Photoshop.
It’s a word that many people know and some clients even ask for by name as in “Can you photoshop me?” It’s technically a noun, but it’s used more like a verb. And there seems to be something magical about its very essence that creates confidence when talking about photography. So much so that some people will say, “Oh I can just fix it in Photoshop later.” I imagine a fairy godmother with a wand and some sparkles! I mean, she did create beauty from a pumpkin, a horse, and some mice after all. 🙂
The reality is that Photoshop IS an amazing retouching tool when it comes to creating art out of images. It’s really like the Porche of photo editing software and allows photographers to take an image from 0 to 60 in a few clicks of the button. Each photographer is different in how much he or she knows about Photoshop and how he or she uses it. For my photography I prefer to lightly enhance my images and not over edit them. I want them to be realistic skin tones and colors, just with a bit of pop. I have a process I go through for each gallery of images that ultimately includes time looking at and tweaking each and every picture.
This is the very definition of professional hand retouching. And it’s part of the service clients receive when they use our photography studio.
Below is a little sample of a precious newborn. Almost every single tiny baby has some kind of skin situation that calls for attention. Although I don’t need to tweak the original pose, I do often need to tweak red patches, baby acne, and some jaundice around the eyes and forehead. This process can take quite a bit of time, depending on the intensity or complexity of the skin. But it’s all done in the name of love and with a desire to produce the most beautiful images possible of each little love. These are memories worth making.
