One of the best things about digital photography is the ability to easily - and endlessly - tweak your images on your computer afterwards. Here are some of the most common edits, and how to use them to greatest effect, so that you can turn your images into iconic prints. Some of these tips will require Photoshop, but many can be done using most photo editing programs.
Cropping
Almost all photo editing software will let you crop your images, which means that you can drastically alter the composition of your shots very easily. The rule of thirds is a good place to start: place important features such as eyes, the horizon or other compositional elements on the intersections created by splitting the photo up into nine equal, imaginary areas. This is often far more effective than just placing the subject in the centre. This can even be done to mobile phone pictures so you can turn that opportune snap into wall art by text message alone.
Convert to Black and White
While many free photo editing programs offer colour to black and white conversion, sometimes the results aren't quite what you hoped for. If you have a copy of Photoshop handy, there's a much better way: open up your photo, and duplicate the layer so you have two copies of the image. Desaturate the top layer to remove all the colour, and change the blending mode to Hue. You can now edit the hue, saturation and lightness of the bottom (full colour) layer until you're happy with the overall result.
Sharpening and Clarity
Most photographs can benefit from a little sharpening, but especially those taken in low light conditions without a flash. One of the most popular methods is to use Photoshop's Unsharp Mask filter. This will allow you to tweak various settings to produce the best result. Most editing software supports sharpening photographs, so you're not limited to Photoshop here.
The key is to use this setting in moderation: whacking the sliders right up to 100% will often produce less than desirable results. It's best to leave sharpening until you've finished editing other aspects of your image.
Exposure
Many photo editing programs will offer options for adjusting the exposure value of images, including settings for lightness and brightness. Pay careful attention to the lightest and darkest areas of your image to make sure you retain as much detail as possible when creating your final image. Gamma control is also a useful way of brightening up dark images without sacrificing the lighter areas.
Remove Red-Eye and other Artefacts
As well as the dreaded red-eye caused by the camera's flash, dust on the lens can also cause spots on the photograph that you'd rather weren't there. Many photo editing programs offer red-eye removal tools, but if you're stuck with very basic tools you can always carefully paint over the area with a matching colour. This solution is perfectly adequate for on-screen viewing. The results may even be good enough to turn your picture into canvas art.