Your photos aren’t bad, but your editing style is… | Dirt Track Racing

There’s a tough pill some photographers need to swallow:

It’s not your camera. It’s not the lighting. It’s not even your subject.

 

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.

 

We’ve all been there — you shoot an event, you’re excited to get home and dig into the photos, and then once you slap your editing preset on, something just doesn’t look right. But instead of adjusting the edit, you assume the photos aren’t strong enough.

The truth? Your photos might be great — but your editing style is getting in the way.

 

Let’s break down a few common culprits and how to fix them:

 

1. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐏𝐄𝐆, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐑𝐀𝐖

JPEG is compressed. It’s not made to be pushed around in post-processing like a RAW file. Yet many photographers apply intense color grading, highlight recovery, or shadow boosting as if they’re working with RAW flexibility — and the result is a muddy, noisy, or overly processed image.

 

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙞𝙭:

– If you’re serious about refining your edits, switch to shooting in RAW. You’ll gain full control over white balance, dynamic range, and subtle adjustments without wrecking image quality.

– If you must shoot JPEG (tight deadlines, in-camera processing, etc.), nail your exposure and white balance in-camera — more on that below.

 

2. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝

One of the most overlooked aspects of editing is white balance. If your photo looks off, sterile, or inconsistent across a set, chances are your white balance is to blame — especially if you’re not adjusting it to match the lighting environment.

For example, dirt track racing during golden hour? That warm glow should be embraced, not corrected away into clinical blue-gray. Or if you’re indoors under mixed lighting, blindly trusting auto white balance can leave skin tones and color casts looking unnatural.

 

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙞𝙭:

– Learn to read the light temperature of a scene. Is it warm? Cool? Neutral? Adjust accordingly.

– Use custom white balance or Kelvin settings in-camera when possible, or correct it properly in post (RAW makes this easier).

– Keep your edits consistent across a set — especially if you’re delivering to clients or publishing a gallery.

 

3. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 “𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞” 𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨

It’s tempting to go heavy on clarity, saturation, or vignettes to “rescue” a photo you think is boring. But often, less is more. An image with good composition and clean lighting doesn’t need ten sliders maxed out to make an impact.

 

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙞𝙭:

– Let the story in the photo do the work.

– If you’re editing every photo the same way out of habit, step back. Ask yourself, “Is this edit helping the photo — or just adding noise?”

– Build a few flexible presets that enhance, not overpower, your base image.

 

Your editing should elevate your photos, not distract from them. If you’re constantly frustrated by your results, it might not be your gear, your subject, or your timing — it might just be time to give your editing workflow a refresh.

 

𝙎𝙤 𝙣𝙤 — 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙙.

 

But it’s time your editing style caught up with your skills!

 

Be sure to share this with another photographer who might need some encouragement or help with their photography journey!