Photoshopping

Photoshopping, the art of manipulating a digital image to improve it.

Whatever your feelings about it, its here to stay, so we may as well get use to it and embrace it. Unfortunately it has, still is and I have no doubt will continue to be abused by the glamour industry. If you want evidence of just how much Photoshopping techniques can distort reality, just have a look at this Youtube video (its done the email rounds, so you may well have already seen it).

Despite the abuses of it, it is still a very handy and useful tool. It allows me to get creative, fix those blemishes that inevitably come up on the day and either include someone, perhaps a loved one who couldn't be there, or remove the dill who spoilt a good shot by giving you 'My Favourite Martian' antennas.

So what sort of things can be done with Photoshopping?

• Spot colouring.
• Black and White.
• Sepia.
• Multiple exposures.
• The Glamour Look.
• Removing blemishes. Unfortunately it can't help on the day, but at least you won't be reminded of them everytime you look at the photos.
• Vignetting (putting a shaded frame around the photograph)
• Special and Creative ideas.

and much, much more. All of this can be done to your photographs if so desired. You will also see many more examples in the Galleries.

How many times does it happen, you take that great shot only to find that one person is blinking, looking away or is just caught at a bad moment. Well fortunately with the power of Photoshop we can fix that. I don't know how many times I've used someone's face from one shot and put it on another to get the perfect shot.

That Glamour Look

Why not have that special photo or two worked over to give you the perfect look. We all don't have the budgets of the stars to keep getting those nips and tucks whenever something drops a bit, but we can have in a photo.

The Pre-wedding dress rehearsal shoot is the perfect opportunity to get those shots that you just won't have time for on the day. Most ladies have a makeup and hair rehearsal, so why not turn it into a shoot?

I've found the ladies that have done it have been so happy they did. Not only did they get shots that they otherwise wouldn't have, but it was a great opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera and with each other.

Fixing a Favourite Photograph

Here is a real life example (and an actual job I was asked to do) of what can be done - (click on the photos to see larger versions).

This was a favourite shot of a group of friends, but unfortunately at the moment the picture was taken another couple just happen to be walking past and spoilt an otherwise great shot ... yep, its happen to all of us at one time.

But don't despair, there is a solution and here are the before and after shots.

Before:

After:

Now this doesn't have to be limited to this type of situation.

All is not lost for a favourite photo you may have that has an Ex in it that you may no longer want in an otherwise nice photo of you. You may want someone added to a photo, someone who couldn't be there. Or perhaps remove that friend of yours who thought they were being funny when they unbeknownst to you posed in the background of an important photograph ... I think you know what I mean :-)

And don't forget those old or damaged photos that you would like revitalised. You may even want a photo fixed that was deliberately vandalised, perhaps by the previously mentioned Ex just before they left.