Let's talk editing! Honestly, editting is probably my most favorite thing to do in this entire process! Before Zombie Bunny, I was an hobby-ist graphic designer/website builder and I could lose myself in designing and editing for DAYS! Editing can take a so-so photo to brilliance! 

1. What Programs or Apps?

There is a literal ton of programs out there you can use for photo editing - it all just depends on how indepth you want to go! First decision you need to make is whether or not you want to keep your editing to just your phone. If you are comfortable exporting your photos to your computer and using editing software on your computer, you'll have even more options for programs!

On Your Phone:

Speaking as an iPhone user, if you want to go the simplest route, using your phone's in Album editing tools is a great method. To get to your phone's editing tools, select an image from your Albums, select EDIT in the top right hand corner, and start adjusting! 

Adobe Lightroom is also a very powerful editing program on your phone (also can be used on desktop)! It has tons of easy to use features, including presets!, to edit your photos with. This one does require a monthly subscription to Adobe.

Snapseed, I've heard, is a good free option! I have not tried it myself, but I have heard that it has many features that Lightroom has and is great for beginners!

Airbrush is another App I have not tried, but several of our Strike Sewists have used it and recommend!

On Your Computer: 

Adobe Lightroom is a great cross platform App/Program! As I mentioned above, it gives you a lot of options and is very powerful when it comes to editing!

Adobe Photoshop is my personal favorite and usual go-to when it comes to editting. It can be tricky to get the hang of if you are brand new to editing, but once you get it, it becomes very simple to do! This one also requires a monthly subscription to Adobe. 

2. The Settings & Presets

Now, to the real technical part. What settings do you want to tinker with to get your photos the best looking? This will vary on your program/App, but mostly you want to focus on these settings: 

• Brightness (this will lighten or darken your entire photo)
• Warmth (this will help balance if your photo is too warm/yellow or too cool/blue)
• Exposure (will also help adjust brightness) 
• White Balance (this will help adjust the whites and blacks in your photo)

These will all assist in making your photos more true to color! Don't neglect the other settings though, check them out and play around with them to see how the balance your photo. 

Presets are another method of editing photos - these are usually created by the App or Program builders and are included in most editing softwares. They are not always the greatest and are not universal for all photos, but they are a great starting point in your editing journey. 

3. Crop!

When taking your photos, you might have a lot of unnecessary background filler. To keep your photos from looking cluttered and distracting from your make, you'll want to crop your photo down! Crop also works great if you are trying to focus on making a tight, up close shot! Most Apps allow you to simply drag your finger across the photo to select a crop. 

Another good rule to remember when cropping is the Rule of 3rds - this is when you place your make/subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open. This rule usually leads to more compelling and well composed shots. 

Parting Thoughts

Editing doesn't have to be a daunting task to do - it can actually be a lot of fun! Tinkering with your different settings and getting a hang on how each one impacts your photos is a great way to find the perfect, go to settings for you! What kind of settings would you recommend?