How to Fix Bad Flash Photos – PicMonkey Video Tutorial

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Do you have some bad flash photos you want to transform into photographs worth saving? 5 Minutes for Mom co-founder, Janice Croze, shares some photo editing tips to help you fix your flash photos with PicMonkey online photo editing software.

I loathe using a flash when I am photographing!

Even when using a diffuser or bouncing light from my external flash, I am still not usually a fan of adding flash light to my photographs. If I can get by with natural light and reflectors, I am much happier.

But sometimes you simply need more light and an on-camera or external flash is a necessity. In those cases, I just do the best with what I have at the moment and then “fix it in post” — which means, fix it with editing software.

The great news is that even if you don’t have Photoshop or other expensive photo-editing software, PicMonkey can come to your rescue and help you transform your “flashy” photographs into photos you can love.

When I took this photo, I had no choice. I had to use a flash. It was completely dark and we were outside so I had nothing off which to bounce my external flash. While I did have a diffuser on my flash, the “flashy” look of this photo makes it a “snapshot,” not a great photograph.

But, with the editing tools at PicMonkey.com, I was able to have some fun and turn this flash photo into a cool looking image.

After removing the leash and bag from the photograph using the Clone Tool, (I removed it during this previous video tutorial on using PicMonkey’s Clone Tool,) I then set to work editing the photo.

Here are just two of the “final” versions I made of this photo. They no longer look like flash snapshots. They are now funky, unique creations.

In the video tutorial below, you can watch me work through the entire edit at PicMonkey.

You will see how I adjusted the exposure, used the Burn Tool, applied textures, frames, used the Clone Tool to “paint back” parts of the dog’s fur that had been “blown out,” and more. I used a variety of steps and tools to demonstrate how they work and how you may want to use them in your own photo editing.

For more FREE PicMonkey Photo Editing Tutorials

For more PicMonkey photo editing resources, and to help you share your own PicMonkey tips and tutorials, we’ve created a PicMonkey Resource Page full of free tutorials, tips and tricks, as well as a LINKY for you to link up your own PicMonkey posts.

Have a ton of fun and let us know how your PicMonkey photo editing is going. And if you have any questions or tutorials you would like us to cover, just let us know below in the comments.

Written by Janice Croze, co-owner of 5 Minutes for Mom and owner of Janice Croze Photography

Please Note: PicMonkey sponsored our BlogHer 2013 coverage here at 5 Minutes for Mom. We love PicMonkey and we are so grateful for their support and their appreciation of the mom blogging community. As always, our opinions are 100% our own.