Best photo editing tips for beginners: 18 quick fixes to common image problems

Best photo editing tips for beginners: 16-18

16 Sharpen the shot
If you plan to print, most images can benefit from a little post-production sharpening to make delicate details such as our bridge's brickwork pop out. Click on the top layer. Set Amount to 105, Radius to 2.0 and Remove to Lens Blur. Leave More Refined unticked as this adds noise. Click OK.

17 Add layer mask
Sharpening the shot reveals more detail in the bridge and foliage. However, the sharpening process adds noise, which is more noticeable in less busy areas such as the sky. To selectively remove noise from the sky while preserving sharpened details in the rest of the shot, choose Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All.

18 Reduce noise
Grab the Brush tool. Choose a soft round tip with a Size of 300. Click on the mask. Set the foreground colour to black. Spray over patches of sky to hide the noise from this top layer. You'll now see a mix of sharpened bridge and tree details on the top layer with unsharpened sky from the layer below.