Photo Editing Trends in 2023: Tips and Tricks

With 2023 comes new ideas and trends for retouching photos. To take your social media profile to a whole new level, you need to be aware of all the fashion trends. That’s what today’s article is all about. We’re going to talk about what your pictures should be like, give you some tips, and look at a few options for the best software to edit photos. Luminar Neo, by the way, will be a great option even if you are a first-time user. So, let’s get started!

Photo Processing in 2023: Top 5 Trends

Here are the most interesting options for photo editing, which will help you turn any picture into a real masterpiece. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Film Photography

2023 will definitely be about JOMO – the joy of missing out, replacing FOMO – the fear of missing out. Meanwhile, the latter implies being on the Internet and staying up-to-date, while JOMO implies enjoying the “boring” day-to-day life.  In short, the desire to spend more time with family and friends and do what you love without rushing anywhere will be embodied in the form of pictures.

Here are two ways to do it:

  • you can digitize your film photos and post them to Instagram;
  • you can simply use software to edit photos and apply film filters to your images.

Also, don’t forget about color correction. As a rule, film images are dominated by a warm palette.

https://unsplash.com/photos/XqXH9aoCbgs

Naturalness

Recently, there has been a significant shift in the world of photography and advertising toward more natural and authentic images. This change is noticeable in the way models are portrayed: photographers are moving away from the traditional practice of excessive retouching, and are trying to make the picture look as natural as possible.

Real and believable images that capture the essence of a person, including flaws and unique traits, are now in vogue. This approach is particularly noticeable in urban photography, where the excessive use of cyberpunk neon colors is gradually giving way to more restrained and realistic tones.

Perfect Subject Shots

While photos with live models attempt to be as natural as possible, this is not the case with subject photos. There is a trend toward detailed framing and the retouching of almost every pixel. This is especially relevant to food photography because restaurants and cafes attract potential visitors with bright visual content.

https://unsplash.com/photos/syafWdUF8JE

However, it is not only images of food that are processed in detail. If you want to share a subject photo with your followers, be sure to at least use simple software to edit photos and tweak the imperfect elements.

Reduced Color Saturation

The trend toward authenticity in visual media remains as relevant as ever. In particular, viewers prefer muted, pastel colors in the frame. This is because they are more soothing and calming to the eyes and often evoke a sense of luxury and elegance.

The preference for pastel colors is also related to broader design trends and aesthetics that emphasize simplicity, minimalism, and naturalism. Many people today are looking for ways to simplify their lives and reduce the amount of clutter and noise around them. In this context, pastel tones can give a sense of calm and tranquility, helping to create a more peaceful and harmonious environment, which is subsequently conveyed in photos.

Mobile Format

Get out of the standard horizontal template, as 2023 brings new challenges, and one of them is adapting to the ever-changing social media conditions.

As we are now shopping, messaging, and reading more and more content from our mobile devices, vertical images are becoming the main format of photography and, in fact, a kind of necessity for all social media users. We have to think about the attractiveness of social media images and adapt them to the format of smartphones.

For photographers who use social media as a marketing channel to find clients or just want to be on trend, the popularity of vertical photos is a chance to experiment with angles and add a touch of creativity to their work.

https://unsplash.com/photos/8-HTIa5J1d4

The Best Free Software to Edit Photos

Free photo editing apps offer a lot of great features. We suggest you take a closer look at the following options:

  • Fotor: It is an excellent online editor with all the features you need. Its obvious advantage is a user-friendly interface, but also a lot of powerful tools that even a novice can easily handle.
  • Canva is another great option. It’s perfect for turning your picture into a poster, postcard, or just a simple touch-up. All in all, if you are a creative person who likes to design something new, you will definitely like this software!
  • Gimp: This is an incredible application with a huge number of features for professional photo editing. There are a huge number of different tools, but the interface is not complicated at all. Believe us, this software will surprise you!

By the way, the first two applications you can easily download to your smartphone, and the third is available in the desktop version.

Of course, there are a lot of free apps, and once you try a few of them, you can choose the one that’s best for you.

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