Beginner Cat Photo Skills

How to Adjust Your Photos for a Magical Effect

In this article, I explore the power of photo editing and how a simple picture can be transformed into a stunning masterpiece. With the help of a colleague, I was able to learn some photo magic and witness the incredible results. Debbie Glovatsky, also known as Glogirly had the skill and expertise and to made this transformation possible. I learned a lot from her help, let me show you what happened. [Updated July 2023]

Debbie Glovatsky is one of the pet blogosphere’s premier designers and her reports about life with cats in the mountains are loved worldwide. She has previously been a generous contributor to my fundraisers raising considerable sums for causes such as a sick cat’s urgent treatment. This short and sweet post gives you some powerfully simple tips on improving a too dark photo.

Harvey Gets a Glogirly Makeover

Glogirly is a fine photographer and she taught me a valuable lesson when I asked in a cat blogging group for help with a ‘not so great but we liked it’ photo of our boy Harvey who crossed the Bridge some time ago.

Thankful Thursday

Harvey’s picture is sort of OK but, I can see you looking. It’s dark where it should be showing his face brightly – right? Part of the problem is the backlight (the strong light) behind Harvey and I wanted to rescue the picture as I loved it, so I posted an appeal for photo help on a cat blogging group.

I received some really thoughtful suggestions and tips from the cat group. I was so thankful for those because we always look for cances to learn and improve as beginners.

A Photo Transformation

Let me share Debbie’s helpful, simple advice and how her skills came to the rescue of Harvey’s image!

  • “Here’s what Harvey looks like with a couple of quick adjustments. Using curves, I increased the amount of highlight. Then using the lasso tool, I selected the darker part of his face and further increased the highlights with curves. I lightened his eyes just in the iris part and darkened and sharpened the pupils. I think the focus point is the nose, rather than the eyes. I always *try* to pick one eye and focus on that.”
Pale Harvey

Do you see what an astonishing difference those gentle tweaks have made? Wow!

Isn’t Harvey totally epic, as our friend Basil would say! You will understand now why I am celebrating with a shining and bright Harvey. With such expertise and skill to help us learn to become better at working with images, I will get there a lot faster.

You can see Glogirly’s original creative designs here.

16 thoughts on “How to Adjust Your Photos for a Magical Effect”

  1. Wow. I’d love to learn more about this. The number 1 challenge with my photos is that they are too dark and there are severe shadows from the few light sources we have. I have to lighten them considerably.

    Reply
  2. That turned out amazing! Photography is SO out of my comfort zone, but I wish I could learn more.

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  3. Very nice! And what a cutie he is! I edit my photos in Photoshop, but there are some really great apps for smartphones too.

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  4. That is a totally fabulous Harvey photo and we agree, Glogirly is seriously talented! Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

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  5. WOW…….lightening up the darks made a world of difference – Harvey is totally handsome (epically so!) but now we can see that even BETTER than before! YAY!!!! Well done Glogirly……….

    Hugs, Teddy and Mom Pam

    Reply
  6. Glogirly is not only talented, she is such a sweet and helpful human! I love that not only did she do an amazing fix on Harvey’s photo, she explained everything she did in easy-to-follow terms. (Well, easy if you know Photoshop, MOL!)

    Reply
  7. What a stunning image, he was a delight as always before but what a super change has been performed. That Glogirly sure can work some magic. I bet all the felines in the household will be booking their photo sessions once they see that one! MOL

    Reply

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