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Gallery: learning through practice

July 27, 2025 / 54 Comments

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them

Aristotle

There are many ways to learn. We can watch someone else and copy (or try to copy) what they do. We can read instructions and guidelines. We can listen while somebody tells us how to do something. Or we can get stuck in, have a go, and learn from our experiments and efforts.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it

Pablo Picasso

It is generally thought that there are four distinct learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic. Visual learner, as the name suggests, learn best through seeing, using visual aids.

Auditory learners prefer to learn through listening, such as lectures, discussions, and podcasts. Read/write learners learn by taking notes, reading information and writing summaries. Kinaesthetic learners learn best through hands-on activities and practical experience

Most of us, I reckon, are probably a mix of these. I’m not very good at taking in spoken instruction, so I’m definitely not an auditory learner. But I do absorb written information quite well, and visual too. However, like Tina who sets this week’s Lens Artists challenge, I learn best by trying, even if that sometimes means failing! Trial and error is a great way to learn, providing you study the errors to see how you might have done better.

Learning photo editing skills

Nowhere has that been more true for me in editing my photos. Over recent years I’ve not only been able to invest in some modestly priced software (Photoshop Elements rather than the more expensive subscription options, for instance). I’ve also had the time, since retirement, to properly experiment with that software.

So for this challenge I thought I would revisit some old photos and see if I could improve on them with the editing techniques I have learned in recent years. Of course there’s a risk in doing this that some of you will prefer the originals, but in that case I’ll learn from your comments not to mess around quite so much!

Marksburg Castle

The original photo above was taken in 2010 from a boat on the Rhine. It was quite nicely composed but lacked punch. Everything looked rather flat. It was also quite ‘noisy’ as the camera I was using back then struggled on long zoom settings. I used Topaz AI to reduce the noise, and a Nik Color Efex Pro filter called Tonal Contrast to add some punch to the scene.

Antigua, Guatemala

This photo was taken in the market in Antigua in 2010. Revisiting it for this exercise I decided it would look better cropped to portrait format as the truck on the left was too much of a distraction. I also considered cropping out the passing couple but chose to leave them in the shot to provide context and local colour. In Nik Color Efex I used the Tonal Contrast filter to lift the shadowy areas, especially the man’s face.

Santiago Atitlán

This is another shot from 2010. I used the Nik Color Efex Global Adjustments filter to increase the overall brightness and lighten the shadows. I then removed the distraction of the man behind using PS Elements and blurred the background to reduce the other distractions. I probably could/should have removed the other man too!

Taquile Island

This shot of two women on Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca, Peru, was taken back in 2005. I used Topaz AI to sharpen the women and remove noise. Then in PS Elements I cropped it slightly to put the women a little off centre. Filters in Nik Color Efex (Global Adjustments and Tonal Contrast) helped to lighten the shadows and brighten the overall scene. Unfortunately nothing could be done about the fact that I’d cut off their feet in taking the original shot!

Gent, Belgium

The original here was taken in 2007. It’s a pleasant scene, if rather ordinary, but I felt I could improve on it a little. I used Nik Color Efex to add contrast and punch (using the Tonal Contrasts and Contrast Color Range filters). In PS Elements I straightened it slightly and added some saturation to the sky as well as slightly altering the hue (less cyan, more blue).

Druridge Bay, Northumberland

I added some warmth to this 2012 winter scene using Nik Color Efex Skylight filter, as well as increasing the overall brightness and contrast. I also used the Darken/Lighten Center filter to highlight the wet patches of sand in the foreground. This had to be centred quite low down on the image. I reduced the amount by which the border was darkened, in order to get a more subtle effect.

Antarctic landing

I was very happy back in 2003 to capture this gentoo penguin apparently greeting visitors as they arrive in a zodiac. Revisiting the shot I realised it would be much more effective with a tighter crop. I also used Topaz AI to reduce noise, and PS Elements to brighten the scene. The version in my header is cropped slightly more and I think I prefer that. What do you think?

54 Comments

  • equinoxio21

    July 29, 2025 at 18:13 Reply

    Spot on. I agree with all your changes. Cropping, adjusting light and contrast. Makes all the difference. Even the gentleman in Santiago, who looked very good, was greatly improved.
    👏🏻

  • wetanddustyroads

    July 29, 2025 at 14:39 Reply

    You have an amazing skill of editing photos without changing the ‘feel’ of the photo (I hope that makes sense 🤔). I especially like the Northumberland photo (maybe because the sky looks a bit softer) and you are right about your Antarctic photo – I hardly noticed the penguin in the original photo, but with your edited version, the penguin – and everything else in the photo – stands out more. I would say it’s a job well done, Sarah!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 29, 2025 at 14:46 Reply

      Aw, thank you very much for that 😊 I do try to keep the ‘feel’ when I edit (unless I’m trying to achieve something radical!) It’s the Skylight photo that has softened the sky in the shot of Druridge Bay. As for the penguin, he just had to be made the star of the show!

  • Sofia Alves

    July 29, 2025 at 09:27 Reply

    Firstly, excellent idea for the challenge, Sarah. I probably should do this too 🙂
    Every edit you’ve done has improved the shot. I particularly like the Santiago Atitlán one. I’d like to see the last one with the mountain top still there… maybe a portrait crop? I like how the mountain adds another layer to the scene.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 29, 2025 at 09:48 Reply

      Thank you very much Sofia 😊 I was particularly interested in your feedback on the Antarctic shot, which shows how subjective this photography thing is! Most people have preferred to see the mountain cropped out, myself included, but I do take your point about it adding an extra layer. I might experiment with a portrait crop as you suggest, although that might have the effect of pushing all the action (penguin and boats) to the edges of the frame and leaving the middle rather empty?

  • photobyjohnbo

    July 28, 2025 at 13:19 Reply

    NIce work, Sarah! You’ve shown how time and experience can improve images you’ve long ago processed. A few weeks ago, I did a similar experiment and posted it. Like you, I plan to feature it and other examples in my response.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 16:56 Reply

      Thank you John 🙂 I think many of us who enjoy editing will sometimes go back to old photos – it really is surprising just how many can be not just improved but also ‘rescued’!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 08:50 Reply

      Thank you Maggie 😊 I do try not to ‘overprocess’ though I’m sure I’m guilty of it at times! But I do think many ‘out of the camera’ shots can be improved on a bit, which is something I didn’t use to do much in the past.

  • Vicki

    July 28, 2025 at 05:31 Reply

    As Egidio said, superb examples. I totally agree and like your edits. I think straightening an image, even very slightly, can make a difference to the end result and I like that you’ve taken that on in your own photography editing.

    I do think many photographers take photos and forget the ‘punch’ of subtle editing and how it can make the ordinary turn into extraordinary. The digital photography world and computers are something we can all embrace these days.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 08:44 Reply

      Thank you very much Vicki 😊 I hate ‘wonky’ photos so straightening, if needed, is the very first thing I do to an image when editing! And I usually try to add a bit of punch to a flat scene these days, working on the lighting and contrast. It’s something I never bothered with in the past so there was plenty of scope to improve on these old images!

  • bushboy

    July 28, 2025 at 04:42 Reply

    Wow Sarah, what fabulous examples of fixing the past to get something that you are happy with. I have to agree with every change you made.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 08:41 Reply

      Thanks so much Brian 😊 I had fun doing these and was reminded that it’s worth revisiting these older photos sometime to see what can be achieved with them!

  • restlessjo

    July 27, 2025 at 23:08 Reply

    There’s no doubt about it- you’ve experimented and learned the lessons pretty well, Sarah. There’s not one I wouldn’t display very happily xx

  • Tina Schell

    July 27, 2025 at 22:56 Reply

    Well done Sarah. I really like how you explained your edits and also that they did not go “overboard”. I agree wholeheartedly with adjusting shadows and removing things when it improves the final result as you’ve done in these images. As for the little penguin, that’s my favorite for the day and I do like the version in your header although it’s a very minor improvement – still it makes the little critter a bit more prevalent – and why not? He IS the star of the show!! Great job this week!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 08:35 Reply

      Thank you very much Tina 😊 This was an inspiring challenge theme! I do try not to ‘go overboard’ unless I want to have a bit of fun and create a totally different effect, which I do rarely. The penguin is my favourite shot too – I love penguins at any time and this one was beautifully posed there!

  • Egídio

    July 27, 2025 at 21:07 Reply

    Sarah, these are superb examples of living and learning. Thanks for posting both versions of the photos. It’s remarkable what current software can do. You proved it with these great photos. About the header photo, yes, I love the tighter crop. You managed to keep the viewer on the action: the penguin and boats. The mountain top would have been distracting.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      July 28, 2025 at 08:33 Reply

      Thanks so much Egidio 😊 I’m fortunate to be able to buy at least some editing software and to have the luxury of time now to experiment with it. It’s amazing how much you can improve on old shots taken with less good cameras (and sometimes less expertise!)

      • Egídio

        July 28, 2025 at 17:36 Reply

        Sarah, thanks for the feedback. Like you, I find that current software has come a long way to help us with those noisy shots. And that does not even include generative AI.

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