Wednesday, May 2, 2012

One of the (Many) Reasons I Love Photoshop

I'd love to be a purist, able to get the perfect shot on the first go-round, no editing required.  But to be honest, if I was a true purist, I'd want to shoot with film (although there is something to be said for the warmth you get with film...), and develop the images myself in the (imaginary) dark room in my basement, like my father did while I was growing up. 

the original, lovely in its own way, SOOC - Straight out of Camera(phone):



the edited version, with just a few tweaks:



Magical.

I still have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, but slowly but surely I'm learning, creeping towards the desired results.  This was a particularly fine example, taken at the company Getaway this past weekend.  (Please ignore the hair-twirling...I think just about every photo I've taken of her lately has her right hand up at her temple...).  Note:  This particular edit actually needed one more little layer, but I didn't know that until just now, too late to make the change for this post.  For some reason what I see on my laptop, where I have Photoshop, is quite different from what I see on a desktop with a larger monitor, and I need to remember to compensate for those differences.

I haven't done it yet, but am always so tempted to go back through my old photos, taken with my crappy, old, original point-and-shoot digital camera when Samantha was born, and fixing all of those awful, formerly hopeless images.  I may one day, but it will be one seriously BIG undertaking.  I'm excited, though, to see what I might be able to get out of the project.

In the meantime, I'll keep on with the current backlog of images requiring attention, including about 200 from the big customer event my company held a few weeks ago.  Maybe I have a case for getting Photoshop loaded onto my work computer now...

11 comments:

Extranjera said...

Like one of my photog profs in SA (one more of my 'this *is* what I'll do with my life' choices) always said: 'With Photoshop you can make a brilliant picture better, but you can't make a bad photo good'. Photoshop is the modern darkroom. Film wasn't *just* film either back in the day. Lots of processing involved if you truly knew what you were doing. Apparently, that is as I'm WAY too young to know this firsthand.

Also, you can calibrate your laptop screen to be more like your desktop, or the other way round. If you develop you also have to calibrate to the format that your printers uses. (I'm pretty sure you already know this, just too lazy to read way back. I have a *baby*, you know.)

Lisa said...

I haven't ventured into the relm of photoshop yet although my hubby bought it for me last year. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop if I get started! Plus I've been unable to get hardly any real cameral shots lately seems like my iphone is the only way i get pictures. I am inspired by your post though - maybe I'll try photo shop when I do the photo shoot for Cate's heart day post next week.

Anonymous said...

Be grateful that you CAN go back and edit those old photos taken with your old point-and-shoot digital camera. Mine were all taken with point-and-shoot 35mm camera or (AACK!) a disposable camera. Some of them are beyond repair, I'm sure. Sigh...

Krista said...

I must confess, I love photoshop and shhhh...do sometimes edit out goup in the eyes, snot in the nose and dodge those baby blues :) and remove the occasional zit from momma's face :) Once you've met photoshop, there is no going back.

Anna Theurer said...

Beautiful! I love photoshop too, but I know that I am not using it to its full potential. I think I need a class or something. I love how Miss Sammi actually looks at the camera. Bear looks away almost every single time.

Rochelle said...

Note to Becca: do not stop by our blog, I am the world's worst at just posting with no edits! lol

Kirby Johansen said...

She is so adorable. I love her eyes and her smile.

Extranjera said...

Sooo...
I just opened Photoshop for the first time in like a year and a half, *Inspired* by your post, ready to make my blog an actual banner. *So* inspired. So disappointed with my current use of whatever happens to be on my desktop. *So* inspired.

My bridge won't load, the buttons are all in the wrong places, I can't remember what I'm supposed to do, and now my laptop's making a funny processing sound, getting all hot, and there's no cold pinot grigio in the fridge.

There's gotta be a way I can blame this on you, right?

Extranjera said...

Sooo...
I just opened Photoshop for the first time in like a year and a half, *Inspired* by your post, ready to make my blog an actual banner. *So* inspired. So disappointed with my current use of whatever happens to be on my desktop. *So* inspired.

My bridge won't load, the buttons are all in the wrong places, I can't remember what I'm supposed to do, and now my laptop's making a funny processing sound, getting all hot, and there's no cold pinot grigio in the fridge.

There's gotta be a way I can blame this on you, right?

alicia said...

ohhh i loveeee photoshop! you need to download the topaz filters, way too easy, way to better. they are free for 30 days if you like them you can always find the crack-code online!

Melissa said...

I really need to get photoshop. But at this point I'm lucky to take phones....write short blog posts....take any time to read others posts. As much as my photos need so much help I'm not sure that I'd really use it now. Is it hard to learn?