The ladies over at Shutter Sisters have asked for examples of before & after work when it comes to editing. As an added bonus, they are giving away copies of Aurora, an editing program.
Before & after is something that I am always interested in seeing because I am always amazed how people can turn an already great picture in something amazing. It also makes me feel good to know that the images I'm taking SOOC (straight out of camera) that don't necissarily come out looking amazing are on par with everyone else's SOOC images, and with a little bit of focus, they can really transform. That isn't to say that there is anything wrong with SOOC. In fact, I feel that SOOC often captures a certain kind of magic (ok, anyone else have Queen stuck in their head?) that editing can muddle. That being said, one of the reasons I love digital photography so much is that there are endless options in the "digital darkroom" and every image I capture can really take on a life of its own. Sometimes one life isn't enough and I have the image try on a few different outfits before I decide what it is going to go out to dinner in :)
What is also cool is that there are a lot of different trends out there when it comes to popular looks. Though I have a special kind of attachment to that vintage feel, I am also a fan of that contrast look.
Right now, that high contrast bright eyed look is really popular, and I've been trying to teach myself how to do it. I really like how bright the faces become, how vivid the colors are, and how fresh the images feel. Yesterday I posted 2 pictures that I'd been practicing on, so I thought that perhaps they would be good examples of the before & after.
Ok, what is the deal with me posting this online? There is much more "red" in PS. The skin seriously looks gray to me. Anyone know why this is? Maybe something with the color profile I am using in photoshop? Well anyway, here I cropped, worked on the eyes, then a color boost for the clothes and background, and finally contrast. I used mainly TRA in CS3.
And, this next one isn't really for the "contest" at Shutter Sisters, just another before & after. I figured why not show both of them :)
I really hate to go on about the red channel, but there is a serious difference between how I edited in PS and how I see it on the web. Does anyone have experience with TRA? Am I missing a step that I need to convert it for web viewing or something? Ok, anyway... here I worked on the eyes, boosted the green & blue and then added contrast and illumination. Again, using primarily TRA in CS3.
I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone else's befre & afters! And now I have to go because we were all up all night long and now we're all feeling kinda sick. Have a beautiful spring Thursday!
xo
meg
