Photo and Video Editing Tips for Stock Media Professionals

Introduction

Editing dramatically impacts the commercial appeal of stock media. Proper color grading, cropping, retouching and effects make the difference between amateur snapshots and compelling professional creations buyers licensing.

This comprehensive guide reveals photo and video editing techniques to elevate stock worthiness. We’ll cover:

• Fundamental adjustments like cropped framing, exposure and contrast
• Key tools for removing imperfections and distractions
• Stylistic treatments like black and white conversion and vignettes
• Creating cohesive themed collections through color grading
• Video editing fundamentals like namespace trimming and pacing
• Showcasing focus subjects through depth of field
• Adding subtle cinematic motion with pans and zooms
• Exporting optimized files for stock sites in the right formats
• Developing an efficient editing workflow and toolkit
• Ensuring technical metadata like color space and resolution

Implement these editing best practices and your stock media will delight buyers and maximize licenses. Let’s dive in!

Perfecting Framing and Perspective

Winning crop shapes focus the composition:

• Rule of Thirds grids help offset subjects from center interestingly.
• Straightening skewed horizons and verticals looks more professional.
• Eliminate dead negative space around edges that doesn’t enhance shot.
• Consider alternate crops like vertical, square or panoramic versions.
• Zoom into subject or change shooting angles to optimize framing in camera when possible.

Adjusting Exposure and Contrast

Proper brightness range enhances professionalism:

• Lightroom presets or levels sliders target ideal histogram peaks.
• Limit pure blacks and whites by feathering end points gently maintaining detail.
• Watch for unnaturally overexposed highlights or underexposed shadows unless stylistic.
• Use masks to selectively adjust brightness only in targeted regions.
• Dehaze filters can offset flat contrast caused by atmospheric conditions.

Eliminating Imperfections and Distractions

Flawless polished looking visuals sell best:

• Healing tools remove sensor dust spots, blemishes, stray objects from background.
• Content aware fill seamlessly patches undesired elements from photo.
• Remove tourists, cars and modern elements from scenic locations when possible.
• Blur or mask distracting backgrounds directing focus to intended subject through shallow depth of field.
• Carefully remove or adjust branded products if lacking commercial release.

Black and White Conversion

Monochrome aesthetics add artistic flair:

• Leverage black and white presets tuned for perfect contrast balance.
• Color filters boost tonal separation between elements like darkening blue skies.
• Add grain effects like scanned film emulsion to increase textural interest.
• Boost mood through split toning selectively tinting mid tones and shadows.
• High key silhouettes and low key chiaroscuro effects communicate painterly atmosphere.

Color Grading Collections

Tie imagery together through coordinated color palettes:

• Define color tone presets that unite collections with intended ambiance.
• Increase vibrance and saturation subtly to present bolder hues aligned to theme.
• Creatively shift hues through HSL panel tweaking to unify divergent palettes.
• Limit edits for natural authenticity or push stylization based on niche needs.
• Save effect settings as presets for consistent batch application across large shoots.

Video Editing Essentials

Fundamentals that elevate professionalism:

• Trim beginning and end to concise scene with engaging start and resolve.
• Adjust pace and make time-lapse clips to showcase processes efficiently.
• Sequence clips intentionally to build concepts or mini-stories when applicable.
• Layer b-roll over interviews, voiceovers or text slides to add visual interest.
• Use cuts, transitions, animation and motion graphics artfully between scenes.

Showcasing Subjects Through Focus

Shallow depth of field isolates subjects:

• Shoot wide open aperture between f/1.4 – f/2.8 on fast lenses to thin focus dramatically.
• Use longer focal lengths for tightened angles on subjects to magnify background blur.
• Place subjects farther from backgrounds and closer to camera position.
• Increasing camera to subject distance shrinks depth of field.
• Carefully focus on eyes or key details through techniques like focus peaking.

Adding Cinematic Motion and Camera Dynamics

Subtle movement enhances production:

• Attempt stabilized slider and gimbal shots for smooth motion.
• Pan following subjects revealing scenes or tracking subjects in interviews.
• Push in or pull out subtly to highlight details or establish settings.
• Capture varied perspectives like low crane angle shots looking up.
• Shoot moderate handheld motion at faster shutter speeds still stabilizing naturally.
• Leverage tripod heads that smoothly tilt and pan for simple motion timelapses.

Exporting Optimized Output Files

Balance quality and efficiency:

Photos

• Format JPGs at 90+ quality at 3000 pixels longest edge for web.
• Maximize PNG compression and strip unnecessary embedded data.
• Format RAW files to Adobe DNG or JPEG 2000 for archiving.
• Export lossless TIFF at full resolution for prints.

Video

• Render MP4 H.264 at proper codec profile settings for playback on stock sites.
• Match frame rates like 24fps or 30fps to original footage.
• Adjust bitrates to between 10-20Mbps or site specs balancing quality and file size.
• Output metadata like color space properly from editing programs into exports.

Developing an Efficient Editing Workflow

Streamline processing with templates and shortcuts:

• Record commonly repeated steps like presets, watermarks and metadata as Actions to automate.
• Load raw files in batches using Import presets applying metadata automatically.
• Sync adjustments across multiple related images to edit uniformly.
• Design reusable overlays for preview branding like logos and text.
• Build slides templates with transitions and placeholders for easy video content updates.

Maintaining Technical Quality

Careful output settings maximize professionalism:

• Export files with accurate embedded color space and depth like sRGB and 8-bits per channel for web JPGs.
• Include output sharpening and disable automatic importer sharpening if printing.
• Set white balance consistently across batches through color reference cards when shooting raw.
• Evaluate image quality issues like banding, noise, blocking or clipping thoroughly.
• Inspect videos after rendering through media players rather than only within editor to catch issues.

Curating a Streamlined Creative Toolkit

Work efficiently with ideal utility mix:

• Lightroom for photo organization and batch editing.
• Photoshop for retouching and compositing.
• Adobe Premier Pro for refined video projects and After Effects for motion graphics.
• Topaz plugins for machine learning based image enhancement.
• XMP presets, overlays, LUTs and templates to stylize quickly.
• Collections of brushes, textures and Actions accelerating artwork.

Conclusion

Thoughtful editing elevates stock media considerably. Follow fundamental best practices perfecting technical quality. Finesse compositions and color. Add stylization and motion judiciously. Export with intention. Streamline workflows through templates and presets. With creativity and attention to detail, your editing enhances licensability and perceived production value substantially.