Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Photo Editing: The Battle of Good Vs. Evil

I believe that photographers can be crippled by Photoshop if they are not careful.

Fact is, Adobe programs have reached near mystical proportions as photographic tools, and believe me, I am an advocate of their effective use in the imaging world (and/or similar programs for that matter.) However, the thing that kind of turns me off is the excessive use of Photoshop to completely overhaul the organic image fresh off of the good ol' sensor. It's kind of a photographic disease from my point of view. People who shoot in the field with the intention of "fixing" something in Photoshop is a little bit artificial (at the least). And it's a bad habit that anyone can fall into.

Now the world of basic levels adjustments and haze lifters is often a dramatic improvement to any photo. Word. More power to us. I just think that people should be conscientious users of Photoshop, in order to keep photographs from straying into the realm of graphic art and design. And I know, personally, that it's a lot easier to improve my skills with my camera by capturing the image on my sensor, instead of on my computer screen. Harness the program, grab it by the horns and don't let it control you (it can tend to get a bit hostile...).

But, be free to shoot as you please, that's the beauty of it. Just think about it!

Happy Earth Day humans,
-The Clag

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