Enhancing Your Images with Photos for macOS

Course details

Learn how to quickly enhance your images with Photos for macOS—the built-in photo editing app. This course introduces nondestructive workflows that improve an image but maintain flexibility for future editing. Instructor Rich Harrington uses real-world examples—raw and JPEG files shot with DSLR cameras and iPhones—so you can get a realistic picture of how far you can take your own images. Discover how to correct color, exposure, white balance, and contrast; create dramatic black-and-white imagery; and add finishing details such as sharpening and vignettes. Rich also covers integrating extensions and external editors into the Photos workflow. Whether you're brand new to Photos or transitioning from another app, this course will help you get the best-looking results with its features.

Topics include:
Performing a photo triage
Making a copy
Applying and removing effects
Reading the histogram
Starting with auto adjustments
Reusing image adjustments
Changing exposure and contrast
Enhancing color
Advanced color grading
Creating and manipulating black-and-white images
Sharpening
Stylizing photos
Adding and combining filters
Using extensions and external editors

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Want to edit photos with Photos for macOS
02 - What you should know before watching this course
03 - Using the exercise files

1. How to Approach Color Correction in Photos for macOS

04 - Set the working environment
05 - Performing a triage, identify what s wrong and get a fresh opinion
06 - Determining your working file format
07 - Working in full-screen mode

2. Nondestructive Workflows in Photos for macOS

08 - Work with a copy of the image
09 - Applying and removing effects
10 - Using a Photos for macOS extension
11 - Reverting an image to its original state

3. An Overview of the Editing Workspace

12 - Reading the histogram
13 - Setting RAW files as the default originals
14 - Starting with Auto Enhance
15 - Comparing before and after states
16 - Reusing image adjustments on another image

4. Controlling Exposure and Tonality

17 - Fixing exposure
18 - Recovering highlights and shadows
19 - When to use brightness and contrast adjustments
20 - Setting the black point for crisp blacks
21 - Controlling selective contrast with definition
22 - Making precision adjustments with levels
23 - Making precision adjustments curves
24 - Challenge - Controlling exposure and tonality
25 - A solution for exposure and tonality

5. Controlling Color and Color Casts

26 - Adjusting saturation of an image
27 - Increasing color contrast in an image
28 - Removing a color cast from a photo
29 - Choosing a custom white balance
30 - Advanced color grading with selective color
31 - Challenge - Controlling color and color casts
32 - A solution for color and color casts

6. Creating Dynamic Black-and-White Images

33 - Adding a black-and-white effect
34 - Controlling the conversion with light and exposure preprocessing
35 - Refining the black-and-white image with neutrals, tone, and grain
36 - Finalizing the black-and-white image with definition and sharpening
37 - Challenge - Creating dynamic black-and-white images
38 - A solution for creating dynamic black-and-white images

7. Finishing Images with Details Adjustments

39 - The importance of working at 100 magnification
40 - Sharpening your photos for clean edges, revisiting definition
41 - Reducing unwanted noise in a photo
42 - Stylizing with a vignette or power window
43 - Refining lighting for Portrait mode images
44 - Refining depth of field for Portrait mode images
45 - Challenge - Making details adjustments
46 - A solution for detailed adjustments

8. The Role of Filters and Color Correction

47 - Adding a filter to an image
48 - Combining filters with adjustments for precise control
49 - Filtering an image with multiple effects

9. Working with Extensions for Photos for macOS

50 - Finding and installing photo extensions
51 - Using extensions for lens correction
52 - Using extensions for portrait enhancement
53 - Using extensions for special effects
54 - Using external editors with Photos for macOS

Conclusion

55 - Next steps