Don’t be afraid of Photoshop and photo editing

Don’t be afraid of Photoshop and photo editing

it’s not uncommon to see photographers get crucified on social media after publishing their photos, and get comments like:

“it looks edited”

“did you photoshop this?”

“natural is the best”

and the Photoshop software that has become a long time ago a synonym for photo-editing, gets a lot of the heat as well.

But I have to say that only because a photographer edited his photos, cos that’s how he thought he would be able to deliver his message and feelings in a better way, do not question the authenticity of these emotions and messages from the whole creation.

Emotions are not measured by the number of clicks, the number of exposures or the number of brush strokes in Photoshop. What matters, is whether the message manages to cross to the other side or not.

Sometimes it just doesn’t work, whether the piece has been edited or not.

Let me expose a little secret - good photography, starts with good photography:

I believe with all my heart that a good house needs a strong and stable foundation. If there is no such foundation, then the whole creation does not stand very well, and it certainly cannot convey its message, whether at all or as well as it could and should.

Sentences like “Nevermind, I have Photoshop to fix it later” can get me out of my mind. Yes, it’s true; some works are simply not good without editing. But I never rely on editing to save me where the opening of aperture or a slight change of an angle could have solved the problem elegantly, without getting me on the train of unnecessary editing, which just wouldn’t come out like she could have been.

However, almost every picture can benefit and get a bit more depth by using the most basic editing

Demonstrates how simple Photoshop editing upgrades the image

Do you have to edit your photos?

The beautiful thing about art – is that you don’t have to do anything, but (this is quite large but ) almost every picture benefits and reaches new heights by editing. Today when there is so much information overload, the possibility of attracting the potential customer’s eye is essential.

Everyone will eventually make his choice according to his view. You should only know that if you are filming in JPG and do not edit the photos at all, what is called “hot, straight from the oven – without any editing” the editing is already inside, you just didn’t do it.

The camera did it for you. Yes yes, the camera’s processor removed noises, added colorfulness, contrast, and so on, without your knowledge and control.

What about Raw? I have never met anyone who takes raw pictures who does not edit his photos at least in a basic way because they just don’t look good – this is like making food straight from the freezer to the oven, without any spices. No one really enjoys the sight of a plain boiled chicken.

This is not reality - it's cheating.

Some will call editing a deception, and some will say it’s not real.

I prefer to refer to it as “finishing,” it is true that Photoshop editing can be used to create a negative body image by excessive editing of body proportions and the making of impossible-to-be- Barby women. But that’s not the “finishing” to blame. its the ones who do it

its the ones who do it Because you’ve probably already have heard that guns don’t kill people, people with Photoshop and delusional beauty ideal kill people and turn them into porcelain dolls.

In the right hands and with the right technique, it is perfectly possible to make any good picture, to a real piece of art, but it does not happen in magic, it requires a lot of learning and training.

Just like painting, drawing, or writing.

Some will take the editing to simpler directions, with slight color corrections, and perhaps a small cropping.

Some will build whole worlds of dreamy fantasy. Everyone has their own view of how to deliver the message and emotion.

There is quite a simple way to know whether it works or not, don’t be shy- just ask.

When photographers used film, they did not make any edits and the pictures were great.

That’s simply not true.

Many do not know, but the images have also been put through the editing process, and it has just not been as easy and accessible as it is today. There were quite a few different chemicals involved and tons of work to get to the final finish.

The greatest photographers would spend hours in the darkroom and used complicated techniques to carry out what they have seen deep inside and not what the glass had seen.

Many of the techniques and tools (even their names) that you see in Photoshop originate from the Good Old Darkroom (and the smelly from poisonous chemicals). Such as – Dodge and Burn.

In summary:

Edited or not, every good shot starts simply by good photography skills. But whoever has strong foundations, can certainly reach new heights and make every picture an unforgettable creation.

and nowadays, you don’t need to be a chemist to achieve this; the Photoshop software costs as little as 9.99 $ per month. And you can learn to master it, even without leaving the house.