How do you edit and retouch product photos using software like Photoshop or Lightroom?

1 Crop and straighten

The first step is to crop and straighten your product photos to remove any unwanted distractions and align them with the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a composition technique that divides your image into nine equal parts and places your subject along the lines or intersections. This creates a balanced and visually pleasing image. To crop and straighten your product photos, you can use the crop tool in Photoshop or Lightroom and adjust the angle, aspect ratio, and size of your image.

3 Correct colors and white balance

The third step is to correct the colors and white balance of your product photos to make them accurate and consistent. Colors are the hues and saturation of your image, and white balance is the color temperature of your image. To correct the colors and white balance, you can use the white balance, vibrance, saturation, and hue sliders in Photoshop or Lightroom. You can also use the eyedropper tool to pick a neutral gray area in your image and set it as the white point. This will automatically adjust the white balance and remove any color casts.

4 Remove blemishes and imperfections

The fourth step is to remove any blemishes and imperfections from your product photos to make them flawless and smooth. Blemishes and imperfections are any spots, scratches, dust, or wrinkles that may distract from your product. To remove them, you can use the healing brush, spot healing brush, clone stamp, or patch tool in Photoshop or Lightroom. These tools allow you to sample a clean area of your image and replace the blemished area with it. You can also use the liquify tool to reshape or fix any distorted parts of your product.

5 Add sharpness and clarity

The fifth step is to add some sharpness and clarity to your product photos to make them crisp and clear. Sharpness is the edge definition of your image, and clarity is the midtone contrast of your image. To add sharpness and clarity, you can use the sharpening, clarity, and texture sliders in Photoshop or Lightroom. You can also use the unsharp mask or smart sharpen filters in Photoshop to enhance the details of your image. You want to avoid over-sharpening or over-clarity, which can create noise or artifacts in your image.

6 Apply effects and filters

The final step is to apply some effects and filters to your product photos to give them some style and mood. Effects and filters are any adjustments that alter the overall look and feel of your image, such as color grading, vignetting, blurring, or adding grain. To apply effects and filters, you can use the adjustment layers, camera raw filter, or presets in Photoshop or Lightroom. You can also use the gradient map, curves, or levels tools to create custom effects and filters. You want to choose effects and filters that match your brand identity and product message.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?