Photo editing best practices

Last updated on Jun 11, 2026

Learn which photo editing techniques to use and avoid to ensure your Adobe Stock submissions meet quality and acceptance standards.

Tips for capturing photos

Strong photos stand out when they combine clean composition, intentional lighting, and on-trend styling. To maximize your earning potential, focus on:

Clean composition with clear focal points.
Natural or intentional lighting that highlights your subject or location.
Balanced color and on-trend styling.
Accurate and respectful representation that reflects global diversity.

Capture photos that resonate with customers

Diverse, relatable photography performs well with customers. Keep these principles in mind when planning your shoot:

Capture a range of emotions and gestures to provide variety in your submission.
Use diverse models and inclusive casting.
Show real people doing relatable, everyday tasks and activities.
Stay current with the latest trends to bring fresh perspectives to your content.

Submit unique photos

Select your strongest three to five photos per subject, angle, or pose, focusing on variety and value over volume. Submitting too many similar shots from the same shoot can result in content refusal. Learn more about submitting distinct content to Adobe Stock.

Generative AI guidelines for photos

Generative AI photos can extend your creative reach, letting you produce high-quality, photorealistic visuals without the limitations of casting, location, or equipment. If you created your photo using Generative AI tools, follow the generative AI guidelines and ensure you:

Mark the photo as Generative AI during submission in your Contributor Portal.
Ensure all elements are accurate and free of anomalies such as anatomically incorrect body features, inconsistent lighting, or unrealistic proportions.
Keep embedded text, signature watermarks, and model inconsistencies out of your submission.

Edit photos for submission

Adobe Stock customers prefer clean, versatile photos with natural color and realistic textures. Use subtle processing to enhance quality while maintaining an authentic look.

Before uploading your photos to Adobe Stock, Contributors need to edit and refine them. Aim for clean, balanced photos that feel authentic, natural, and ready for commercial use, and ensure photo edits enhance image quality while meeting the technical and aesthetic standards of Adobe Stock.

Do's	Don'ts
Adjust exposure and contrast to ensure proper lighting in your image. Crop to improve composition and remove distractions. Use color correction to achieve natural skin tones true to the model's likeness. Retouch mindfully. Remove dust, lens spots, and minor imperfections while preserving textures and features. Adjust levels, curves, contrast, or brightness to ensure the best tonal range. Straighten horizon lines where appropriate. Reducing noise without risking key details, especially in low-light or high-ISO conditions.	Converting photos to black and white or duotone limits customers' flexibility. Overprocessing with excessive contrast or HDR filters may lead to unnatural results. Adding artificial blur or vignettes that mimic depth or draw focus in a way that feels forced. Over-editing people can reduce authenticity, especially when it involves unrealistic skin-smoothing. Using stylized tones that limit customer usage. Refrain from heavy color grading and, instead, aim for versatile, true-to-life color. Adding non-natural elements or presets, including sunrays, flares, mirrored images, kaleidoscopes, or patterns.

Do's

Don'ts

Adjust exposure and contrast to ensure proper lighting in your image.
Crop to improve composition and remove distractions.
Use color correction to achieve natural skin tones true to the model's likeness.
Retouch mindfully. Remove dust, lens spots, and minor imperfections while preserving textures and features.
Adjust levels, curves, contrast, or brightness to ensure the best tonal range.
Straighten horizon lines where appropriate.
Reducing noise without risking key details, especially in low-light or high-ISO conditions.

Converting photos to black and white or duotone limits customers' flexibility.
Overprocessing with excessive contrast or HDR filters may lead to unnatural results.
Adding artificial blur or vignettes that mimic depth or draw focus in a way that feels forced.
Over-editing people can reduce authenticity, especially when it involves unrealistic skin-smoothing.
Using stylized tones that limit customer usage. Refrain from heavy color grading and, instead, aim for versatile, true-to-life color.
Adding non-natural elements or presets, including sunrays, flares, mirrored images, kaleidoscopes, or patterns.

Editing should support the story the Contributor is telling, not overpower it. Keep the photos clear, true, and high-resolution, so customers can confidently use them across print, web, and digital products. Learn more about the moderation process of Adobe Stock and how to avoid content refusal.

Additional learning resources for editing

Use these resources to go deeper on editing techniques for Adobe Stock submissions:

Technical and legal requirements for photo submission

Submit photos to Adobe Stock

Learn

Learn with step-by-step video tutorials and hands-on guidance right in the app.

Community

Join discussions, find answers, learn from experts, and share your knowledge.

Adobe Home

Access your favorite Creative Cloud apps, services, file management, and more.