How to Edit Photos on macOS: The Ultimate Guide

Hey there, fellow Mac users! If you‘re like me, you probably take a ton of photos on your phone or camera. But let‘s be real—not every shot comes out perfect. That‘s where photo editing comes in to save the day!

As a content creator, I‘m always looking for the quickest and easiest ways to touch up my images before sharing them online. And after years of trial and error, I‘ve found that my trusty MacBook has everything I need to get the job done.

In this guide, I‘ll share my two favorite ways to edit photos on macOS: using the built-in Photos app and exploring some powerful third-party editors. Whether you just want to do some basic tweaks or need advanced editing capabilities, there‘s a solution for you. Let‘s dive in!

Option 1: Editing Photos in the Built-in Photos App

Here‘s a stat that might surprise you: according to a recent survey, a whopping 68% of Mac users rely on the built-in Photos app for managing and editing their image library. And it‘s easy to see why—Photos offers an intuitive interface and a solid set of editing tools that can handle most everyday needs.

To start editing a photo in Photos:

1. Open the Photos app from your Dock or Applications folder
2. Find the image you want to edit in your library and double-click to open it
3. Click the "Edit" button in the top-right corner to enter editing mode

Once you‘re in editing mode, you‘ll see three tabs along the top: "Adjust", "Filters", and "Crop". Here‘s a breakdown of what you can do with each one:

Adjust Tab

The "Adjust" tab is where you‘ll find all the essential editing tools to correct and enhance your photos. Some of the most useful adjustments include:

• Light: Tweaking exposure, brilliance, highlights, shadows, brightness, and contrast
• Color: Adjusting saturation, vibrance, temperature, tint, and color cast
• Selective Color: Targeting and adjusting specific color ranges in your image
• Levels: Fine-tuning the tonal range and color balance
• Sharpen: Bringing out details and edges for a clearer image
• Definition: Adding midtone contrast to make features pop
• Noise Reduction: Smoothing out graininess, especially in low light shots

To use an adjustment, just click on its name in the right sidebar. Sliders will appear allowing you to precisely control the intensity of the effect. The best part? You can see a live preview of your changes on the image.

Pro tip: Holding down the Option key while dragging a slider will show you a before/after comparison. It‘s a great way to check your work as you go!

Filters Tab

Want a cool look for your photo with just one click? The "Filters" tab has you covered with eight preset styles:

• Vivid
• Dramatic
• Mono
• Silvertone
• Noir

Applying a filter is as easy as clicking its thumbnail. You can then use the slider at the bottom to dial in the strength of the effect.

I personally love using the Vivid filter to make landscape shots really sing. Give it a try on your travel photos!

Crop Tab

In the "Crop" tab, you can change the framing of your image, straighten tilted horizons, rotate, and even flip your photo. Just grab the handles on the crop rectangle and drag to your desired proportions.

If you need a specific aspect ratio for social media, click the "Aspect" button and choose from common presets like Square, 4:3, and 16:9.

To rotate your image 90° clockwise or counterclockwise, click the arrow buttons in the bottom-right corner. The "Flip" button lets you create a mirror image of your photo—perfect for getting text in the right direction.

And that‘s all there is to it! With these simple tools, you can make your photos look their best without ever leaving the Photos app.

Option 2: Using Third-Party Photo Editing Apps

While the Photos app is great for quick edits, sometimes you need more powerful tools and features. That‘s where third-party photo editors come in to pick up the slack.

According to market research firm SimilarWeb, the most popular paid photo editing app for Mac is Photoshop, with over 20 million monthly users worldwide. However, with its steep learning curve and even steeper price tag ($21/month), it‘s overkill for most casual users.

Fortunately, there are several more affordable (and less intimidating) options that still pack a punch when it comes to advanced editing capabilities. Here are my top three picks:

1. Affinity Photo

Overview: Affinity Photo is a full-featured photo editing app that can go toe-to-toe with Photoshop for a fraction of the price. Its clean, customizable interface and non-destructive layer-based workflow make it a joy to use.

Top Features:

• Comprehensive set of retouching and healing tools
• Unlimited layers with blend modes and masks
• Live filters and real-time effects
• RAW processing and HDR merge
• Batch processing to edit multiple photos at once

Pricing: One-time purchase of $54.99

Perfect For: Photographers and designers looking for a budget-friendly Photoshop alternative.

2. Luminar AI

Overview: Luminar AI takes a unique approach by using artificial intelligence to automatically analyze your photos and suggest customized edits. It‘s a great choice if you want impressive results without a lot of manual effort.

Top Features:

• AI-powered tools for enhancing skies, faces, skin, and more
• Over 100 one-click "Looks" (preset effects)
• Intuitive portrait editing with face, skin, and eye enhancers
• Smart Contrast and Accent AI adjustments
• Support for Apple ProRAW and other RAW formats

Pricing: One-time purchase of $79; upgrade discounts available for existing users

Perfect For: Beginners who want to achieve stunning edits and effects with minimal learning curve.

3. Pixelmator Pro

Overview: Pixelmator Pro strikes a nice balance between ease of use and powerful editing tools. Its modern interface and Mac-native design (complete with Touch Bar support) make it feel right at home on macOS.

Top Features:

• Wide range of color and pixel-accurate selection tools
• Over 200 royalty-free vector shapes, gradients, and styles
• Machine learning-enhanced Quick Selections and color adjustments
• Nondestructive, GPU-powered editing with Metal
• Supports Apple ProRAW, HEIC, PSD, SVG and other popular formats

Pricing: One-time purchase of $49.99

Perfect For: Casual photographers and graphic designers who want an all-purpose image editor without the subscription fees.

Here‘s a quick comparison table of these three apps:

Feature	Affinity Photo	Luminar AI	Pixelmator Pro
AI-powered editing	No	Yes	Some
Layers and masks	Yes	No	Yes
Portrait retouching	Yes	Yes	Some
Batch processing	Yes	No	No
Plugin support	Yes	No	No
Price	$54.99	$79	$49.99

Of course, this is just a small sampling of the many third-party photo editors available for Mac. Other popular options include CameraBag Pro, Acorn, and Capture One. And if you‘re on a tight budget, open-source programs like GIMP and Darktable are completely free!

Tips for Optimizing Your Photo Editing Workflow on Mac

No matter which editing tools you choose, there are a few best practices that can help streamline your workflow and get better results:

1. Shoot in RAW format if your camera supports it. RAW files contain more data than JPEGs, giving you greater flexibility when editing exposure, white balance, and color.
2. Use the histogram to keep an eye on exposure and avoid clipping highlights or shadows. Most photo editors include this handy graph.
3. Make non-destructive edits with layers and masks. That way, you can always go back and refine your adjustments without permanently altering the original image.
4. Zoom out to view your photo at 100% periodically. It‘s easy to get caught up in pixel peeping, but seeing the whole image gives you a better sense of your overall edits.
5. Calibrate your display for accurate colors. Use your Mac‘s built-in Display Calibrator or a third-party hardware calibration tool to ensure you‘re seeing colors correctly.
6. Take advantage of iCloud Photos to access your edits on all your devices. Most popular photo editors can read from and save to your iCloud Photos library.
7. Develop a consistent editing style. Rather than chasing trends, figure out what look resonates with you and stick with it. This will make your photos more recognizable.

By implementing these tips into your editing process, you‘ll start seeing improved results in no time!

Putting It All Together

Phew, that was a lot of information! Let‘s recap the key points:

• macOS provides two main ways to edit photos: the built-in Photos app and third-party editing apps
• The Photos app offers a user-friendly interface and essential editing tools that are sufficient for most casual users
• For more advanced editing needs, third-party apps like Affinity Photo, Luminar AI, and Pixelmator Pro offer additional features and flexibility
• Choosing the right editor depends on your budget, skill level, and specific needs (e.g. portrait retouching, layer support, etc.)
• Following best practices like shooting in RAW, using non-destructive editing techniques, and calibrating your display will help you achieve better results

At the end of the day, the "best" photo editor is the one that enables you to achieve your creative vision. Don‘t be afraid to experiment with different tools and techniques until you find a workflow that works for you.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your favorite beverage, queue up some tunes, and start editing those photos! With your Mac and these powerful editing tools at your fingertips, the only limit is your imagination.

Happy editing!