Course Description: Digital Photo Editing
Digital Photo Editing is the process of transforming ordinary images into visually powerful and professional-quality photographs. This course is designed to equip students with the technical expertise and creative skills required to retouch, enhance, manipulate, and stylize images for professional use in photography, media, advertising, fashion, and digital branding.
Students will learn how to use industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, mastering everything from basic corrections to advanced editing techniques like frequency separation, high-end retouching, compositing, and color grading. The course emphasizes both the technical workflow and artistic vision, ensuring participants understand not only how to use the tools but also how to make editing decisions that enhance storytelling and impact.
Through hands-on projects and portfolio assignments, participants will gain experience editing portraits, fashion shoots, commercial product images, event photography, and creative artworks. By the end of the course, students will have developed a professional portfolio of edited images, positioning them for careers as photographers, retouchers, content creators, or digital media specialists.
Who Should Enroll:
- Photographers seeking to improve their editing workflow.
- Aspiring photo retouchers and visual artists.
- Content creators and social media managers who need polished images.
- Students or professionals in media, fashion, or advertising.
Course Outline: Digital Photo Editing
Module 1: Introduction to Digital Photo Editing
- Evolution of photo editing in photography
- Understanding digital image formats (RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PNG)
- Importance of editing in professional photography
- Overview of editing software (Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One)
Module 2: Lightroom for Photo Editing
- Importing, cataloging, and organizing images
- Global adjustments (exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows)
- Cropping, straightening, and basic corrections
- Presets and batch editing for workflow efficiency
Module 3: Photoshop Basics for Editing
- Workspace setup and navigation
- Layers, masks, and adjustment layers
- Selections and transformations
- Basic image repair (clone stamp, healing brush, patch tool)
Module 4: Retouching Techniques
- Portrait retouching fundamentals
- Frequency separation for skin editing
- Dodge & burn techniques for depth and dimension
- Eye, hair, and teeth enhancements
Module 5: Color Correction & Grading
- Understanding color theory in photography
- White balance and tonal corrections
- Creative color grading for mood and style
- Using LUTs and custom color looks
Module 6: Advanced Editing & Manipulation
- Compositing multiple images
- Background replacement and sky swaps
- Adding special effects (light flares, textures)
- Black-and-white conversions and fine art edits
Module 7: Product & Commercial Photo Editing
- Editing e-commerce product images
- Removing backgrounds and adding shadows/reflections
- Fashion and editorial retouching
- High-end beauty and advertising edits
Module 8: Creative Editing for Digital Media
- Stylized edits for social media
- Creating posters, flyers, and digital collages
- Adding text and graphic elements
- Memes, ads, and creative storytelling visuals
Module 9: Workflow & Professional Practice
- Non-destructive editing workflow
- File management, archiving, and exporting
- Delivering images for print vs. web
- Time management in professional retouching
Module 10: Portfolio & Career Development
- Building a professional editing portfolio
- Working with photographers, agencies, and clients
- Freelancing opportunities as a photo retoucher
- Staying updated with industry trends
Capstone Project
- Students retouch and edit a complete set of images (portrait, product, and creative edit).
- Final portfolio submission and peer critique.
- Showcase of before-and-after transformations.
