{"id":536,"date":"2017-03-23T22:33:55","date_gmt":"2017-03-23T22:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kgphotoworkshops.com\/blog\/?p=536"},"modified":"2017-03-23T22:46:43","modified_gmt":"2017-03-23T22:46:43","slug":"think-youre-finished","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kgphotoworkshops.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/23\/think-youre-finished\/","title":{"rendered":"So You Think You’re Finished"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am a proponent for getting the shot right in the camera<\/strong> as much as possible. \u00a0Get the exposure right. Get the depth of field right. Get the shutter speed right. Get the lighting right. The result will be a better photograph!<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean your job is necessarily done<\/em>\u00a0after\u00a0firing the shutter and capturing the image. So much of the fun of digital photography is the step that comes next. Granted it takes a bit of creativity and (even more-so) a mastery of the various software tools available. I highly encourage you to take the time to learn powerful tools like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Explore the various plugins currently available. Push yourself to go beyond just taking the photograph. Use your digital editing skills to make art!<\/p>\n

Since you can do so much with a digital photograph to edit and enhance it, or\u00a0perhaps even totally change it, sometimes it is hard to say “I am finished with this photograph.” The more proficient you become with your photo editing skills, \u00a0you will\u00a0discover new ways to edit your old photographs. You can even\u00a0combine different photographs taken at different times with different cameras.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n

Here is an\u00a0original image, as shot in-camera. It already is a good starting point. Nice dramatic light. \u00a0Nice composition.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The photo really is a good starting point. \u00a0I could just crop it a little bit, and it\u00a0would be fine as-is. \u00a0But, when I was shopping recently, I noticed a placemat that looked interesting, so I took a photo of it with my iPhone:<\/p>\n

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Then, with a little Photoshop “magic”, using layers, layer masks, blend modes, etc., I replaced the background with the placemat, just darkened a bit.<\/p>\n

\"photoshop.<\/p>\n

The point is, you can create all kinds of variations from an original image and it is a lot of fun just seeing what you can create. \u00a0Be creative. Open your mind to use most anything as a possible background.<\/p>\n

Use the tools at your disposal, Lightroom, Photoshop, and various plugins to enhance images. Don’t be afraid to combine images shot with a DSLR with images that were shot with an iPhone.<\/p>\n

I created one other variation from\u00a0the same original image. I cropped in much tighter and then used a plugin from Topaz Labs<\/a>, called ‘Topaz Glow<\/a>‘. \u00a0(At only $69.99, Topaz Glow is a great tool to have on hand.) Here are the results:<\/p>\n

\"topaz<\/p>\n

Or here is another example. In this case, I started with an image created in my studio during one of the Studio Lighting Workshops I teach. (Actually, ALL of these were shot by me while teaching a Studio Lighting Workshop.)<\/p>\n

\"portrait,<\/p>\n

I then went back through some old photographs I had taken years ago with a different camera while traveling through Austria and Germany. I found an image among those that would work well in\u00a0merging the portrait above.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With a little Photoshop editing, blending, masking, etc., here is the result:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here’s one more example. This image was also shot in my studio:<\/p>\n

\"dramatic<\/p>\n

I then grabbed this image from one of the photos from my Austria\/Germany travels:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then I combined the two images:<\/p>\n

\"dramatic<\/p>\n

Really, once you have taken the photograph, the fun has only just begun.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some of the tools you should check out for photo management, editing, and enhancement:<\/p>\n