Sunday, October 25, 2009

Playing with Photoshop

This shot is a collection of perfumes sitting on my marble table, posterized in Photoshop. I love Photoshop. I love to play with it, design and create with it, and see what I can do with it. Some people think Photoshop is cheating. I do try to get everything right in the camera: I shoot in RAW, I am careful of my exposure and my white balance, I try to use a tripod or at least a sturdy surface ( I shake a lot from years of taking asthma meds.) But then there is the pleasure of editing with Photoshop.
I learn everytime I use the program. I have about six books about how to use/create and design with it, but I still need to practice. What is important to me may not be what is covered in the books. Photoshop is such a huge program, no one book can cover it all.

Plus, every photographer uses Photoshop differently. I guess they call it their workflow. I don't follow anyone else's flow, I try and do it myself. I also use the internet for online learning about photoshop.


I started with Photoshop Elements, a great program. I took two online classes on how to use it. Then, my husband surprised me and bought the latest edition of Photoshop for me to use. It is a whole new learning curve (but that is what I wanted to do, right? Expand my brain cells). Currently I am teaching myself about layers, adjustment layers, masks, and portrait editing.

Do you think a photo editing software is cheating?

2 comments:

  1. I don't think it's cheating. If I had photoshop I'd definitely use it. We are creating here. Taking images and layering with words and with the tools of this technology until we've created something pleasing to ourselves, something we think might delight someone else out there. What can be cheating about that?

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  2. If you are talking about fine art photography, photoshop is a necessary tool, just as the dark room was in the past. Photography is a real art form in my mind. However, having said that, if you are talking about photo journalism it is a definite no-no! LOL

    Cheers!
    Julie
    Julie Magers Soulen Photography
    Blog of Note

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