The Purple Guide to Learning Photo Editing in 10 Days

I've been meaning to learn photo editing for ages but every tutorial lost me in the first minute. This guide finally gave me a plan I could actually follow. Day one was genuinely simple — I edited my first photo before the afternoon was over, which felt amazing. The author doesn't oversell anything; by day five I was cropping and fixing exposure like a real person, not a pro. Only four stars because I wish there was a bit more on how to pick specific photos to practice with.

As someone with zero patience for tech stuff, this was a relief. The day-by-day format meant I never felt lost, and the tone is honestly comforting — like a friend showing you the ropes, not a teacher grading you. I especially liked the checklist on day two that helped me realize I only needed my phone and some free software to start. I did skip a day and the author made it easy to catch up. Not perfect, but it absolutely got me past the hardest part: starting.

The plan is solid and well-structured, but I'll be honest — some of the early days felt a bit slow for me. I already had a rough idea of photoshop basics, so day one and two were mostly review. Still, the milestone table on day seven was really useful and helped me see my progress honestly. If you're a total beginner with zero exposure, you'll love it. For me, parts were just a bit too basic.

I bought this guide half-expecting the usual 'anyone can do anything' fluff, but it's refreshingly grounded. It's the first book that told me exactly what to do on day one and didn't make me feel stupid for not knowing the difference between raw and JPEG. The comparison table of tools on day three saved me from buying expensive software I don't need. I feel like I have a solid foundation now and I actually know what I don't know — which is a step up from last week.

Decent starter guide, but it didn't blow me away. The instructions are clear and the schedule is realistic, which I appreciate, but I found myself wanting more depth by days eight and nine. The narrative chapter felt a bit slow for my taste. Still, it's a fair introduction and I definitely learned more than I would've from random YouTube videos. If you're patient and follow it closely, you'll get something out of it — just don't expect to become a pro in ten days, which I think the book itself admits.

This is exactly the kick in the pants I needed. I've been curating my Instagram feed for years but had no idea how to edit properly — my photos always came out looking either washed out or too dark. The author's step-by-step on exposure and white balance was a revelation; I applied it to a photo of my cat and it actually looked professional. The tone is genuinely encouraging without being cheesy, which is rare. I've already finished the plan and I'm now onto the suggested next steps. Highly recommend for anyone who's ever felt too intimidated to start.