Do you adjust your photos?

[zannella1108]

So, I was reading a lot of the credits in this and other galleries over the years and I noticed that quite a bit of people do a lot of adjusting/special effects to their photos.. I only do this if the photo is too dark or too bright. Am I missing a HUGE piece of digital scrapping, should I be learning more about special effects??


Just wondering.......

Thanks for the feedback.

Kristen

[Julie DeGuia]

I don't think so. Like you said, I will adjust to make the photo look properly exposed and that is about it for me. However, there are some great photo overlays here in the store if you wanted to play... like the filmed photo overlays or the grunge photo masks.

[Britgirl]

hmmm... if I alter a pic in Lightroom, or with some overlay its because I'm creating a mood. I often have the 'exposure only' altered version and then the 'altered altered version ' as well.
Its another way of expressing your self , another part of art and experimenting.
If that makes sense.
dont feel you 'should do'
more that its fun to play.

[earlofoxford]

I usually tweak the photos I use in a layout -- adjust exposure, clarity, vibrance. It just makes them pop a little more.

[LauraBean]

I think it's a matter of taste. I shoot in RAW, so everything has to be edited somewhat. I use Aperture and typically boost definition and vibrancy as well as correct exposure and white balance as needed. For a certain mood, I may change to black & white or make other color changes, but more often than not I leave my photos in color.

I do think great photos make for a better layout, looked at objectively, and I enjoy image editing to a point, but in the end it's really about preserving your photos and memories and enjoying the process of doing so. If image editing is part of that--great! But if not--that's fine too!

[wendymck]

i use pioneer woman's actions to make the colors pop. i also rarely use flash so sometimes i have to adjust the levels and sharpen. but i keep it pretty simple....lightroom is like egyptian to me.

[readstoomuch]

Good thread Kristen. I mainly adjust my photos for brightness and I will crop to fit the need that I have in the layout. I don't know too much about adjustments other than that. I would love to have Lightroom someday to play around with ... I see some amazing photos that have been processed with LR.

[Mary Rogers]

I usually do a few presets using Lightroom...I don't shoot with a flash and usually need to make a few adjustments...

I am also hopelessly addicted to the Aged Photo affect...
I just love the Tones....

[mugsbigsis]

I have LR, but I only use it for organizing my photos. If I make an adjustment to a photo it is for proper exposure. I don't have the "know how" to adjust for portrait looking photos or color enhancing, but I'm one of those who likes to "keep it real." I don't cover scars or even whiten teeth because to me that is messing with history, so to speak.

I do, however love change photos to b&w or sepia, or use spot coloring or blending. They are great techniques for certain looks. B&W and sepia work great for creating "moods" and blending will hide a multitude of sins as well as create a certain mood or look.

There are some wonderful tutorials in the store that can show you how to achieve a certain look and they will have you thinking outside of the box with your pages.
Here are a few you can click on:









You can click on Digital Scrapbooking Tutorials on the side bar of the home page to see them all.

[elseepe]

I think that I edit every picture that I scrap, and I do more editing now that I'm scrapping digitally than I ever did before, but I think that's because I've learned a lot more. I have a P&S camera with a manual mode and I "hate" taking flash photos, so almost all of my indoor ones need some help. Most get levels adjustment, maybe saturation increase, maybe contrast adjustment, a little sharpening. I don't fix a lot of "flaws", but a few depending on the layout/pictures that are being used. Sometimes if a photo is really bad, I'll convert to B&W or a vintage sepia tone.

[beckie_weckie]

I love to edit my photos... I think it is more and more popular to do. Sometimes I get a really good photo and don't need to, but most of the time I edit in LR.

[Aino]

When I upload my photos, I use Lightroom.
I immediately go through the photos and mark the "useless" ones - afterwards I filter for these only and delete them from the HD.
Then I go through the rest of the photos and I generally *see* which photos I end up playing with - with lightroom and later photoshop.
Most photos I only adjust, usually with LR, saturation, vibrance, exposure etc.
For other photos I try out some presets and see what I like.

For photos I like, I often save several versions of them.

When I upload in Photoshop, I have a bunch of actions I also can run if I feel like the photos need *more*, or if I have not run any LR on them.
I have a bunch of actions that are commercial, but actually - some of the best actions are for free - such a s Pioneerwoman's - they are very good. There is also Coffeeshop Free Actions which are good.

Even though I have a very good camera and most photos are perfectly *acceptable* straight out of the camera - I feel they look better with a bit of editing, a little more pop.

[bluelemur01]

I honestly feel you're not missing anything as long as you're getting pictures to save for posterity, pictures that are exposed well enough and are sharp enough so you can see the beautiful faces of your family & friends.

BUT...on the other hand...speaking as a professional photographer, yes! You're missing out, at least a bit! There are so many way to make a photograph really pop, even if the SOOC (straight out of the camera) shot is very good to start. I shoot RAW and will adjust these things for most of my shots: exposure (lighter or darker), blacks/levels (adjusting the color range & tones), sharpness (making the overall picture sharper, or sometimes sharpening only parts of a photo.) I also will crop and straighten as necessary to get the right look that I want.

I find that editing my pictures makes them more eye-catching and draws the viewer more quickly to the important part of my picture. Also, special effects can just be FUN. And they can turn a so-so picture or a blurry picture into something really interesting.

It can go both ways. Many scrapbookers start getting into photography because they see others doing effects that they want to mimic. And many photographers get into scrapbooking because it's such a great way to save your best photos.

If you're interesting in doing "fancy dancy" things like making a photograph look like cardboard, a water-color painting, funky with odd colors, over-saturated & supersharpened, look like a pencil drawing, look old/vintage, have an awesome black/white conversion, there are some GREAT books and tutorials you can find to learn these techniques. I like Scott Kelby's books on Photoshop, and I often seach the web looking for free tutorials on how to do various techniques.

Is there a specific technique or thing you'd like to learn? If so, there are tons of people here who can help out. The store here sells tutorials on various techniques, so I just have to let you know that people won't be able to give you specific instructions in this thread on those techniques because it's considered "poaching" on the tutorials, lol. But we can give you hints on which tutorials to get, if you want to get some, or we can give you tips on what to search for on the web.

J

[hguenthe]

For me, photo editing is as fun as scrapping so is definitely part of my process on 95% of my photos. It has given me another creative outlet to give my photos a bit of a treatment which I am beginning to recognize as my own... not to mention, it allows me to correct all the things I know I should do at the time of taking the photo but often don't & just take the photo to have it & fix later.

[carollee]

This is really interesting, because we've been talking about photography at work, one of the ladies in the office and myself as we're both really keen about taking the best photos we can (she doesn't scrapbook, can't help bad luck! LOL)

Anyway in our discussions we were talking about photo editing and one of the fellows overheard us and he was shocked as to him we're changing history, particularly if the sky wasn't a particular shade of blue, or we cloned out a branch in the background or whatever.

And I started thinking what world is he living in, if he thinks everything he sees in magazines and books are real.

Gave us both a giggle anyway.

[Amson]

I love playing with photos and make some adjustments to most photos even just to brighten a little. I use PSP and although there are some actions, I prefer the fun of experimenting myself.

I love your comment Carol re lack of reality in magazines etc. One of my favourite sites with a cup of tea on a Saturday morning is Photoshop Disasters. (PhotoshopDisasters) It has especially been a real eye opener to my teenage daughters who now know that everything they see in magazines is manipulated. Want cleavage - airbrush it in, want long legs - stretch, clear complexion - smooth etc etc. And the mistakes show more what is trying to be achieved than the photos you "believe" have not been touched.

[zannella1108]

Wow! thank you all so much for your input.. thanks Kelly for the tutorial links.. i will definately check them out.

Jennifer, I would LOVE to be a prof. photographer... i take a lot of photos for my family and I think some of my photos are good (i prefer candid rather than posed).. but I always feel like I could things to the photo that make the POP!

I have used B&W, sepia, and a few other different overlays and I have taken out a few blemishes but not in my kids, just adults..

I think I want to try LR - never heard of it, but I would love to learn how to make the sky a tad bluer or the sunset a bit more orange, etc..

Thanks again for all your input.. cant' wait to get started!!

OH.. and i have P&S camera now but would love to get a Digital SLR someday, I think I could so much more.. like make the pumpkin the focal point and my son's face blurred for instance (i suppose once I learn CS4 i can do more on that front as well) I have PSE now....

Kristen

[DebbieHodge]

I am a frequent photographer, esp of candids and everyday life, but I am not a great phographer. And I just don't have a big interest in learning how to be better right now. Also I've started using photos from iphone so that I don't have to lug my camera everywhere.

The Pioneer Woman actions that Wendy mentioned are free and I used them for the last year on most every photo -- to boost, lighten, sharpen --- whatever was needed. Really liked them.

I tried Lightroom and didn't have the patience to learn it -- plus it wouldn't work with my network drive and that made it close to useless to me since I'm constantly moving between two different computers.

This summer I splurged on Totally Rad Actions (original and revenge sets) and I cannot believe how much time they save me and how many photos they've rescued for me. LOVE these actions. so easy to lighten (or darken) an area of a photo (think face in shadow). Also the pro retouch works magic on faces ---- but in a very subtle way (I think of all the time I spent with the clone tool, the heal tool-ugh). Then there are many different ways to pop, convert to black & white, get many other effects.

So,yes, I edit my photos!

[anke]

I always adjust mine in LR, since I shoot in raw, but also because it's fun.

[deanie]

It very interesting that so many people have the idea that post processing photos is new, or somehow dishonest. Photos have been post processed since the beginning in the dark room using burn, dodge and other techniques to make them just a little better. Now we have wonderful digital helpers, many that have been mentioned already. The thing that has helped my photography the most though is learning the basics about what makes a great photo. I have learned so much here from Katrina and others. I'd highly recommend her class at "Get It Scrapped" and then Lynn's Digital Editing class as it's complement.

[katrinak]

Thanks Deanie I have a new class in October, Capture Your Kids Through The Lens. So excited for this one and the wonderful guest photographers helping me out! Watch for the big blue eyes in the gallery ads!!

[carollee]

Carolyn I hadn't seen that site before, it's giving me a giggle. Thanks!!

[michelleL]

Thanks everyone for your info. I downloaded a trial of Lightroom & a few preset from the Adobe site and I am amazed at the effects on my photos! Wow, they really do pop! The Pioneer Woman website and actions were cool too and I laughed til I cried looking at the Photoshop disasters webpage. Thanks again!

[zannella1108]

okay, i cannot wait to take Katrina's class - when does it start and how do I find it? And all the other classes - now i just need the time! Thank goodness for babysitters!

I did a xmas card last year for my nephew and did it b&w but made his eyes bluer (it took me FOREVER!) I would love to know a simpler way to do it..

[katrinak]

You'll find my class at Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped website. It starts Oct. 12th! Look forward to having you!

Lynn just started a great class on Fun Photo Effects which includes some great DD product too!

[annaaspnes]

Originally Posted by Britgirl

hmmm... if I alter a pic in Lightroom, or with some overlay its because I'm creating a mood. I often have the 'exposure only' altered version and then the 'altered altered version ' as well.
Its another way of expressing your self , another part of art and experimenting.
If that makes sense.
dont feel you 'should do'
more that its fun to play.

Totally agree! There are no rules. Do or don't as you please.
I often use curves to just lighten my photos. You can get so enthralled by special effects and messing with your photos that you don't get around to scrapbooking them

[geekgirl415]

I think it's funny how many of us avoid using the on camera flash!! Guess we're Available Light Only Snobs (ALOS)?? I know i am.
Of course, a speedlight is on my wishlist.

I process all of the photos I use but am currently overwhelmed and looking for any shortcuts - I have all but stopped my P365 photos, have 10 days of Hawaii to process and about 75 Bachlorette Party pics to process and avoiding it.... anyone ever get tired of the processing? Is there a way to "crop/run an action/save for web(adding watermark too)/save as .jpg" a batch all at once?

[thyme4me]

Another Totally Rad Actions user here along with Debbie. I bought these about two years ago and use them regularly. Check out their recipe page.
They offer samples. Totally Rad tutorials are helpful and they their own page on youtube for more tutorials.

Today there are having a one day sale. So check it out!

[katrinak]

Originally Posted by geekgirl415

I Is there a way to "crop/run an action/save for web(adding watermark too)/save as .jpg" a batch all at once?

LightRoom Synch

[cheska99]

For me editing photos and creating layouts, both with Photoshop, feel like two different processes. Sometimes I'm more in the mood for playing with the photos in raw or with actions but most of the time I'm more in the mood for playing with the layout.