Affinity Photo

Welcome to Affinity Photo, a powerful photo editing software that’s a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop. This guide is designed to help photographers, especially those who are not very confident with computers, to start editing photos with Affinity Photo.

What is Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo is an image editing software that lets you enhance your photos, remove unwanted elements, and apply creative effects. It offers professional-grade tools but is more affordable and does not require a subscription.

Installing Affinity Photo

Purchase and Download: Go to the Affinity website (https://affinity.serif.com) and purchase Affinity Photo. Approx £70 as a one off price.
Install the Software: Once downloaded, open the file and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
Launch the Program: Open Affinity Photo by double-clicking its icon on your desktop or searching for it in your applications.

Understanding the Interface

When you open Affinity Photo, you’ll see a variety of tools and panels. Don’t worry, you only need to focus on a few key areas to get started:

Toolbar (Left Side): Contains tools like the Move Tool, Crop Tool, Brush Tool, and more.
Context Toolbar (Top): Shows options for the tool you are currently using.
Layers Panel (Right Side): Where you can manage different layers of your image, such as adjustments and effects.
Navigator (Top Right): Helps you zoom in and out of your photo.
Photo Editing Area (Center): Where your photo is displayed and edited.

Opening a Photo

Open a Photo: Click on File in the top-left corner, then select Open. Find the photo you want to edit and click Open.
View Your Photo: The photo will appear in the center of the screen, ready to be edited.

Basic Editing Steps

1. Cropping and Straightening

Cropping helps remove unwanted parts of a photo or change its composition.

Select the Crop Tool: Click on the Crop Tool from the left toolbar (it looks like two overlapping L-shapes).
Adjust the Crop Box: Click and drag the corners of the crop box to adjust which part of the image you want to keep.
Straighten the Image: Use the Straighten slider at the top to adjust the horizon or straighten the photo.
Apply the Crop: Press Enter or click Apply in the top toolbar.

2. Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Colors

To enhance a photo, you may need to adjust its brightness, contrast, and colors.

Open Adjustments Panel: Click on Adjustments in the right-side Layers panel.
Select Brightness/Contrast: A new panel will open. Move the Brightness and Contrast sliders to adjust the photo to your liking.
Adjust Colors with White Balance: Go to Adjustments again and select White Balance. Adjust the Temperature and Tint sliders to make the colors look more natural.
Enhance Colors with Vibrance and Saturation: Use the Vibrance and Saturation adjustments to make colors more vivid or subdued.

3. Removing Unwanted Objects

You can remove blemishes or unwanted objects in your photo using the Healing Brush Tool.

Select the Healing Brush Tool: It looks like a band-aid and is located in the left toolbar.
Adjust Brush Size: Use the Brush Size slider at the top to adjust the size of the brush.
Click on the Object to Remove: Click or drag over the unwanted object, and it will disappear. Affinity Photo will automatically fill the area with surrounding pixels.

4. Adding Filters and Effects

Filters and effects can add creativity to your photos.

Go to Filters: Click on Filters in the top menu.
Select a Filter: Try popular ones like Sharpen to make details pop, or Gaussian Blur to soften the image.
Adjust the Effect: A panel will appear where you can adjust the effect. Click Apply to confirm.

Working with Layers

Layers allow you to make changes to your photo without altering the original image. Think of layers like sheets of paper stacked on top of each other.

Add a New Layer: Click on the + icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and select New Pixel Layer.
Apply Adjustments on a New Layer: This allows you to edit without changing the original image.
Rename Layers: Double-click the layer name to rename it, keeping your edits organized.

Saving and Exporting Your Photo

Once you’re happy with your edits, it’s time to save your work.

Save Your Project File: Go to File > Save As to save your work in .afphoto format. This keeps all your layers and adjustments intact for future editing.
Export the Final Image: To save a final version to share or print, go to File > Export. Choose a format like JPEG for web use or TIFF for high-quality prints, and click Export.

Tips for Beginners

Practice with Simple Tools: Start with basic tools like Crop, Brightness/Contrast, and Healing Brush before moving to advanced features.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts like Ctrl + Z (Undo) to speed up your workflow.
Watch Tutorials: Affinity has a great range of tutorials available on their website and YouTube.
Experiment Without Fear: You can always undo changes, so don’t be afraid to try new things.

Conclusion

Affinity Photo is a fantastic tool for photographers, even those who aren’t very comfortable with computers. By starting with simple tools and gradually learning more advanced features, you can easily enhance your photos and unleash your creativity. Take your time, experiment, and have fun editing!

Happy editing!

Getting started with Affinity Photo