I’ve been wanting to learn how to edit photos for many years, but I never committed to doing it. I felt it was out of reach and that I didn’t have time for it. Well, this might be the year that I finally undertake the challenge and start messing around with the features in Photoshop. It’ll be a slow learning process, but if I commit to doing small increments at a time, the learning will add up over time? Right? lol. Nervous laughter.
I got a Photoshop book for Dummies and found an incredible Photoshop for Beginners YouTube video. I’ll experiment with my photos, probably get frustrated like crazy, troubleshoot, get familiar with the features, and develop patience with myself in the overall process. Sweaty palms!
I hope that whatever learning goals you have for 2025 that you’ll take it one step at a time too. Pat yourself on the back for any progress you make towards your goal!
27 responses to “My first Photoshop edit”
Congratulations Esther. The second photo is much more vibrant and has text on it. I have not edited pictures (except to add bunny ears or a Santa cap) at a free site. I see that Windows 10 has some editing features but I’ve not explored them yet.
Thank you, Linda! I’m embarrassed to say how long it took me to even do that on Photoshop. The tutorials make it seem so simple and straightforward and then when you do it…something goes wrong. I have to keep up the open mind attitude that there will be frustrating parts about learning this new skill. Thank you for cheering me on!
I can see that happening where it takes hours to make a few changes Esther.
the tutorials in YouTube will likely help you more than reading the book … that’s how it would be for me. I just wrote in today’s post that despite the time I spend on photography, it is not for editing as I don’t know how, though I see now that I have left Windows 7, there are options to edit using the computer now). I went once to try Canva (free) and I was confused. It’s good for you as you concentrated on one picture – for me, having 20+ pictures in one blog post … I’d be forever doing touch-ups. I’d never get anything done!! So I have to go with what I have … for now anyway. There is always room to improve.
I follow a photographer from Michigan and she does some wonderful photography, but she also does say that she uses Photoshop, plus she is now doing things that look more like art than photography – amazing!
I’m learning photoshop to learn how to have fun with photos and remove background or change lighting, but there’s so much more to learn! Now that winter break is over and homeschool starts tomorrow, I won’t be able to spend so much time on Photoshop. So I’m trying to cover a little bit at a time, like learn commands or learn what tools do. You have to practice to understand and utilize the skill well.
Today I learned about the lasso tool and how to move one picture into another. But I still can’t figure out how to scale the picture to make it proportionate to the new background photo. More questions than answers.
I tried Canva too and it was overwhelming. The Christmas photo I did was from Canva. I bought the template from Etsy and they give you access to Canva to manipulate the template and insert your photos. That took me 2 hours! I get it…editing is a beast to work with.
Yes, Canva was overwhelming when I looked at it – you have to have a lot of patience and I guess once you’ve done it and mastered it, it takes little time to manipulate photos, but in the meantime. I didn’t realize you could do that through Etsy. That is a great site – I got my gingerbread girl in the snow from there, the same woman who had the prints of the rabbits I used for Easter and to announce my retirement. I also got the Paris picture of the Eiffel Tower from there. I didn’t know you could buy a template from Etsy – so much stuff out there to learn/do.
On Etsy, you can buy digital downloads and print them out, like how I did for the Halloween glow stick tags. The Christmas one was the first digital download where I could put in my photos…I was nervous to buy it in case I couldn’t figure it out, but the owners are quick to reply to messages and they provide an instruction file. Check out digital downloads on Etsy and be prepared to spend a lot of time browsing.
That’s awesome you got some prints from there too! It’s nice to support small businesses. Elliot got a customized dinosaur name tag from a shop there and it’s really cute. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1739642218/personalized-dinosaur-bag-tag-3d-dino?click_key=e178f757c8b3333a7cacbd954375bbb40dc5190c%3A1739642218&click_sum=e630435d&ref=shop_home_recs_1&crt=1
I didn’t realize you could do personalized digital downloads on Etsy … now that is unique. I like this name tag you got for Elliot. I liked working with Rebecca – she was very nice and told me if I had issues resizing the photos to use in my blog, she could resize them for me – her pictures are ideally made for wall prints, etc. I told her how I wanted to use them and used her name in the blog post and sent it to her. 🙂
What a nice owner Rebecca is! I’ve noticed too how helpful the owners are. I used some Etsy files a few years back for some holiday and I credited their name for it too.
The name tags are really fun on Etsy. The variety and styles are endless. I’ve learned one thing from liking items you are interested. If you like it, some store owners will send you a discount code for the item you hearted. Something to keep in mind in case you buy something on that site.
You know I did hear from Rebecca for other prints she had, but never bought any more. When I ordered the rabbit prints, I saw that gingerbread girl and knew it was perfect for yearend (even though we had no snow). Thanks for all the Etsy pointers Esther!
You’re welcome! Etsy is fun but time consuming if you get into it too much. So many cute things.
It’s like going to Pinterest which I have used in my blog sometimes if I need an old photo or something … going there is like going down a rabbit hole and emerging hours later … quotes … you click on one and pretty soon you have 125 of the same topic and then images to go with them.
It is very similar! Once you start, it’s like a rabbit hole and you find many different versions of the item you’re interested. I was looking for plastic bags to make S’mores packages and that took me more than an hour, and in the end I decided not to do it. lol. What a waste of time. Just don’t go there, Linda!
I know – rabbit holes are easy to get trapped in when it comes to trying to get creative!
There is a YouTube tutorial on Canva by the instructor who teaches Photoshop. His name is Don Scott and he has a nice teaching demeanor and explains things clearly in his Photoshop beginner video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llnmf5BXLBA
Thank you for this link Esther. I know that Canva has a free site you can try out, so maybe I could look at this video and be able to do something simple. Technology, if done in smaller bites is easier than rammed down your throat all at one time. That was like when we got Windows computers at work – we got them just before Y2K. “Here’s your computer – now work.” No tutorial … we did not have Windows before and no internet, just some intranet platform called “Pine e-mail” which was just an intranet and very antiquated, but no way to reach the outside world. I took a class that was offered by our City, four two-hour classes as I did not have a computer at the time – I waited to buy my first computer until after Y2K was done since they predicted such dire consequences.
Wow 🤩
Great job!
I haven’t used photoshop.
Thanks, friend! I’m trying out a new thing this year and want to get over my fear and reluctance of trying new things related to technology. You cannot imagine the pep talk I give myself before trying out something new and fear that it won’t work. So what if it doesn’t? That’s what I tell myself but I care a lot if it doesn’t. hahaha Trying to have an open mind about learning this and not resisting it.
Beautifully done, Esther!
Thank you! I’m so glad you think so.
Well done Esther looks good. Any editing tools can over do it and push the picture too far always undo if you think it look too edited and un-natural.
Thank you, Andy! I agree that overdoing it can make the pic look unnatural. I’ve learned early on that Ctl+Z and the undo button are going to be my favorite shortcuts.
Yes go with you gut feeling on your photos.
Thanks for the affirmation!
I can do a few things in PhotoShop, but I tend to get impatient with anything that requires a lot of different steps. Your edit turned out very well.
Congratulations Eshter! You are now photo editor. Good you have this photo edited. I like. Nice you get experience & learn photo editing.
hahaha. thank you for your generous compliment! I’m slowly learning new things about how to use Photoshop and applying that to my pictures, but it is frustrating. So I’m taking it slow and learning bit by bit.
wow. What nice you learn new things & how use & apply photoshop. Go ahead get experience.