This post is to note the difference in my editing. When I first began, and like many newbies so I've heard, I over-edited my photographs. I used to think that it wasn't that I didn't like my original photograph it was more because I had such fun with the different editing software/programs. It allowed me to be creative. Taking the picture just wasn't enough for me. Then it donned on me, and I mean only about 10 minutes ago, that I wasn't satisfied with my original (untouched) shots. When I take a great photograph, I have a difficult time trying to figure out what it needs. I almost don't want to touch it at all. While it is exciting to see myself improving, it's a bit frustrating also. So I stopped thinking about how to change the picture and I started focusing on ways to improve it! Maybe a little color balance, contrast boost, sharpen around the eyes, etc.? I just want to enhance what I've already captured so beautifully. Anyhow, now my edits are clean and simple. I don't really edit my pictures at all. I process them.
So here's the deal. Below, I've attached some old photographs taken last year. The first one from each collage is the SOOC/orignal untouched version. The second one is the edited, in some cases over-edited, version. The third is my processed version. Clean & simple. Okay so I added vignettes. I have to have a little fun! Also I tested out my new watermark.
As I look at these, still, I'm seeing things I may have done to process these better.
The middle photograph in this next collage is so overly edited, it's a little embarrassing. I smoothed out her face and removed any evidence of circles, bags and lines around the eyes. I also used a blurring effect to blur out everything but her face.
The middle photograph of this next collage is also over edited. Again, I smoothed her skin and removed all evidence of lines/circles around the eyes. I also warmed up the tones a little too much. She looks a bit orange. Lastly, I removed/lifted the shadows a bit from the left side of her face as I felt they were too dark. I'm still unsure about that. The last photograph is the most recently processed version and I'm still kind of wondering if I should have lifted the shadows a bit. I initially didn't because I loved the depth it gave to the photograph.
This last collage brings back memories. At the time, I was so happy with the original version. It was my first time photographing with natural light and I loved it. Still do! Looking at it now is different. All I see is the color orange and an overly saturated tutu and hair bow. My edited version, the second picture down, is not that bad. At least it wasn't overly edited. I boosted the contrast but didn't touch the color at all. I also sharpened the eyes and called it a day.
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