that feel cohesive and professional.
Watch the Full Editing Walkthrough
If you’d like to see exactly how I walk through these steps inside Photoshop, you can watch the full video here:
Why These Editing Tips for Photographers Improve Client Experience
Clients may not always be able to explain why an image feels high quality.
But they absolutely feel the difference.
And that feeling builds:
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trust
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repeat bookings
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referrals
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and the kind of emails that remind you why this work matters in the first place.
Strong editing doesn’t require complicated tools.
It requires consistency with the fundamentals.
And when you focus on the basics first, everything else in your editing process becomes easier.
If you’re interested in the marketing side of building a photography business that attracts the right clients, you might also enjoy this guide on intent-based marketing for photographers.
If you found these editing tips for photographers helpful, I’d love to know which step you already prioritize and which one you might pay closer attention to in your next edit.
I share weekly content about marketing, client experience, and building a photography business that feels sustainable and fulfilling — so if that’s something you’re working toward, you’re in the right place.
