I'm an old geezer, but I learned soooo much from this tutorial. Thank you. I must say, 15 years ago I would have said photo-shopping an image is NOT photography. However, today, I am all for photo-shopping. There are many times wherein I've taken a photograph of a beautiful landscape only to be disappointed by the image. The camera couldn't quite capture what my eye perceived. Either the contrast was not what I saw or the highlights were washed out. Photoshop came to the rescue and reintroduced what my eyes saw when I looked at the landscape. Thank you!
I think there is only really an issue with photoshop if it's something journalistic or if it's submitted to an organization that requires things to be shown as they are - like national geographic. For the most part there is absolutely nothing wrong with photoshop.
Great tips - thank you. Anyone can take a snapshot. But your photo is what makes you happy - like art. I like to get as much as possible in camera and then be an artist! Instead of deleting the dull photos, I've learn to create some beautiful "keepers".
I think I photo shopped one of my images way back before digital cameras or Photoshop even existed. I first took a portrait of myself through a glass window against a black background. Then after I developed that I taped on my work computer screen and then took an other portrait from behind of me sitting in front of my computer. It looked as though I was starting at my self in on the computer. That image earned me an A in my college photography class 40 years ago.
I love taking an iffy shot and being creative layers and textures and making it into something else entirely. Soft photos become an asset; odd compositions become more artsy. Sometimes it doesn't work at all but sometimes it's magic.
it really ROCKS !! - Marc really shows photographers of all levels to keep scanning for things to photograph , sometimes in the most unlikely of places
Sound tips Mark, its good to be reminded of the obvious - re photoshop/Lightroom I'm all for it because my photography is my art - a mix of the science of using a camera well, with the added bonus of being "artistic". I really enjoy what these programs offer as my "duff"photos now get a chance of a life of their own.. After all, I'm no pro and never will be, but I still enjoy the added artistic bonus - it makes me smile and thats good enough for me.
Love the Bonus tip! For me, the whole point of Photoshop is to open up creative possibilities. As for cheating, unless your entering your work into a photography competition that forbids alteration it's not cheating - it's being creative!
Good ideas, well illustrated. Best point: go alone. I am not a photoshopper; I try to get the shot right in the camera. But, if photoshop, or equivalent, helps you make better images go for it!
The kit lens , whether it be ( on an APS-C format camera ) an 18-55 or 18-140 is a great way of overcoming " stage fright " when it comes to portraits , and even the most humble kit lens will expand a learner photographer's options . Most kit lenses ( that I know) " start" with a wide angle option ( equivalent to around 28mm on full frame cameras ) , which also IMHO , trains the viewers eye(s) to view the world differently , ( even when it comes to funky , in-your -face , to-heck-with-the-distortion portraits ) . My personal experience with street portraits, tells me that the shorter the lens on the camera , the less intimidated , the subject will feel , which will allow for a more relaxed experience , and hopefully a better " end product"
I enjoyed the tips and found them helpful. Everyone has to seek their own path and while I do recognize Photoshop as an art form I do not see it as photography per se. if I don’t see it in the frame when I release the shutter I don’t include it in the finished version.
Thanks for the great tips! Working with Photoshop is a creative skill too. I cannot dismiss its function. It's great to know how and when to use it. As a newbie, I try to capture my images diligently so I will have no reason to edit it later.
I used to think my pictures were up to par when I started photographing , but there are times when some of my older images need " refreshing" with a touch of technology , even if that means only straightening the horizon or adding a touch of shadow detail . If the idea of using photoshop worries you , as it does many , there is also photoshop elements ( 2021 ) to consider , and it IS near Christmas ...............!!!
Was out on a photo walk earlier today. Not liking the results, but I'm also new. Just reviewing the shots to see where things went wrong. Not difficult finding issues, I can definitely say... Limiting your kit is definitely a good idea to avoid unnecessary weight. But depending on where you're going, make sure to keep options open. On that, I'd say to have only a prime if you're purely indoors, but always have a prime and a zoom for outdoor shots. And I say that based on my mistake today of not having a zoom lens. In part because I didn't think I'd need it... On the walk through the park - in my defense, my first time on that trail - I encountered a pond around which were a few geese, a heron (unusual for this area, let alone this time of year), and several deer. My prime lens (35mm DX) was useless on that aside from just taking a couple quick snaps so I can see what I obviously didn't anticipate. My 70-300mm zoom lens, though, would've been perfect to frame up the heron sitting on the bank (and even after it flew to the other side of the pond), and zooming in on the deer and geese. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, but you also miss 100% of the shots you don't adequately prepare for. My next photo walk through a park, I'm making sure I have my zoom as well as my prime. And I'll probably sub out my 35mm DX prime for my 50mm FX prime. (Yes, FX lens on DX body. But no one makes a DX 50mm lens.)
I love your sense of humor with the squirrel. In the USA they are thought of as cute. However, as I sit here listening to them chew on the walls of my cabin in the woods, I find that I am more in agreement with your viewpoint. I will slow down and be patient to wait for the story that can be told with the best shot. (Even if it was a squirrel).
Great video as always. I don't mind post editing to get that extra value or that twist as long as its not excessive. On the otherhand, I just rarely do it
Could you make a video of tips about photo walk in the morning golden hour? Human focus aren't allowed to be a topic, because I'm after ideas of the nature or streets. And the sunrise itself is also a no go. Got a new fast lens, so I need some ideas to get up early and motivate me to come out. 150mm 1.8 is my weapon 😊 hope you can help 😬😅
I love photoshop artistry....you can create your own beautiful work that no one else is doing.....I started out with film in the dark room and a negative is boring right out of the camera until the MAGIC happened with dodging, contrasting, filters, cropping.....Just ask Ansel Adams....and now shooting with Raw the images are bland until you use great tools in photoshop....so that is my personal view....lots of folks who say it is cheating don't know even know how to use this powerful artistic tool of photoshop....
Love the tips... including the Photoshop tip. Can't tell you how often I've shot just skies, fields, empty streets, etc, with the sole purpose of using them later as elements in photoshopped compositions. GASP, I know, "not photography" blah blah... ok, photographic art then. Keep the good videos coming. Cheers.
Not many crop factor DSLR's come with a 50 mm lens ( or equivalent) , one is more likely to find the camera body packaged with a kit lens, which is ideal for those who WANT to take portraits , but lack the courage to close up on their subject , even after asking permission - "the trick" is learning about how focal length affects the look of the face vis a vis distortion , although some extreme close-ups with the wide end of the kit lens can yeald some " wacky " results
Thanks for your video. I can't say that I never use image correction (I use Gimp because I am a cheapskate!), but I limit it to cropping the occasional picture to cut out things like dustbins or to slightly rotate a picture with a crooked horizon. I feel uneasy about "painting in" things like clouds, or cloning things like sky to eliminate telephone wires and so on. I realise that others feel different about it, but for me I prefer images to come straight from the camera whenever I can.....
there might be some older versions of photoshop that you can LEGALLY download ( for free ) , and while you might not be able to do some of the fancier stuff available on later versions , it gives you an idea of what can be achieved ( duckduckgo.com/?q=free+versions+of+Adobe+photoshop&ia=web )
I like your bonus tip. Photography is not about the method, or the gear. Not even about reality. It's about the picture, in my opinion. Do whatever make you happy.
When you go on a photo walk, how do you carry your camera? I don’t like using the strap that comes with the camera because it makes me nervous with my camera bouncing around when I’m walking.
The limiting of equipment and being creative - depends on what you are doing, but for a walk travelling light makes sense. Not sure I would be good asking people if I could take their photo - not me but each to their own. Photoshop again if it is fun and you enjoy it why not.
Love the work, lots of great energy! I use lightroom for like 95% of my workflow, though most of it is editorial work. Photoshop, at least in my eyes, is a beafier version of lightroom, which has been inspired by the darkroom. I find it really ironic when arguments are raised that photoshop/lightroom is not photography because they either have conveniently forgotten what the darkroom is or have no idea how a darkroom works to it's maximum capacity. Plus, a camera doesn't even have the same dynamic range as the pair of eyes that you were born with, so if someone really does want to attack the argument from a very purist perspective then they have to also realize that there are a lot of technical shortcomings to a camera!
I'm from the film age and am a Printer by trade so we know PS. In the real world of NY studio shots or those for magazines, they manipulate the shots in PS! I'm more a purest but have come around to more of the art side of photography mind you not to the extent to be cloning in skies or changing dress colors but I do bump high lights and shadows, move saturation and sharpness but only a tad. Hell I even combine bracketed shots in HDR for night shots and if you haven't tried it you should. I don't use grad filters but take two shots and combine them from layers in PS. I've even taken a near focused shot and a half way in focused shot and combined them in layers so everything is in focus with landscape shots. If you shoot in RAW you have to adjust the flat files anyhow but you end up with more detail shooting in RAW and often can pull out more cloud detail. So it has become the norm to do these things. Beyond everything though, my journey has taught me more about dealing with light than anything. Take a shot at high noon in sunlight than another under the tree so the light has to cut through the leaves to you. The first shot is full of awful shadows and the other elegantly done. I say, learn to understand light and it's effects, the rest will come with practice (hard, golden, blue, cloudy light, in the sun, sun to your back). Mainly go out and shoot and learn. Understand what is good and not so appealing. By far, evening shots are the most fun. You see light changing, going from normal to golden to blue sky. Then you have night shots on the walk back. I find there is always something good to photograph. To get it all I carry a tripod, camera sling bag with my 35mm lens, a zoom of 16-85 and a 40mm Macro. This can do it all, but if this is too heavy for you with a sling bag, use a back pack but don't be limited. If I had to only go with a camera, it would be my Nikon D7500 and the 35mm. It's very sharp and at f1.8 can get any shot at ISO 100. Understand that digital photography has become a art. For some they change everything with LUTs (look up tables, to change the feel of the picture) and others are more purist who have to adjust the RAW shot to get a usable image but if done gently, it's a gift to photographers and should be embraced.
I use photoshop (or some other) on every shot, some to a small extent and some to a great extent. It's my photo! Did the great Masters paint only what was actually there and in the same color or shadow? I think not. They painted what they wanted to show, the way they wanted to show it. The same goes for my photos. By the way, thanks for the very nice and informative tips.
Tip 5 limit your equipment with airlines constantly reducing the amount of " free luggage " one can take on holidays , the days of carrying 70-200 f2.8 lenses in carry-on bags ( for many ) are over , especially if one is only allowed a single backpack that has to accommodate , passports , snacks , books, etc..There are bags that are split into part " utility pocket " /part camera bag which is what I use , and the combination of a 18-140 kit lens and an ultra-wide zoom ( in my case 10-20 ) cover most options , whilst giving room on top for other stuff
When I’m out and about my Zorki 4K with my Jupiter 8 lens is my camera of choice, it might have been as cheap as chips and it’s risky buying FSU camera but mine is brilliant. However, I hate taking pictures of people, I’m very much a people person but I don’t like photographing them. For me personally the challenge is getting as much right in the camera as I can, but all images need some editing and they always have done. However, if it’s an image totally created in Photoshop, like penguins on Blackpool beach, and they don’t try and pass it off as a photograph I have nothing against it. It’s when people try to pass off complete composite images as photographs and I know they are lying it bothers me, these sort of activities have been used for nefarious purposes in the past.
Another problem. I have been working on enhancing an old photograph which is in a pretty poor state. I have been using the clone tool the source cross has a habit of jumping. Also, on several occasions, the image has actually broken up. Not only that, it has duplicated itself; one copy in front of the other but they can't be separated. As I said, Affinity Photo is prone to problems and I am looking at alternatives.
If I " age " my photo/image on photoshop , and then post it on the internet , I'll USUALLY mention the fact in the comments section , but if it's just a matter of tweaking the image with shadow detail for example , then for me the image counts as original ( my eyes did , after all, register a different image than the one that the camera sensor recorded ; - ) ) .
Photoshop, is that a good photo by a good photographer or someone who is good on a computer not neccessary a good photographer.? Id rather be known as a good photographer. Good video though, thankyou.
Wow, on behalf of grey squirrels everywhere, I took offense ( just kidding!) but in Toronto we quite like our grey, black, brown, and white squirrels and think that they are cute! I well remember how despised they are in the Lake District, right up there with the Canada Geese! In general, it is always a bad idea to introduce a non native species...... Enjoyed the video- I just subscribed!
Here I see more squirrels than pigeons! I did take a lovely grey squirrel photo in my friend's garden during a snowfall last week, He feeds them handfuls of peanuts every morning at the back door - very entertaining for his indoor cats to watch! I had to be very patient to get a good shot- ( and of the birds, as well). I used a 70-200 mm lens on my Sony a6500.
Photoshop is better than chucking an image and it just creates another category = "Art" photography. Its when someone photoshops all their images and calls it photography that irks me. If editing programs didn't exist we would be forced to try harder at getting the right image in the first place. That is why I also take a film camera. Every shot costs money, so you think twice before hitting the shutter = you try harder to get it right. Imagine if every time you fired the shutter on a digital camera it cost you???!!!! Yikes!
Well, to me Photoshop should be used to replicate what you failed to capture in the original photo. My compromise is, what is done with Photoshop should be, at least, plausible in real life. If things become "unreal" "un-natural" it becomes not a photograph, just a form of art, in which case, why take the photo in the first place? Is it easy way out? It's like a Gicle'e of original artwork, albeit, with different objectives.
You Know a photo is good when in photoshop you only change the contract or some other option only. Anyways, even your wedding photos will be photoshoped either way. So, why not use it? Of, course it's a thin line between reality and those filters /Luts in photoshop but it's your choise what you want to project. But, as you see here he used only the contract in the most pictures cause his pictures are already awesome!
Photoshop is fine for touch-ups, but if you do more than that, like removing objects or adding things, it's not photography anymore. That is my personal opinion
Best tip, 6. Being social is fine and sometimes just a fun thing to do, but my best work and concentration comes when i just get in the truck and go solo.
The way that I see it - most women put on makeup and change their hair to look better - what is the difference in using photoshop to make a photo look better?! It's the same principle really..... you are just improving on what is already in there....
Michael Lane hi Michael. Maybe you need to get to know it a bit better if that’s the way you feel. PhotoShop is actually a great tool for editing digital photos. From working with raw files; color correction, hue and saturation, levels, sharpening, exposure, vibrance. To mention a few. Granted we can use any of these tools to create something surreal that may be a title beyond Photography, but when they are used with a “darkroom mindset” they are most wonderful! HONEST! 🤠
Imagine if you had waited a bit longer and managed to get the picture of the squirrel returning to the wste bin, climbing up the front and emptying all of his little green squirrel sized glass bottles into the recycling bin side. It would have been really funny to see a squirrel recycling glass bottles rather than being a nuiscance, it might be good enought for the squirrel to gain useful employment and become a useful mamber of our society rather than being vermin and a pest. It might teach people tostop killing them in horrendous ways and let them carry on with their recycling work unmolested. As for tip number 5 you say not to take loads of lenses and add ons with you and it will force you to be creative. I totally agree, in fact the last few times i went out on my own and never even took my camera. I found that taking a piece of toilet paper and a small pencil allowed me to become really creative, i ended up drawing pictures of the subjects instead of photographing them. I was going to post a few of my drawings here online but my tummy was poorly that day and i had to use my drawings towipe poo poo off my bottom. I have kept them at home though, and can show friends when they come visiting, they really have no idea that the brown hillside is poo poo.
Photoshop is a tool. Painters use different tools, why not photographers? what is important is not to pretend to make believe that the photo has NOT been processed or retouched. Using software to modify photos is like using a filter, or a fish-eye lens. I think....Thank you for your videos!
