It’s hard to define at which point a popular or fashionable effect becomes a cliche, but when it’s done badly on a regular basis it’s definitely a problem. Let’s take a look at nine of the biggest photo editing cliches and what you can do to avoid them.
When digital imaging first came on the scene many photographers made straight for the filter palettes and applied all manner of effects, from brush strokes to ripples and watercolour textures to spherizing.
It was only naturally that people would experiment to discover what is possible.
Thankfully this age has passed for most photographers, but there are still a few out there who think that a bad image can be made good by the application of a random filter effect. Tread carefully.
Square format images are very much in vogue as part of the current love for all things retro, but you can bet your last bean that there’s a backlash developing.
Will this mean we all suddenly fall in love with extreme panoramic crops, or perhaps we’ll adopt another ‘old school’ format such as 5:4? Only time will tell.
Whatever crop you choose to apply or format you shoot in, make sure that the image composition works with it, there are too many images out there in square format just for the sake of it.
If you’ve ever made cards using an online lab, or used some of the more consumer end image editing software, you’ve probably been confronted by some pretty dreadful frames or borders that are supposed to enhance your images.
There are few occasions, however, when a two-dimensional interpretation of an ornate gilt frame enhances a photograph and many of the borders on offer come with a large helping of cheese.
Borders are best kept simple.
When an image is shot at wide aperture to restrict depth of field the blurred background looks quite different from one that has had a uniform dose of Gaussian Blur.
For a start the degree of blur increases with distance from the subject and there’s a subtle gradient.
Furthermore, any objects that are the same distance from the camera as the subject will be sharp.
Then there’s the bokeh of optical blur, which is particularly noticeable around small highlights as they are rendered as small, bright disks.
Creating a pleasant blur around a subject involves a bit more work than making a rough selection and applying a uniform blur, but when it’s done well it’s worth it.
The image looks natural and the subject holds the viewer’s attention.
Again the important point to remember is that there is a plane of focus and any elements along that plane should be sharp.
Equally, any elements that aren’t along that plane should be soft.
If you understand the impact of a tilt-and-shift lens it is possible to recreate it pretty well with careful application of blur effects, but when it’s done badly it just screams ‘filter effect’.
Fake flare may enhance some images, but if it’s applied when flare would not be an issue, enthusiast photographers have our permission to roll their eyes in mockery.
In some of the worst examples it renders A-list celebrities into stick-thin, plastic-skinned freaks that are unrecognisable to their own mothers.
While a little retouching is often a good idea to flatter the subject slightly, a heavy dose of obvious work is insulting and the biggest Photoshop cliché in the book.
When editing a portrait it’s a good idea to take a break occasionally and to regularly compare the image with the original so that you can see how much has changed.
Small, incremental adjustments soon add up to a big change.
One of the most important things is to avoid over-smoothing skin and leave in some texture to maintain a natural look.
Worst photo editing cliches: 1. Selective colour
There was a time when creating a black and white image with some areas remaining in colour seemed novel and creative, but it’s pretty much been done to death.
One of the problems is that it has often been used to inject a little interest into otherwise dull shots.
Of course this doesn’t mean that there isn’t the odd occasion when it works very well, but don’t overdo it and reserve it for images that really cry out for it.
One of the problems is that it has often been used to inject a little interest into otherwise dull shots.
Of course this doesn’t mean that there isn’t the odd occasion when it works very well, but don’t overdo it and reserve it for images that really cry out for it.
Worst photo editing cliches: 2. HDR
Natural HDR (high dynamic range) techniques are important photographic tools as they enable subtle increases in the amount of detail visible in shadows and highlights.
Their aim is generally to improve upon what the camera captures when left to it’s own devices and produce images that show what we see in real life.
When it’s done well the images look realistic and natural.
What is often referred to as ‘artistic’ or ‘extreme’ HDR is something that should be approached with caution.
It can produce some superb results, creating striking images full of impact, but more often it produces images that speak more of the effect than any photographic merit.
Extreme HDR requires a clear understanding of its impact and careful subject selection and thoughtful composition.
Their aim is generally to improve upon what the camera captures when left to it’s own devices and produce images that show what we see in real life.
When it’s done well the images look realistic and natural.
What is often referred to as ‘artistic’ or ‘extreme’ HDR is something that should be approached with caution.
It can produce some superb results, creating striking images full of impact, but more often it produces images that speak more of the effect than any photographic merit.
Extreme HDR requires a clear understanding of its impact and careful subject selection and thoughtful composition.
Worst photo editing cliches: 3. Overuse of filter effects
It was only naturally that people would experiment to discover what is possible.
Thankfully this age has passed for most photographers, but there are still a few out there who think that a bad image can be made good by the application of a random filter effect. Tread carefully.
Worst photo editing cliches: 4. Square format
Will this mean we all suddenly fall in love with extreme panoramic crops, or perhaps we’ll adopt another ‘old school’ format such as 5:4? Only time will tell.
Whatever crop you choose to apply or format you shoot in, make sure that the image composition works with it, there are too many images out there in square format just for the sake of it.
Worst photo editing cliches: 5. Frames and borders
There are few occasions, however, when a two-dimensional interpretation of an ornate gilt frame enhances a photograph and many of the borders on offer come with a large helping of cheese.
Borders are best kept simple.
Worst photo editing cliches: 6. Dodgy Blur
For a start the degree of blur increases with distance from the subject and there’s a subtle gradient.
Furthermore, any objects that are the same distance from the camera as the subject will be sharp.
Then there’s the bokeh of optical blur, which is particularly noticeable around small highlights as they are rendered as small, bright disks.
Creating a pleasant blur around a subject involves a bit more work than making a rough selection and applying a uniform blur, but when it’s done well it’s worth it.
The image looks natural and the subject holds the viewer’s attention.
Worst photo editing cliches: 7. Bad tilt-and-shift effects
This goes hand-in-hand with dodgy blur clichés as the tilt-and-shift or miniaturisation effect tries to replicate a depth of field effect created by tilt-and-shift lenses.Again the important point to remember is that there is a plane of focus and any elements along that plane should be sharp.
Equally, any elements that aren’t along that plane should be soft.
If you understand the impact of a tilt-and-shift lens it is possible to recreate it pretty well with careful application of blur effects, but when it’s done badly it just screams ‘filter effect’.
Worst photo editing cliches: 8. Fake lens flare
Lens flare occurs when light enters the lens from the front or side, it doesn’t happen when the light source is behind the camera.Fake flare may enhance some images, but if it’s applied when flare would not be an issue, enthusiast photographers have our permission to roll their eyes in mockery.
Worst photo editing cliches: 9. Excessive portrait retouching
We’ve all laughed at the excessive retouching that goes into some advertising images.In some of the worst examples it renders A-list celebrities into stick-thin, plastic-skinned freaks that are unrecognisable to their own mothers.
While a little retouching is often a good idea to flatter the subject slightly, a heavy dose of obvious work is insulting and the biggest Photoshop cliché in the book.
When editing a portrait it’s a good idea to take a break occasionally and to regularly compare the image with the original so that you can see how much has changed.
Small, incremental adjustments soon add up to a big change.
One of the most important things is to avoid over-smoothing skin and leave in some texture to maintain a natural look.
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