An ode to Photoshop

When I first started shooting with a digital camera, I was very anti-Photoshop.  "Hmph," I sniffed, "Photoshop is used by people who don't know how to take photos.  Besides, the digital manipulation of photography is just plain dishonest."   And then I would turn my heel and vanish in a cloud of self-righteousness, retreating to my little cave, while secretly lamenting the fact that every photo I shot didn't look anything like I thought it looked like when I first framed it in the viewfinder of my camera.

Then one day, I was at my local camera shop, confessing to one of the guys that I worked there that I really wished I could get the kinds of images other people got.  "Like that one," I said, pointing to the display image behind him.  "Why don't my photographs look like that?"

"That?" he smiled.  "It's a great shot, agreed, but you realize that that's been digitally manipulated, right?"

"NO!" I responded, in horror.  "Seriously?  That's not just the shot he took?  How... how... disappointing!"

"Why?" he asked, genuinly confused.  "There's nothing wrong with Photoshop, Karen.  It's just processing - similar to what we used to do with chemicals, back in the olden days.  I mean, do you really think Ansel Adams really shot those beautiful pictures without dodging and burning and manipulating the processing of the photograph?"

 As soon as he said this, I felt the clouds part, and angels singing on high.  Of COURSE.  Photoshop isn't a tool of dishonesty and deception, after all -- it can actually be used to convey what the photographer saw through the lens.

Since then, I've become a huge fan of Photoshop, and find myself seeking out the work of other photographers who use Photoshop -- some are true artists with the software.  One of my favourites is Mark Tucker:  what he does with Photoshop is truly magical, but I'm always on the lookout for more. 

Who are some of your favourite Photoshop magicians?

Comments

[Kate Inglis]

Oh, I totally felt the same way, and I'm just at the beginning of figuring out Photoshop. Just discovered the magic of shooting in raw - what a difference.

Just today I found an interesting bunch of ordinary-josephine tutorials on Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, a blog I just found (yeah, I know, I live in a cave) - http://thepioneerwoman.com/category/photography

This is fun stuff.

[melody]

Karen, I adore your photography. I love Mark Tucker's work..thanks for the link. I am burying myself in Photoshop and digital photography books at the moment. God grant me knowledge...please. :)

[Stephanie]

Wow! Thanks for the link...he is incredible. I could FEEL the life happening in his photos. I too felt like you did in the beginning and now I am a CS3 ADDICT/Junkie/pusher. I am just beginning to jump into actions...can't wait to see what happens with that!

[Allison]

ditto. i was the same way. beautifully written and beautifully photographed. love you site and the link too.

[Alex]

I nod my head as I read your post and can't help but have a little giggle as I completely felt the same way. My girlfriend (who introduced me to PS) would shake her head at my chants of "photoshop makes a photo fake, it is not truely photography!". Now she giggles at me as I RAVE about how much I LOVE Photoshop.

I live to learn more and create something that makes my heart sing. I have also fallen in love with various actions and love making my photos what they could never be otherwise.