The Art of Photoshop
Here's a blog on some 'Behind the Scenes' Magic! When we book a couple for a wedding, we often ask them what made them choose us to share in their celebration, and the one comment we get most often is this: "Every wedding looks different. You don't do the same thing for every wedding." Every wedding IS different because every couple is different, and Alan really goes all out to capture the personality of each wedding in it's own unique way. However, since I am a thinker, and I analyse almost everything, I began to wonder how someone can intuit that desire to personalize our photography from our website, especially when we are only able to share a small sampling of the weddings that we do. And I began to realize that it is very much about the images we show and, almost as importantly, how we show them. In the digital world, this is called Photoshop.
Alan began shooting in the age of film. This actually is a huge bonus, as he learned to shoot well, when every shot cost you money. You didn't have the option to view and delete, so he learned well how to bend light, how to manipulate shadow, how to harness colour and compositon and mood to achieve beauty from the get go. Ansel Adams once said, "You don't take a photograph, you make a photograph", and he was the master of light and compostition. All of Alan's work stands alone, no photoshop required. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and he 'beholds' beauty very well.
So then, where does the photoshop come in? That's my arena, my friends. Not every image needs photoshop. Not every image should. If it does, that is a sad state. However, photoshop is one marvellous tool in a photographer's tool kit, and many wonderful images can be made even more wonderful by some digital manipulation. The key is in knowing which tool from photoshop will most suit or enhance the image. The simplest is cropping, and every scrapbooker worth her salt knows the power of a good crop in composition. Cropping any image can change it dramatically. So can merging two images that are not quite perfect, to create one that is. Take a look at these shots using angles, crops and swaps, taking images from plain to very cool.
Flipping an image to Black and White is the next easiest. Now if you've followed this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I LOVE B/W. It makes skin tones sing, gives images a vintage retro vibe, just makes everything a little more classy. That is a simple technique which is super effective. Black and white is also different depending on the tone and contrast - some are soft and moody, others are punchy and very Hollywood glam. Selective hand colouring is also a lovely, if sometimes overused tool. It takes a little more skill to get it right, but used properly, adds just the right touch of whimsy or 'pow', depending on the photo.
Filters are a marvelous skill set to have. Sepia, or antiquing, a photo is in this same vein. Giving a photo a nostagic air can evoke an entirely different mood. Take the shot of Shawnassie on the stairs - amazing shot in real time, jaw dropping with a little photoshop magic. Or how about a glamour glow, adding a titch of warmth and brilliance to certain shots. Again, only some images work with certain filtes, and the skill is knowing what your tools can do, and why. Filters are marvelous that way, giving ordinary shots an extraordinary feel. Take a look at one shot, from raw and still beautiful, the different filters create different moods in each shot. It's completely a personal preference as to which is better.
Overlays are different again, and can transform ordinary shots (or stunning shots) into something other worldly and captivating. From subtle to wild, they are alot of fun, but over used, they can be heavy and tediuos, turning drama into melodrama. Used correctly and with just the right shot, they are a hugely creative avenue for the artist in all of us.
Here is an image I've played with. Can you see which techniques I've used and why?
So that's photoshop 101 for all you fellow shutterbugs out there! Feel free to comment and let me know your favourite filter and why, and if you have another great photoshop technique, speak up and share with us! And I leave you with some shots of photography at its best, no filters, no photoshop. Just light, shadow, colour, composition and beauty. Ansel Adams would be proud...
