Students are always going to be looking at their yearbook photo, from the time they graduate through the years they grow old. They will bring it out to show their friends, children and even grandchildren. That is why it is so important that everyone’s yearbook photo looks its best, and using the current technology that is available for digital editing will help you do just that. So here are a few tips you should keep in mind when editing photos for your school’s yearbook:
- Cropping: In general, you always want your subject to fill as much of the frame as possible, while still allowing for a sense of place. It the photographer didn’t achieve that you will want to use a tool such as Photoshop to crop it. Remember though; when you are going to crop a file always use the original. You will want all the data in the photo available so you can better determine the best crop. In addition, always do a save as and don’t save over the original. It is always good to have the original file for reference in case a future change or update is needed.
- Color Correction: If your student photos are going to be shown in color and not grey-scale, you will want to utilize color correction software. This will make the photos more vivid and make them pop. To do this you will want to adjust the contrast in various parts of the photo. Having darker blacks will make all the colors in your photo richer and deeper while adjusting the level of “lightness” in your photo will enhance highlights such as eyes, lips and teeth.
- Text Overlay: If you plan to include a text overlay on a photo make sure it doesn’t detract from it. Test various fonts and sizes of the text. Lastly make sure the text is easy to read. To confirm that try diluting the color of your background images just a bit with an opacity tool. The contrast will make the text much more readable.
Yearbook photos are meant to shine. They are what makes the yearbook a yearbook. Unfortunately though, the camera by itself doesn’t always capture that. Make sure to follow the above steps and before you know it, you will have created a modern look that will get lots of compliments and tons of hours of enjoyment!