Someone said to me recently "Well, you're obviously pretty good with Photoshop". Which sounds like it should be a nice compliment, but he said that word, Photoshop, in such a sneery way that it was like he'd discovered my dirty secret — that I like to digitally edit my pictures to get the best out of them.
Let's get something straight: Photoshop is just a digital darkroom. It's not like you push one button that says "make my photo better" and that's it — there's actually some work involved in it, too. On the other hand, this work doesn't require an actual darkroom or an education in photography or a range of expensive lenses — and it doesn't even require Photoshop, either. There are free photo-editing applications available to download online, like The Gimp.
Personally, I'm a prude and I can't bring myself to use anything called "Gimp", but I've heard it's pretty good and not that dissimilar from the ridiculously expensive Photoshop. So now you can get the best out of your pictures, too.
Above is an image I've been working on for a film we're making at school. I'm trying to make it look more like an illustration by highlighting the actor's face, darkening the edges of the frame, and desaturating all the colour except the red in his costume. You can see the original here.
Hey-- isn't that the same poor kid who looked so stricken wearing the funny striped hat? I hope you pay him well to model.
ReplyDeleteYour photos look awesome. Besides, a painting is just a touched-up canvas touched.
ReplyDeleteI studied photography, and worked as a photographer for several years back in Newfoundland. i worked with a cranky old fart who once told me there's no such thing as 'an eye for photography, just an imagination for photography'. If you can enhance it with photoshop to make that imagination all the more dramatic, go for it! We are all better for it.
I only wish I was better at photoshop!
... if they aren't reportage or forensic photographs, they are fair game, especially with digital files- they are just 1's and 0's until they have been translated, and who translates better- a silicon chip or a real live human being? I work with image files all day, it always amazes me that people want me to match some cruddy ink-jet or murky drug store print when the file can be teased into something beautiful with so little effort. Photoshop Elements comes free with some scanners or cameras, it has more than enough features for a beginner to learn with, other programs work OK, although if you start with Elements it is easier to Make the transition to the full blown version.
ReplyDeletedamnit! every time I comment on your blonk I sound like an idiot because of my typos!!!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. Photos always go through some sort of revision before they're finished. They're the "lie that tells the truth," right?
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Lightroom--use it ever?
I've just been looking at Lightroom, it looks interesting. I'm using a combination of Photoshop and iPhoto at the moment. iPhoto can be sticky, but I think I just have too many pictures loaded into it, I need to throw some away. Or start taking less shots on each roll.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the same guy in the pic — it's actually from the same shoot, taken just moments apart. This is for the DVD cover though, and that sepia shot was a plate for the inside of a book that he was supposed to be trapped in.
What I really want, thinking about it, is an online photo album like Flickr that you can edit the look of. I really hate all that blue text they put everywhere, and I'd like the option of deleting some of that info text and re-arranging the page layout a bit.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo. I particularly like the mysterious row of doors. Makes me wonder what's going on behind them. Just one thing though - at first glance it looks like he's only got one leg....
ReplyDeleteThat's true, I never noticed that before. It looks like something from Photoshop Disasters.
ReplyDeleteI can confirm that the Gimp is not only free, it is also much, much easier than Photoshop. But then my expertise only really extends to cropping and 'making negatives'. I have much respect and admiration for anyone who can do anything useful with Photoshop.
ReplyDeleteIt is a dramatic improvement on the original - I think I'd have tried to keep the red a little brighter [but then I've red-green colour blindness so it might look different to you].
ReplyDeleteI use Paintshop Pro although I probably use less than 10% of its capabilities.
You obviously are really good with Photoshop.
ReplyDeleteAnd that my dear is a compliment. Your photos always look fantastic.
oh, i thought you'd photoshopped out his left leg! oops.
ReplyDeleteI might try that Gimp thing, but things like Photoshop make my brain sweat.
ReplyDeleteI love all your pictures, and enhancing them with photoshop is just making them better!
ReplyDeleteI used to use gimp a lot before I decided it would be a clever idea to format my laptop thus breaking my internet. I mist get another copy of gimp. Although, maybe not untill after my exams....