Thursday, January 13, 2011

Let's Talk "Photoshopping" Photos

I'm working on my second assignment in the FREE photoshop class I'm taking with Kim Klassen ("Skinny Mini"), which is on using the layers and adjustment panels.  The result of my initial attempt is above, and I think it's pretty cool looking.  Here's the original photo below:
First, I changed the photo by using the "hard mix" blending mode to get the cool highlights; then I lightened everything in the blending mode and added text. 
I'm happy to be learning photoshop, but I'm feeling a little conflicted as well.  I have always been a little uneasy about "photoshopping" or "processing" photos because I think it changes the essential nature of the photograph and consequently photography as an art form.  That's the main reason I hesitated for so long before learning photoshop.  I finally broke down and bought PSE because I thought PSE would be an easy way to improve a photo without changing it.  I think the processes I went through with this photo really change it's nature, rather than simply improving the original image. On the other hand, I can see how these types of changes will be useful in creating a poster or card or some other digital art piece.  
Here's the rest of my homework assignment. I did all kinds of blending and adjusting on the first photograph to create the second piece.
Again, it's cool to be able to do this, and I'm glad to be learning this, but this still seems to me like a different art form than photography.  And maybe that's okay. And maybe I'll embrace digital art or digital photography (or whatever it is/should be called), but I do think it's different than the art of photography.  What do you think? I'd welcome your thoughts.

No comments:

Post a Comment