9 white background alternatives for your eCommerce photos

You’re fed up with seeing the white background in eCommerce photos and you want to try something new. Search no further because I am going to show you 9 alternatives to a white background for your eCommerce photos.

To be honest, white is still the best background if you want to go with the number of sales. eCommerce product photos with white background tend to sell more.

Amazon spends billions of dollars every year on research and it is using a white background then this means that there must be a reason. And I cannot think of any reason other than better sales.

But, there’s a catch. the white background is not always the best background.

The color of the background in eCommerce photos which usually give you better sale results is the one that is the color of your website background.

Amazon’s website background color is white so the white background in eCommerce photos tends to convert better. If your website’s background color is black then black background for your eCommerce photos should convert better.

The goal is to make the product stand out. There should be the least amount of distraction. Having a different background for your eCommerce photos than the website background adds distraction.

In case you’re still not convinced, here are the 9 background that you can use.

1. Marble

When to use: when you sell luxury items that people wear (for example – cosmetic items, skincare items, etc.)

Marble is associated with luxury and gentleness. When people see a marble background in an eCommerce photo, they immediately think that the cost of the product is much more than the market average and the product is soft for the skin.

This background tends to attract females more.

 

 

 

Source – bobbibrowncosmetics.com

How to shoot?

  1. Method 1: – Get a marble slab or sheet. Place your product nicely and shoot it.
  2. Method 2: – Shoot on any regular background and then change the background to marble in Photoshop. The benefit here is that you can use multiple textures of marble here unlike method 1. There are a bunch of free stock photos available on the internet. Use them and your photos will not be monotonous with one texture of marble only.

Source: https://www.thirteenthoughts.com/diy-white-marble-photography-background/

2. Lifestyle

When to use: when you want to show how/where to use your product

This is by far is the best background to show your buyers how to use your product. Here you choose the background where a person is actually using your product or your product is being used somewhere. You can show a photo like this.

This type of photos works a lot better if you show your product photos against a white or other solid color backgrounds. Don’t expect a good conversion rate if you only show lifestyle photos.

 

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Here’s one more example.

See how good Apple is telling that Apple Watch is waterproof (or basically splash-proof).

How to shoot?

  1. Method 1: – Shoot your product photos while using them. You can take the backpack photo above as an example
  2. Method 2: – Shoot a normal photo and change everything in Photoshop. For example, you cannot shoot the photo of the Apple Watch like the photo you are seeing above. The only way to add water splash is to use Photoshop.

3. Light gray

When to use: when you just want to show any other color than white but still want to have a nice conversion rate.

We’ve seen that this is the second-best background for conversion. Yes, the first is the white background but you’re bored with the white color.

How to shoot?

  • Shoot the photo against a green or any background and then change the background in Photoshop

4. Gradient

When to use: when you just want to show any other color than white but still want to have a nice conversion rate.

Gradient with a light product shadow also looks good. It’s your personal choice whether you want to go with a solid color or a gradient.

Fitbit uses a nice medium to light gray gradient for its Versa 2 smartwatch. The light watch shadow is also adding beauty to this photo. This makes us think that the watch is floating above the ground.

 

source: fitbit.com

How to shoot?

  • Shoot the photo against a green or any background and then change the background in Photoshop

5. Wood

When to use: when your product is antique, hand made, or directly or indirectly related to the trees/plants

You can use the wooden background after showing the close up shots of your products against a solid color background.

Wooden background gives a perception that your product is handmade.

How to shoot?

  1. Method 1: – Get a wooden slab or sheet. Place your product nicely and shoot it.
  2. Method 2: – Shoot on any regular background and then change the background to marble in Photoshop.This is what we do for our clients.

6. Fur/cotton

When to use: when your product is very soft on the skin

You can use the fur background after showing the close up shots of your products against a solid color background. Fur background gives a perception that your product is something that the users will put or apply on their skin and there’ll be no side effects.

How to shoot?

  1. Method 1: – Get a fur or cotton. Place your product nicely and shoot it.
  2. Method 2: – Shoot on any regular background and then change the background to fur in Photoshop. The benefit here is that you can use multiple textures and colors of fur here unlike method 1. There are a bunch of free stock photos available on the internet. Use them and your photos will not be monotonous with one texture of fur only. This is what we do for our clients.

7. Sepia

When to use: when you just want to show any other color than white and gray, or want to increase customer loyalty.

Sepia background works good for female dresses and your customers tend to feel that your company is friendly. This increases customer loyalty and your customers feel that you’re a small company who care its customers a lot.

Source: modcloth.com

How to shoot?

  • Method 1: Shoot the photo against a green or any background and then change the background in Photoshop
  • Method 2: Shoot the photo against a sepia wall

8. Color of the product

When to use: when you want to highlight one of your products

Here you set the background color that is two shade lighter or darker than the product color.

I could not find a good photo to show as an example so I designed this photo in Photoshop for you. Here the background is a gradient and the center of the background is two shade lighter than the color of the shoe.

How to shoot?

  • Shoot the photo against a green or any background and then change the background in Photoshop

9. Black

When to use: only for super luxury items

Black color signifies luxury. If you sell luxury items like watches that cost more than $2,000 then you may want to use the black background.

Don’t use a black background on items that are not at all luxury because your price-sensitive customers may exit your site without making any purchase.

Source: rolex.com

How to shoot?

  • Shoot the photo against a green or any background in a dim light and then change the background in Photoshop

Do you lack the Photoshop skills?

I help the founders or creative directors eCommerce companies to show beautiful product photos by editing the photos for them. My clients are as small as companies with 2 co-founders and as big as ITT with 10,000+ employees.

If you want, I can show you how your product would look like. I can do it for free.

Get my free demo

10 best iOS and Android photo editing apps

With each year we’re getting more and more powerful phones, app developers are making their apps more and more advanced. They’re utilizing all the power and speed that the powerful mobile CPUs are offering to them.

Today we’re going to see the 10 best iOS and Android photo editing apps that you can use to edit your daily day-to-day life photos. Be the need is to post on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or even frame it, these apps can help you out.

I also wrote a list of apps that you can use on mobile as a replacement to Photoshop desktop app.

Let’s begin.

1: Snapseed

There’s no doubt that Snapseed topped the list. With its powerful engine and feature-packed yet minimal interface, you can make your photos 1000 times better.

The app is very intuitive, and even the advanced features aren’t cluttered or overly complicated (that said, performance and accuracy aren’t compromised either). There are a lot of features, and I like how you can choose to save your edits step by step and can see exactly what you did (and even undo!) after a picture is saved. This does everything you need it to do, and if you spend a lot of time you can get professional-grade editing.

Link: iOS | Android

2. Photoshop Express

I use this in tandem with another app. I use this one to fine-tune my work and to use the collage feature.

Basically, what the other app lacks, this app has, and vice versa. You can’t make a multilayered photo rendering on this app, and that’s ok, but it would be nice if there was a way to overlay photos on top of each other using an opacity feature.

Despite that not being an option, this app still gets 5 stars from me. I love that there are so many filter options and that you can of course manually edit your photos.

The blemish remover works well, although it would be nice to have an eraser too. The collage feature is great. You can really produce some cool stuff. It’s really helped me develop my style of tree and nature-based art.

Although, most regrettably, as of yet, when I try to use the collage feature, there’s been white lines through my artwork. I’ve tried reinstalling, doing the latest iOS update, and contacting Adobe directly.

Anyways, despite my recent troubles with this app, it’s been well worth it, and I owe a lot to the software that has allowed me to make some pretty cool art- at least I think so.

Link: iOS | Android

3. VSCO

I use this to edit all my photos and I love it, I’m also a VSCO X member and I definitely recommend it for everyone.

But, I would like it if you guys made the highlight option to not only take away highlights but to enhance them as well or present an option where I can select what portions of my image I want to be highlighted (I’d prefer this more), and the same for shadows.

Also, I’d like to be able to add presets to DSCO, not just the ones you offer as soon as I take it, because the way it functions now I’d have to save the DSCO, then re-upload it to VSCO, which I find tedious.

I’d also like the option to turn other videos I have into DSCO.

Oh, also for DSCO, I want to be able to save it to my VSCO library, instead of only being to save it to my phone or uploading it to my VSCO feed, and make it longer, DSCOs are so short.

And it would be cool if they introduced options that are fun like chromatic aberration, or vintage scratches and dust. If they have all these things I wouldn’t touch another app.

The app’s dope though keeps it up.

Link: iOS | Android

4. Lightroom CC

I’m a hardcore adobe fan but the software that has been working the best for me out of all the creative cloud platform it’s no doubt the Lightroom mobile.

I have spent tons of money on expensive software, apps, and different hardware stuff trying to get my pictures to the next level but I can’t stop using Lightroom mobile.

I love using my iPhone and most of the time I’m flying my drone and like to edit my pictures on the spot right after I’m finished so I don’t know anything else as good or as close to Lightroom mobile, not to mention that once you have done some of the work on the go once you hit the computer it’s synced with your Lightroom desktop version so you can either keep working on the desktop or lay down and keep working on the mobile version on your phone.

And the best part for me is that is very convenient to just grab the phone out of the pocket and take a picture instead of using a huge DSLR for a simple picture that sometimes you might not have time to set up the tripod and everything before the subject has moved etc.

I like to have a camera for every scenario, GoPro for underwater, drone for aerial photography, DSLR for my professional photography and my iPhone photography for quick snaps that I don’t feel like carrying a huge bag full of accessories and for every one of those cameras Lightroom mobile app works well!

Link: iOS | Android

5. Enlight Photofox

I got this app because I liked the idea of changing pictures.

I also got it for a PhotoJournalism class. Anyway, when I first opened this app I thought “Here we go… another app that downloads free but is subscription-based and if you don’t pay the subscription then you only get the lame features..” but then I actually started messing around with it and found that you can still do a WHOLE LOT on it even without the pro.

Now I’m not saying you don’t need the pro because there are a lot of really cool features there too but, I can still do what I need to do without having to pay a lot of money. This app is really great.

Sometimes it makes me a little mad because if I want to change or move something after it’s done I can’t. This drives me nuts because I want to see what it looks like without the focusing circle I can’t until after it’s set in stone.

Anyway sorry about the super long review but if you made it this far that means you’re interested and if you’re interested I can honestly say as someone who does not like to pay for apps that you should GET THIS APP!!!!

Link: iOS | Android (not available)

6. Prisma

Prisma’s gorgeous pictures are almost too cool for words, but if we had to pick one to describe our 2016 iPhone App of the Year, it’d be “sublime.”

Powerful AI re-creates our photos as breathtaking images that really look hand-painted, complete with natural textures and stylish, spontaneous strokes. The only thing more fun than experimenting with the effects is showing off the results to our friends.

Link: iOS | Android

7. PicsArt

First of all this app is AMAZING!!! It lets you edit whatever picture you want!!! You just go to search and type in whatever you want! Like for example, you type in cats ( cats are my favorite animal I love them and know a lot about them) it will show you a bunch of cat pictures and also cute ones !!! It’s so simple.

You name it they have it. And if you want you can even put your own pictures on the game and other people can edit your pictures!!! and when you want to edit a picture you just tap it and then tap remix on the bottom and when you edit here a few things you can do.

So you can add other pictures where ever you want and do that just tap add a picture and then you can decrease the amount of opacity and you can add in lens flares! then if the picture is too big then you just tap cut out on the bottom and make a shape around the stuff you keep and out of the shape the stuff you want to get rid of.

Link: iOS | Android

8. Afterlight 2

Afterlight 2 is an amazing app that gives you the power to turn your pictures into a work of art with minimal effort using their powerful tools that provide pro-quality editing.

I love the fact that they are using one price for all purchase. I know that in this day and times, many developer teams and companies are using subscriptions for full access to their applications to keep money afloat. But I believe that because they’re not in that category, they stand out to many users looking to have an amazing application such as Afterlight 2 without having to worry about another subscription.

However, if Afterlight 2 does decide to add such subscription or add-ons for extra features, I would support them! Anyways, keep up the good work guys and have a blessed day.

Link: iOS | Android

9. Facetune 2

Hands down the best app money can buy. Affordable, feature-rich, user-friendly and powered to the gills. Stop looking and download this NOW.

Facetune calls themselves as the selfie photo editing app. This is because all you can edit is the face and body. If you’re looking forward to editing some landscapes then you may want to use other apps.

Link: iOS | Android

10. TouchRetouch

I like how I can take pictures in whatever background I want, knowing that I have an app that’s going to take off anything I don’t want there.

I like how I don’t need to worry about a perfect background! I could be behind a cute wall but there could be a bunch of trash on the floor but who cares because I could just go back and remove whatever I don’t want there and just keep my cute wall!

Other than object removal, the app has so many other editing features and tools you can use to PERFECTIFY your picture!! (I don’t know if that’s a word or not but I’m gonna use it anyway!)

My personal favorite feature would definitely be the object removal because I can take pics wherever I want, and later go remove objects and add other details as well!

With all that being said, I definitely recommend the TouchRetouch app because it can do so many different things to make your picture even more beautiful than it already is, it’s also super affordable for what it is and I’m pretty sure a lot of people would appreciate that! You should definitely look into getting this app!!

Link: iOS | Android

How to create fake iPhone portrait effect in Photoshop

Apple launched portrait mode a few years ago. You can buy an iPhone to shoot portrait photos. But what if you don’t have iPhone but want to shoot portrait mode? Also, what if you have an iPhone but you shoot photos with your DSLR. Let’s see how can you create a fake iPhone portrait effect in Photoshop.

This is going to be a short tutorial because this effect is quite easy to achieve. All, I’ll be doing is to put the human on a separate layer and blur the background. Let’s do it.

But before we begin, I want to show you the after and before

After

Before

Photo from Needpix.

What’s the actual name if iPhone portrait effect?

iPhone portrait effect is not new. It has been in DSLRs for years. The actual name is Shallow Depth of Fields.

So, if you ever come across a DSLR photographer and don’t want them to laugh on you, never say that you want to capture iPhone portrait effect from your DSLR. Say them how can I achieve beautiful shallow depth of field from my DSLR.

Yep, that’s the correct term

Now, let’s start the tutorial.

Step 1: Select the person in Photoshop

The first thing we need to do is to select the person in Photoshop.

I am going to use Select Subject in the Quick Selection Tool. Grab the Quick Selection Tool from the tool panel or press Shift + W again and again until it activates.

Click on the Select Subject.

This will select the person.

Note: you can use Select and Mask and to refine the selection and make the selection perfect. Go to Select > Select and Mask to activate it.

Step 2: Copy the person to a new layer

Press Cmd + J / Ctrl + J to copy the person to a new layer.

Step 3: Blur the background

Time to blur the background. But before that, we need to duplicate the background layer so that we can revert in case we mess up.

Click on the background layer and press Cmd + J / Ctrl + J.

Go to Filter > Blur > Lens Blur.

Tweak the sliders in such a way that it gives a nice looking blur effect. Press OK.

Here’s the photo.

Step 4: Finalize the iPhone portrait effect in Photoshop

You’ll see that there are some impressions of the blurred background that are leaking from the edges of the person. See the below screenshot.

This is happening because we blurred the background and the edges are no sharper. They are (kind of) fused with one another.

We’ll fix this with the Clone Stamp Tool.

Create a new layer by pressing Cmd + Shift + N / Ctrl + Shift + N and drag it to the second position.

Grab the Clone Stamp Tool from the tool panel or press Shift + S again and again until it comes.

Hold down Opt/Alt to select the source and start brushing on the edges. See the below GIF.

Below GIF is of 3.5 MB. Give it some time to load.

That’s all.

6 Tips To Choosing the Best Travel Camera

Cameras are normally depicted as one of the essentials of traveling. This is why many brands today are now offering various cameras designed mainly for traveling. While almost all cameras, in recent times, even your smartphones, can be utilized for outdoor photography, there are still those specific cameras that are innovated for the purpose of traveling. 

If you have a great love for traveling and you are still finding the best travel camera, then this piece might just be for you. Aside from pointing you the right direction in which cameras these are, this post will also let you know what factors are the most important to consider when choosing or buying your travel camera. 

6 Important Tips When Choosing Your Best Travel Camera

There are a lot of factors that you must first consider, especially when you are still searching for your best travel camera. But among these factors, here are the six best tips that you may want to ponder on before you head out and make a purchase:

Weight and Size

Some of the most important things you must consider are the weight and size of your desired travel camera. Keep in mind that cameras come in different sizes and weights. So, you must consider this aspect, especially if you are the type of traveler who wants to keep everything light. 

Even so, it is worth noting that the smaller the size, the more limited the features are. Nevertheless, there are still those lightweight and small travel cameras that already function as an all-inclusive type.

Durability

Travel cameras or any other cameras on the market today are pretty hefty in terms of their price. And you don’t want for your newly purchased camera to get broken just after one use. Hence, it is very essential that you regard the materials used in the structure and build. In short, the overall durability of the camera.

Budget

As mentioned, cameras, especially the innovative and high-tech types are relatively expensive. And if cost plays a huge role in your decision-making, then you must very well consider your budget. 

You must understand that not all expensive cameras are durable and fully-featured. And not all inexpensive kits are cheaply built and low-quality types. 

Use

Are you using a travel camera for simply taking photos? Or are you using it for recording videos? Do you intend to utilize it for your blogging and/or vlogging? Is the camera meant for a wildlife trip? Hiking travel? An underwater adventure?

These questions will help you understand more what camera you will need in your travels. And it will also help you answer the main use of your travel camera. 

Camera Lenses and Graphic Resolution

Depending on your subjects and setting, the lenses of your camera will vary. Through the lenses, your camera’s ability to take zooms and wide-angle shots will depend. So, if you want to take big shots, then you may opt to have a travel camera that features big lenses.

But keep in mind that it is easier to get bigger zooms when the camera has a smaller sensor. Therefore, you must choose between resolution and zoom. Most outdoor photographer experts today recommend either Sony RX10 or Panasonic FZ1000 since both cameras have big sensors and yet still feature good zoom functions.

Additional Features

Travel cameras that are widely available on the market have their distinct features. And each of them would offer various features and functions. If in the instance that you already reached this part wherein you are now weighing your options by considering the additional features, then think of versatility. 

Versatile travel cameras are very convenient. Not only that they are very cost-effective but they are also worth it. Not to mention, such cameras can be used in almost all sorts of travels.

The 5 Best Travel Cameras of Today

Once you’ve considered and regarded all the of the essential factors, not to mention, you’ve applied as well the given tips above, there is only one thing left to do. And that is to choose the best travel camera for you. 

It may be really challenging but to further help you in your search, here are the five best travel cameras of today as per most travelers and photographers:

 Panasonic Lumix ZS100 / TZ100

 

Panasonic Lumix ZS100 or TZ100 in other regions is one of Panasonic’s best travel cameras. With its significant 1.0-inch sensor size and 10x zoom, many photographers take it as today’s best compact travel camera. It also features a built-in wi-fi module, touchscreen control, and 4K capture.

Nikon D3500

 

Nikon D3500 is a DSLR that is depicted as an easy point-and-shoot travel camera. With its sensor that is 15x larger than any smartphone camera, it can capture much clearer and more vivid shots. For recording videos, it features a 1080P HD rating. Also, it comes with a dedicated application that you can utilize with and through your smartphone.

Canon PowerShot SX730 HS

For Canon, its newest PowerShot SX730 HS is one of its best travel cameras, especially for taking zoom photos and selfies. Thanks to its 40x optical zoom and 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, the brand takes this model as its latest “superzoom” compact camera for traveling. 

While it can capture great selfies, thanks to its tilting feature, and zoom photos, the video recording function can only reach a full HD rating. Even so, many vloggers still utilize this travel camera for their travel documentation and activities.

Sony a6400

For vlogging purposes, the Sony a6400 is largely pitched as the perfect compact travel camera for this area. With its built-in mic, 4K/30p video capture, 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, and 11 fps burst shooting, many pros see this as the most all-inclusive compact travel camera. 

However, this camera may cost a fortune. You may need to shell out at least $1500 for a single kit. But even so, many actual users consider it as an investment.

Fujifilm XF10

If you are on a budget but you want a similar set of features like what the Sony a6400 offers, then you may want to go with the Fujifilm XF10. It features a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K/15p video capture, 6 fps burst shooting, and the 91-point hybrid autofocus system. It is also much easier to use, thanks to its simple controls.

Your Best Travel Camera

Searching for your best travel camera is a very tricky and challenging thing to do. But considering all of the essential factors, along with your needs and wants for your camera, you will surely arrive with the best option at hand. And in the end, you will be the one who can get you the best travel camera for your needs. So, keep on researching and learning new things. And most of all, enjoy your search!

By – Dhaval Patel.

I have two passions: Travel & Photography. Lucky for me they go hand in hand. My goal is to inspire and encourage others to get out into nature — it’s a beautiful and enlightening experience. Be sure to check back often to learn the various ways I photograph nature. If you have any requests feel free to contact me 🙂 

How to create your own Instagram filter in Photoshop

Nowadays Instagram is kinda like a portfolio of a person, a modern resume if you will. That is why we are so obsessed to take that amazing photo of yourself and to post it on your feed. However, taking a great shot is no longer enough, filters are what matters right now. Having cool filters means that you kinda have it all in the Instagram world: likes, comments, and popularity.

Of course, there may be negative comments, cause you know, there will always be haters. The worst thing that can happen is that such comments may affect the minor audience and there are few ways to prevent it such as turning off the comments on Instagram or blocking unfriendly users or using the KidSecured app.

This article is not about already known presets, this is about your own vision of a photo, your own filter to show the real you and that what makes you special despite the number of likes on your photos. There is only one thing you need to understand in this life is that you don’t have to be liked by everyone, the only person who should accept you is you.

Anyway, if you are interested in giving the photos a little gloss here are some tips on how to create your own Instagram filter in Photoshop. Get inspired and be that inspiration!

The first step is, of course, to download Adobe Photoshop if you haven’t done it yet. Next, you need to open a photo to start work, you can do this two ways: tap File and then Open or with the help of Photoshop hotkey Ctrl+O.

When the photo is into Photoshop go to Window and then tap Actions or use the hotkey Alt+F9 to make sure that your every step will be recorded and saved for your convenience. Later you can use the recorded filter on other photos to get them a makeover with a few seconds.

By hitting the Actions the Actions panel has brought out and now you can press the folder icon to create a new set. Give whatever name you want to this set and press ok. It would be easier if you name it with the word or phrase that refers to your actions, e.g. My own Instagram filter or Presets for Instagram, etc.

Next to the folder icon is the paper icon that you want to select and name it as well to create a new action. After that you hit record and you ready to begin, it will automatically record everything you do. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, you can always tap the hotkey Ctrl+Z to undo.

Now we need to create a layer, so your step is to find Layer on the control panel and press New Adjustment Layer and then Color lookup. Once the layer opens you pick the Soft light mode that will open the Properties panel to select Fuji ETERNA 250D Kodak 2395, it will give more definition to your photo. Obviously you can select any mode you like to change the color and shade of a photo.

Once again you open a New layer and to do this you can press the paper icon in the right corner and fill it with the green color or whatever color you like using the Paint Bucket Tool. We use green one to make the leaves more vibrant and then set this layer on Hue to soothe a greenish tint and with the 50% Opacity, we lower the saturation.

To give the emphasis to some objects in a photo is easy to create with the help of a slight vignette. Create a New layer, fill it with black color as we did with the green one. Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to make a circle the size you want it to be and press Delete to remove its center. Try to decide where you want to have a center, then draw a circle on it and there you have a focus on a picked object in a darkened frame around.

Go to Filter to Blur to Gaussian Blur or use the hotkey Alt+Ctrl+F and select the Radius of 100 pixels to make the edges blur so that it won’t look so obvious. There are few things left and your own filter is done.

Get back to the Layers panel where you need to lower the Opacity to 15% and choose Overlay to make it more softer. As soon as you ready with it use the hotkey Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E to create a new layer with all the editing you made and press Stop recording on the Actions panel. Congratulations, you’ve created your own very first filter in Photoshop.

And now, let’s see the before and after a look at the photo we’ve been working with.

See the difference, right? So now you can apply this recorded filter to any photo you like without even editing it. All you need to do is use your imagination and be creative by selecting different settings to make your photos look unique and outstanding.

We think it’s great to have an opportunity to instantly transform your photo from ordinary and plain to almost a piece of art and not just somebody’s but your own piece of art. And what is even greater is that using Photoshop to create filters you can apply and customize the effects the way you like it without repeating ready-made presets on Instagram. Besides, you are not only can download your photos to Instagram but in any other social network as well.

Download FREE yellow tone preset for Lightroom

Here is the preset that you’ve been looking for. This preset will give a yellow tone in Lightroom. Download the yellow tone Lightroom Preset.

If you’re looking for a tutorial to yellow tone in Lightroom, here’s the tutorial on yellow tone in Lightroom.

Download the preset to create a yellow tone in Lightroom. No, no email id is required.

Download for FREE

Here’s the tutorial to see how to install presets in Lightroom.

Photo by jimmy teoh from Pexels.

Download for FREE

Create a beautiful yellow tone in Lightroom

Welcome to my another Lightroom tutorial and today we’re going to see how to give a beautiful yellow tone in Lightroom to a photo.

The photo has been long requested by many of you who used the Suggest a tutorial form on my site, TrickyPhotoshop, that I created for you.

Download the free preset

If you’re looking to download the preset to give yellow tone in Lightroom, here’s the page to download the yellow tone preset.

Before we begin, allow me to show you the after and before photo.

After

Before

Photo by bruce mars from Pexels.

Let’s begin

Step 1: Increase the Temp and reduce the Tint

The first basic rule before giving a yellow tone to a photo in Lightroom is to increase the temperature and decrease the tint. Tint should slightly shift towards the green side.

Make the below adjustments in the Basic panel

  • Temp: +10
  • Tint: -10

Step 2: Adjust the whites and blacks

Now we’re going to adjust the whites and blacks in the Basic panel.

Hold down Opt/Alt key and drag the Whites slider towards the right till you see white hgihlights. Check the below GIF. Here I am ignoring the white because of the window because that area is already super-duper overexposed.

Here’s my value.

  • Whites: +32

Time to do it for the Black. This time move the Black slider towards the left.

Hold down Opt/Alt key and drag the Blacks slider towards the left till you see black shadows. Check the below GIF.

Here’s my value.

  • Blacks: -42

Here’s the photo.

Step 3: Increase the saturation

This is the last step. Time to increase the saturation.

Go the the HSL/Color panel.

Increase the below sliders

  • Orange: +35
  • Yellow: +35

That’s all, guys.

Here’s the final photo.

If you want to download free Lightroom presets, you can download them on my download free Lightroom presets page.

If you want more tutorials on Lightroom, here’s the to the free Lightroom tutorials.

See you again next week. Goodbye!

I found time for these 5 things after I gave my photo editing task to someone else

It was the 22nd of July. Fifty new dresses were launching on the 25th of July. I had already told my customers that I am going to launch those dresses no later than 25th and I didn’t even shoot the photos.

I don’t hate shooting photos but I hate editing them. I always thought that I could do more pleasing things if somehow I can throw this boring, mundane, and non-enticing task off of my life.

I spent only 2 minutes per photo which means that I spent more than 400 minutes on 200 photos. I post 4 photos per dress. But, those 400 minutes were like 40,000 minutes to me.

Somehow, I shot and edited the photos before 25th July. I never thought that I would feel this kind of pressure in my entire life. I always thought that I am good at handling pressure but I realized that I am not.

I got fed up so much of this task that I badly want to hand it over to someone else in my team. But, that came out costly because my employee started charging for the overtime and her hourly rate was $22.

Also, the work was not good. The photos she edited were not looking consistent and also the editing style did not match the photos that are present on my site. I can clearly see that the photos she edited look different than the other photos I edited.

BUT the worst thing was that I cannot rely on her because if she’s on leave then I’ll be screwed.

I started thinking this mundane task to someone else. I went to Fiverr, but Fiverr is cheap only if you have 5-10 photos. It becomes expensive if you have 20+ photos. Also, you don’t find anyone reliable there. I wanted to have someone whom I can contact 24×7 and that person has some dedicated time for me. So, I searched more on Google and found TrickyPhotoshop.

I gave my photo editing job to them these are the things that I can do now.

I can now spend more time alone doing nothing

I am an introvert. I enjoy sitting alone more than sitting with two people. Now that I don’t need to edit photos, I can spend 400 minutes every week sitting alone and doing nothing.

Don’t judge me.

I can now learn to play piano

I have always been a huge fan of piano. I like how it sounds. It has always been my second most favorite instrument.

The first one is violent but I have tennis elbow. I cannot move my hands fast especially the elbow.

I love my daughter and I can show it now even more

I used to edit photos every Thursday. I upload them on my site on Fridays and then scheduled to go live every Sunday.

Because I handed over the editing task to TrickyPhotoshop, I can go home 3-4 hours earlier every Thursday.

My daughter comes home from school at 4 PM every day. I reach home at 3:30 PM every Thursday, cook a delicious dish for her, and then we eat it together. Yes, I do this every Thursday.

I can think about the future (even more)

Every Thursday, I think about my company’s future. I do this when I am cooking food for my daughter.

On Thursday morning, I write down things that are haunting me or bugging me. I then think about fixing them. I use Voice Memos on my iPhone to record what can I do about these things.

I can watch documentaries and read Medium.com

I enjoy watching documentaries more than watching Netflix. I prefer watching what are black holes, white dwarfs, nebulas, etc. rather than seeing what did Penny tell Sheldon on that 12th episode of the Big Bang Theory.

I also love reading Startup stories on medium.com. These stories fire me up.

All of these are possible only and only because I delegated the task that I hate doing to someone else.

I am Anna and I run an e-commerce site with an annual turnover of $400K. I sell trending dresses to the ladies.

How to brighten skin in Lightroom in 1 minute?

Lightening skin in Lightroom takes time. You grab Adjustment Brush and then selectively lighten the skin. What if I tell you that you can brighten skin in Lightroom in just 1 minute? Wouldn’t you like it?

This method is super duper fast. But it has a tradeoff. You don’t get super duper flexibility like the Adjustment Brush.

So, let’s start. But I want to show you after and before first.

After

Image by Himanshu Gunaratna from Pixabay

Before

Let’s start.

Video

If you like watching videos then here’s the video for you.

Step 1 – Find the HSL panel

Go to the HSL panel. Click on the Luminance.

Now, click on the circular icon at the top left.

After the click, the icon will change and you’ll see two arrows. One at the top and another at the bottom.

Step 2 – Brighten the skin in Lightroom

Now, place the cursor on the skin. Drag the cursor upwards. This will brighten the skin in Lightroom.

In the panel, you’ll also see that the luminance value of Red, Orange, and Yellow increases because our skin is basically made up of these three colors.

This is all, guys. Didn’t it take just 1 minute?

Summary

  1. Open the photo in Lightroom
  2. Activate the Luminance tab in the HSL panel
  3. Click on the circle icon at the top left
  4. Put the cursor on the skin and drag it upwards
  5. Correspondingly, check the value of the Red, Yellow, and Orange in the Luminance tab.

I have written tons of tutorials on Lightroom. Check that out if you want to see more Lightroom tips like this. I have also made free Lightroom presets. Download them to speed up your work.

If you like to see more tips like this on Photoshop, check out my Photoshop tips. If you want to learn Photoshop in-depth, check out my free course on 30 days to learn Photoshop.

5 Great Photoshop Podcasts to Listen to

 

If you thought that the headline of this post was some kind of sarcasm, you were wrong.

It’s serious.

Photoshop podcasts do exist, and some of them are absolutely amazing.

Why Would You Listen to Photoshop Podcasts?

The goal of these podcasts is to provide great information about using Photoshop. They are awesome for beginners, but they also work for experienced practitioners.

In a way, they work like online courses on Photoshop.

“But online courses are provided as videos, and include practice.” That’s what you’re thinking, right? Once you get used to the podcast format, you’ll love that there’s no video involved. And you’ll still get inspired to practice.

These podcasts are great to listen while you’re practicing Photoshop. The host gives you instructions and you implement them on the go. A video would be distracting in that process, and it would lead to copying the host instead of exploring your creativity.

Plus, online courses require mandatory assignments that are not always fun to do. Most learners get help from Essay Universe and other homework services, so they get the certificates anyway. The podcast doesn’t grant you a certificate. However, it helps you gain a lot of skill, so you won’t need to get AssignmentGeek essay help when you decide to get certified.

The best thing about podcasts is that they don’t burden you. You don’t have to schedule a class or commit yourself fully to it. You can listen to them whenever you want, wherever you are.

Personally, I love quiet evenings in the backyard, with my dog by my feet, the headphones on and the MacBook in front of me. I listen to the tips and I try everything they suggest.

Top 5 Photoshop Podcasts

1. Talking ‘Shop with Dave Cross

This is a new podcast, with the first episode published in April 2019. That’s why it’s so cool. The host is still very enthusiastic and may release two episodes in a day. There’s always something fresh to listen to.

In addition to giving tips on productivity and work in Photoshop, Dave also interviews members of the Photoshop team and experts we all admire. There’s a lot to learn here, even for advanced users.

2. Photoshop Creative Podcasts

This used to be a highly popular podcast a decade ago, but we haven’t seen any new episodes since 2011. Then why should you listen to it? You’ll access plenty of interviews with talented designers, who share insights from their job and life.

It’s great to compare their tips with the current state of Photoshop, so you’ll realize how much the tool progressed.

3. PetaPixel Photography Podcast

Mike James, the host of this podcast, is a retired award-winning photographer. The PetaPixel was one of the first photography podcasts on Spotify. It’s been going strong for years, and we still get regular bi-weekly updates.

You’ll get tips on how to choose a camera, how to take beautiful photos, how to use Photoshop tools and random talks that inspire you to take and edit cool pictures.

4. Photography 101

Scott Wittenburg, a photography instructor, hosts this podcast that teaches beginners all about the theory and practice of photography. He gives great tips on how to choose the right camera, how to improve composition, and how to set proper lighting. However, he also gives tips on how to use Photoshop.

If you’re a beginner in photography, you’ll love this podcast.

5. A Photographic Life

There’s something behind the process of taking photographs and editing them with Photoshop. It’s called life. A photographer’s engagement is behind camera choices and editing techniques. Photography is a way of life, and that’s exactly the topic that this podcast tackles.

If you don’t like plain tips and tricks via podcasts, you’ll love this one. Each episode is like a documentary in an audio format. You’ll listen to different photographers speaking, and you’ll admire the wisdom behind the work you see.

It’s Time for a Podcast!

Photoshop podcasts are great for inspiring new practices. As you listen, you can take notes or directly work in the software.

Podcasts are also a good choice when you want to relax, but still, need some Photoshop in your life. In that case, you can listen to interviews and inspirational talks from designers and photographers.

The above-listed podcasts cover all those needs!

Cathy Baylis is a freelance content writer specializing in career growth, leadership, and education. She loves sharing her interests with readers, and she has something to say, for sure.