5 Editing Mistakes You’re Probably Making (and How to Fix Them)

Photography is a beautiful dance between light, composition, and emotion and editing is the final act that brings your vision to life. But even the most talented photographers can fall into common editing traps that diminish the power of their images.

Whether you’re a hobbyist shooting on your smartphone or a seasoned pro working with RAW files, recognising and correcting these mistakes will elevate your work from good to truly captivating.

In this post, we’ll explore five editing mistakes you’re probably making and, more importantly, how to fix them so your photos truly sing.

1. Overdoing the Clarity and Sharpening

It’s tempting to reach for the clarity and sharpening sliders to make your images pop. After all, a sharp photo feels more professional and detailed. But too much clarity or sharpening can introduce unwanted halos, harsh edges, and noise that distract from your subject.

Why It Happens

When you crank up clarity or sharpening, the software exaggerates edges to create contrast, but it often highlights imperfections like skin texture or digital noise. This can make portraits look unnatural or landscapes appear overly processed.

How to Fix It

• Use a light touch: Start with subtle adjustments often less than you think you need.

• Use masking tools: Most editing software, like Adobe Lightroom, offers a masking slider that lets you sharpen only the edges, protecting smooth areas like skin or skies.

• Zoom in for detail: Always check your edits at 100% view to catch oversharpening before exporting.

  
  

Pro Tip: 

Instead of pushing clarity, experiment with local contrast adjustments or dodge and burn techniques to enhance details selectively.

2. Ignoring Colour Grading and White Balance

Colour isn’t just decoration it’s mood, atmosphere, and storytelling. A common mistake is either neglecting colour grading or not getting your white balance right, which can leave images looking flat, cold, or simply off.

Why It Happens

Auto white balance rarely nails the exact tone you want, especially in tricky lighting conditions like golden hour or mixed artificial lights. Similarly, jumping straight to presets without customising can result in unnatural colours.

How to Fix It

• Set white balance manually: Use a grey card or eyedropper tool to ensure true to life colours.

• Embrace creative colour grading: Apply subtle tints in shadows and highlights to set the mood warmer tones for intimacy, cooler tones for a moody vibe.

• Work with HSL sliders: Fine tune individual hues, saturation, and luminance to make colours pop without looking fake.

  
  

Pro Tip: 

Always calibrate your monitor for accurate colour editing. A well calibrated screen ensures your colours look consistent across devices and prints.

3. Overusing Filters and Presets

Filters and presets can be wonderful shortcuts to a polished look, but overusing them or applying them blindly can rob your photos of originality and nuance.

Why It Happens

It’s easy to fall into the trap of using popular presets to mimic trending styles without adapting them to your unique photo or artistic vision. This often results in images that look generic or “Instagramy,” lacking depth or personality.

How to Fix It

• Treat presets as starting points: Use them to set a base, then tweak exposure, contrast, and colours to suit your photo.

• Develop your own style: Experiment with creating your own presets that reflect your creative voice.

• Keep it subtle: Aim for natural enhancements rather than dramatic, heavy handed effects.

  
  

Pro Tip:

Occasionally, challenge yourself to edit without presets this practice hones your eye and helps you discover new looks.

4. Neglecting Composition Corrections

Cropping, straightening, and perspective adjustments might seem minor, but ignoring them can undermine an otherwise perfect shot.

Why It Happens

Many photographers get caught up in colour and exposure but forget that a skewed horizon, distracting elements, or poor framing can detract significantly from the final image.

How to Fix It

• Straighten horizons: Use grid overlays and guides to align horizons or architectural lines perfectly.

• Crop for impact: Don’t be afraid to crop in tighter to eliminate distractions or improve composition.

• Correct perspective: Use lens correction tools to fix distortion, especially with wide angle lenses.

  
  

Pro Tip: 

Think of cropping as composing again the right crop can turn an average photo into a compelling story.

5. Skipping Export Settings and File Management

Editing ends long before you hit “export.” Many photographers overlook file formats, resolution, and compression settings, which can degrade quality or create issues down the line.

Why It Happens

In the rush to share photos, people often export images at the wrong size or compression level, leading to blurry prints, slow loading times online, or poor social media display.

How to Fix It

• Choose the right format: Use TIFF or maximum quality JPEG for prints; use compressed JPEG or PNG for online sharing.

• Check resolution: For print, aim for 300dpi; for web, 72dpi is sufficient but ensure pixel dimensions are adequate.

• Use sRGB colour space: This is standard for most web and screen displays, ensuring consistent colours.

Pro Tip: 

Label and organise your exported files clearly use date and description to find them easily later.

Bonus: Workflow Tips to Avoid These Mistakes

• Work non destructively: Use software that supports layers or virtual copies so you can experiment without losing your original image.

• Step away from your edits: Give your eyes a break and revisit the image later with fresh perspective.

• Seek feedback: Share your edits with trusted peers or online communities an outside opinion can highlight issues you might miss.

  
  

Final Thoughts: Edit with Intention and Passion

Editing isn’t just about fixing problems it’s an artistic process that can amplify the story you want to tell with your photos. Avoiding these common mistakes will not only improve the technical quality of your images but also enrich their emotional impact.

Remember, every photo has a unique potential. With thoughtful, deliberate editing, you can unlock yours and create images that resonate deeply with viewers.

Happy editing! — Elliot Ford, Photography & Camera Gear | The Tech Advisor