Friday, January 4, 2008

Photoshop

I definitely have a love/hate relationship with this program. As a photographer, I become really frustrated, sad, even depressed at times when I search sites and come across amazing images and wonder, "How can "I" ever do that?" It isn't so much an envy as it is my brain not being able to wrap my thoughts around how a particular photographer does something, figures something out, when I feel like I am ten steps behind. Part of this is that I love the simple, the actual, and I don't like to spend hours and hours messing around with a photo in Photoshop. I guess I am not even sure if that is what people want. Do they want this spectacular image, or do they want themselves? I guess there is no right or wrong. So, this past week I put my camera down, studied a few sites, learned a few tricks, and put them to use. I am not sure if I will ever use them on clients yet. Perhaps, maybe as I grow. But for now, it was fun to play. I picked up the camera today, I was hungering for it, it seems I always wait for the most challenging light (winter isn't helping much in my house...and neither was the quickly moving little girl...) but here is what I came up with. The photos on the left would be my normal edit, the photos on the right would be the play edit.

And yet, I fear that there almost isn't even a difference.

7 comments:

Carlotta said...

Kim, Just as the rest of us are in life I wish you could see what the rest of us do when we look at your photography. There are a lot of people that call themselves photographers. True you can learn a trade by going to school and praticing but then there are others that go to school and practice and learn "technical" parts of their passion and have a natural talent for it. My dear, not because I know you but you sincerely have a NATURAL talent for photography! There is SO much emotion in your pictures. It is the passion and the love that you have for it that shines through. Your photography is natural and doesn't isn't posed like most. It's like there is movement in the pictures. I love to see the world through your eyes! Each picture is different and has something individual about it. My talent is not to capture the pictures but to appreciate those that do! Give yourself credit! YOU ROCK!!!! It helps to have such sweet subjects like Emm and Joth, oh these kids are beautiful!!! I don't think there is one faulty picture that could be taken of them )))))SQUEEZE(((((

ec said...

amen to carly.

she says it so perfectly. i wish too, that you could see what i see when i look at your pictures. they really are amazing. beautiful. alive.

keep it up kim. you are amazing.

Cassie said...

I love that little girl's sass.

Did you want there to be a big difference in your editing? The difference is so subtle, yet both are so amazingly beautiful I couldn't even pick which one I would prefer.

You know I love your photography. I thoroughly enjoy the realistic quality it holds. It's the reason behind the name. Simply You. Simply whomever you happen to be shooting. You capture THEM. That's what I love.

Amy and Josh said...

I am not a photographer, but I wonder the same things sometimes when looking at certain pictures and think "how do they do that", but it's probably all edited in or something else.

I personally like more of the natural looks that are more candid and capture the moment as it is, not some fairy tale land where everything looks perfect in every single photo.

You are passionate about what you do and it speaks through your photos. Someday you'll have to show me how you do it!

Arianne said...

I love these two photos. I agree with everyone else, you need to see what we all see, you are an amazing photographer!! You always capture the personality of the person you are shooting. You have such a great talant and more than 1/2 the time when I see your photos I always wonder HOW IT THE WORLD DID SHE DO THAT? You are amazing with or without photoshop!! :)

Leisha said...

I can tell a slight difference mostly in the eyes. Love the pictures though. If you hadn't put them side to side, I'd never notice a difference. They are fabulous either way.

Ponczoch Family said...

The pictures are so similar... I agree that it's hard to tell a difference... a little in the eyes, but not much.

When I was on vacation last week I kept thinking how I need to take you with me next time, to capture everything in the amazing way that you do!