I have a secret…
I’ve been making money with photography for more than six years, and I still get my exposure wrong sometimes in the field.
It happens. Especially when I’m forced to shoot beyond the good light hours. Or when the light changes quickly and I’m not fast enough to adjust my settings.
Luckily, Lightroom (my go-to software for editing photos) is there to save me—and my photography income.
Look at this shot, for example. This big guy was coming right toward our jeep and I underexposed the shot. It’s way too dark and drab:
But, after a few minutes in Lightroom, check it out…
All that detail in the background was actually in my image all along. My camera caught it but I needed a program like Lightroom to bring it out. And that’s what you need to do to your images, too.
Imagine seeing that first photo on Facebook. Now picture seeing the second one. Which one are you more impressed by?
The second one, of course, and it’s just a few minutes in Lightroom to get from the first, drab photo to the much better, saleable image.
Truth is, if you want to sell your photos, you NEED Lightroom! If you want your photos to look good on Facebook, you NEED Lightroom. And you need to learn how to use it. It is what makes the difference between everyday snapshots and professional-looking photos you can sell.
Putting the finishing touches on your photos is super fun. It’s become one of my favorite parts of the creative process. And now that Lightroom is just $9.99/month, it’s not expensive, either (I spend more than that each month on chocolate and no, they don’t pay me to say that… and I don’t get a commission if you sign up for it).
Don’t buy another camera. Don’t take another photography workshop. Just try your hand at Lightroom and prepare to be surprised.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can fund your travels and make an extra income with photography, travel writing, blogging, and more in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Five Fun Ways To Get Paid To Travel: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]