I really enjoy playing with photos in photoshop. I use photoshop CS4 and still have a lot to learn about all the little tweaks and such you can do with a photo. While photoshop can't salvage a bad photo, it can be a photographers best friend! I prefer to make minimal changes to a photograph, keeping the attention on the person in the photo. But sometimes photos need a little extra help to make the subject "pop" or to remove distracting objects.
In this picture, there was a diaper bag in the background that took away from the sweet girls. With a little help from a clone tool and lots of patience, it disappeared! I also changed the color tone of the shot and brightened up their eyes.
This is a picture of my son, Chase. It was just a quick shot at the pumpkin patch last year, but I liked it. Except for the bits of food all over his face and the shadows around his eyes. A few minutes in photoshop and it's much brighter (and cleaner!)
Sometimes pictures just need a little extra. This is my favorite picture from our vacation to the Washington coast. The boys were having such a good time running in the cold waves. Chase is holding a big walking stick he found among the huge trees that wash onshore. They look like Goonies. :) I thought the picture looked a little dull, so I brightened up the blue in the sky, brought out the mid-tones, and sharpened it a bit.
Photoshop can also be used to completely change the feel of a photo. I much prefer this shot in the muted, aged tones on the right.
I have several photo shoots coming up this week, so I'll be posting more pictures here soon!
