Photoshop How To

Photographing our feathered friends can be difficult for those new to the game, and editing the results can be equally challenging if you’re not confident about your post-processing skills. If you’re dissatisfied with past results, the tutorial below will be a big help.

We frequently turn to German pro Jan Wegener for sage advice on photographing birds and editing the images. This tutorial is a bit different because it takes the form of a conversation between Wegener and like-minded photographer and educator Glenn Bartley.

The topic of this interesting conversation is a handful of post-processing hacks that will transform good photos into great ones. The lesson revolves around five nice images that each display unique problems. You’ll learn how to fix each of them with simple editing tips and tricks.

The pretty image atop of this page was captured by Wegener in his backyard using a painted background to make his subject stand out. While his shot looks pretty great, it illustrates a not uncommon problem; namely, sometimes a bird is too far to one side of the frame (or either too high or too low).

The solution here, when the photo is shot too tight, is to add a bit of extra canvas to the image so the subject isn’t cramped within the composition. In this case Wegener decided to expand the frame at the top, and you’ll see how easy this is to do.

The second image of concern is a photo captured of a colorful bird in Australia. As Bartley explains, the problem is that this bird has a blue shoulder patch that’s so bright in the image that the photo looks looks unrealistic. Here the trick is a “double-processing” technique that faithfully depicts the actual color.

The other helpful hacks are designed to fix images that look either “too sticky,” too red, or “too chunky.” In all three cases the rehabilitation process is fast, easy and effective. While watching the video try to think of other ways you can use these interesting editing hacks.

You can find more helpful tips and tricks on Wegener’s popular YouTube channel, and view Bartley’s impressive imagery on his Instagram page.