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Sparkle (0)
Every now and then someone asks me, "Do you use Photoshop?" Sometimes, though not always, this question is sort of a test: if I am a Serious Photographer, Someone Who Knows Her Stuff, then the answer expected to come out of my mouth is something in the range of, "Are you kidding me? Of course not. I'm insulted you would even ask."
So you can imagine my questioner's dismay when I immediately respond, "Oh, HELL yes. With gay abandon."
Back in the day, when I first started shooting, I used to absolutely hate Photoshop. "Photoshop," I used to say, "is something for people who don't know how to take photos. Also? Photoshop is dishonest." And then I would turn on my heel and vanish in a choking cloud of self-righteousness, all the while secretly lamenting that every photo I took didn't look anything like I thought it would when I first framed it in the viewfinder of my camera.
Then one day, I was whining to an employee of my favourite camera store about how terrible all my shots were. "Like, look at that," I said, pointing to a large, framed photograph behind him. "Why can't my images look like that?"
"That?" he said. "Well, yeah, that's great shot, but you realize that's been Photoshopped, right?"
"NO!" I was horrified. "That is so disappointing."
"Why?" he asked, looking at me quizzically. "There's nothing wrong with Photoshop. It's just processing the image -- just like we used to do with chemicals before, in dark rooms. I mean, think about it: What makes Ansel Adams amazing isn't the fact that he took a photograph of a tree in Yosemite, but the way he processed the photograph -- dodging, burning, manipulating the chemicals -- to get the final result. It's his processing that made him great."
Right at that moment, I felt like the scales had fallen from my eyes: it was the first time I realized that digital processing wasn't necessarily about deception, but more about artistry. Photoshop is simply the modern day processing tool that photographers use to help convey what they saw and felt when they squeezed the shutters on their cameras. Digital processing can help communicate a photo's imprint.
Each photographer who digitally processes his/her images uses Photoshop (or preferred digital processing software) differently, which is why each photographer tends to have a different vibe to their images, or a unique style. There is therefore no right or wrong way to digitally process an image -- it's a matter of personal taste. Since recently a couple of you have asked how I process my images, I thought I'd share my very simple methods step-by-step with you today.
In my case, I actually spend very little time processing my images -- about 30 seconds to a minute on each shot -- so, obviously, I don't do too much to my photographs. Still, I do enough that each image sort of has my signature on it, I guess. In addition, I actually use Photoshop Elements -- sort of a cheap man's Photoshop -- and my version is years-old as well, making me somewhat pathetic, in a geek's world. No matter, it does the trick. Also, my main rule for myself is that I never delete pixels. In other words, I don't Photoshop out any imperfections, and I don't crop images, unless it's for the purpose of printing a hard copy to a standard photo size -- VERY rarely for the purpose of excising a mistake or distraction. I try to minimize any flaws by checking the background of my image, using the proper lens, getting my aperture and shutter speed right, and framing the image properly before taking the shot. My intent is to be mindful of the shot I'm taking, so I can minimize the need for post-camera processing as much as possible; doing it otherwise would make me feel like I'm using the software as a crutch. (Incidentally, this nonnegotiable Nondeletion of Pixels Rule has its risks: it generally pisses off my friends who ask me to take their photographs, when I refuse to remove a laugh-line or a mole, or shave off a few pounds. Still, I remain firm: we are all beautiful, and I figure my job as their photographer is to show them this, without having to resort to physically altering their likeness on "film.")
