Many of you have asked how I edit my pictures - what software I use, what actions I use if any, etc. Hopefully this post will answer many, if not all of those questions! Comment with additional questions and I will answer in the comment section. Also, feel free to add your own knowledge, because I certainly don't know everything there is to know about Photoshop!
My short answer is this- I use Lightroom and Photoshop to adjust exposure and contrast, but I do not use actions.
Software
I use both Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Lightroom.
Adobe is up to CS5 now, which I hear is fantastic, but CS3 is sufficient for me, at least for now, and most earlier versions of PS are also sufficient for most photographers.
But from what I hear, if you are an amateur or casual photographer (or scrapbooker, or blogger), or just someone who wants to get their feet wet before they shell out a couple thousand dollars for CS5, Photoshop Elements is awesome and totally sufficient for editing photos (and all sorts of other photo-related things). And it's only $100.
I've never used Elements so I don't know it's limitations, but the most brilliant thing about Adobe is that you can download a FREE trial of any of their software and use it for 30 days. So, when you're ready, download Elements, play around with it for 30 days, then download CS5 for the next 30 and see what you think of both.
To learn how to use them, use the "Help" button within the software, google your questions, and watch YouTube videos about using Photoshop. Or, sign up for a class at your local camera store or community college.
As far as other software goes, I don't know much. I've never used Picnik or Aperture or. . . what else is out there??? But I HAVE used Picasa. . . and as fun as it is to play around and edit pictures with Picasa, trust me when I tell you that it does the most disastrous things to your photos. It compresses them. It ruins colors. If you actually make a print from your edits, you will be blinded by the ugliness. Play around if you must, but promise me one thing. . . . Before you save your edits, ALWAYS save copies of your original photos. Keep them in a folder and leave them untouched. Don't use something like Picasa alone to organize and edit your pictures, and definitely don't use it if you are a paid photographer.
Editing
I shoot RAW, mostly because I prefer the look of RAW, but also for easier editing flexibility. After a photoshoot, I import all of my images into Lightroom as DNG's (which are simultaneously saved on my hard drive), edit my favorites right there in Lightroom, delete anything not worth keeping, and export my edits as jpegs into their own folder. Then, if necessary, I take the favorites of my favorites into Photoshop and edit further.
When editing in Lightroom, and only when necessary, I might adjust the white balance, the exposure, the brightness, the blacks, or the contrast. If I have 10 similar images in a row, and they all need a slight adjustment in brightness (for example), then I will sync that adjustment to all 10 images with one click. And THAT is the beauty of Lightroom. (one of many beauties.)
In Photoshop, I use Levels and Curves to adjust my exposure. A slight S-curve, or just a brightening curve. (I love Photoshop because I think it does a superior editing job than Lightroom does, though I still love Lightroom and couldn't live without it.) I also fix blemishes one-by-one with the healing brush tool. That's it. Truly. No actions, no change in saturation, no filters.
Photoshop is brilliant, but I just don't have time to sit and Photoshop my life away. I have come to love my work without it. I expose the picture as perfectly as I can while taking the picture, and a good lens takes care of the sharpness and the vibrant color of the photo.
In the past, I spent an insurmountable amount of time in front of the computer and it just had to stop. Photography lost its luster when I was up until 3am editing every night. (I still spend some long hours working on pictures, but I have become more efficient since I keep my images uniform.) I never liked the crazy photoshopping trends, but in the past they did influence my edits (you will notice more contrast and darker blacks in my earlier images).
I like to keep the appearance of my images bright, consistent, and as timeless as possible. I know they aren't perfect, but that is my goal. I want to freeze a moment in time and have the picture appear exactly as I see it in real life. And I want it to happen in the camera, not in Photoshop.
Actions
I totally used to use actions, and they were super fun, but I don't use them anymore. They did teach me a few things. Actions taught me how to use layers and the effect of layer order, opacity, etc. They also taught me how to make my own actions. But eventually, they taught me that what I preferred was as little photoshopping as possible.
I have purchased actions from Totally Rad, Nichole Van, Itty Bitty, and Pioneer Woman (hers are free). I genuinely don't use them anymore. Try them if you like, but adjust to make them your own, stay away from trends, and be consistent.
***
I hope this helps! What did I miss???
My short answer is this- I use Lightroom and Photoshop to adjust exposure and contrast, but I do not use actions.
Software
I use both Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Lightroom.
Adobe is up to CS5 now, which I hear is fantastic, but CS3 is sufficient for me, at least for now, and most earlier versions of PS are also sufficient for most photographers.
But from what I hear, if you are an amateur or casual photographer (or scrapbooker, or blogger), or just someone who wants to get their feet wet before they shell out a couple thousand dollars for CS5, Photoshop Elements is awesome and totally sufficient for editing photos (and all sorts of other photo-related things). And it's only $100.
I've never used Elements so I don't know it's limitations, but the most brilliant thing about Adobe is that you can download a FREE trial of any of their software and use it for 30 days. So, when you're ready, download Elements, play around with it for 30 days, then download CS5 for the next 30 and see what you think of both.
To learn how to use them, use the "Help" button within the software, google your questions, and watch YouTube videos about using Photoshop. Or, sign up for a class at your local camera store or community college.
As far as other software goes, I don't know much. I've never used Picnik or Aperture or. . . what else is out there??? But I HAVE used Picasa. . . and as fun as it is to play around and edit pictures with Picasa, trust me when I tell you that it does the most disastrous things to your photos. It compresses them. It ruins colors. If you actually make a print from your edits, you will be blinded by the ugliness. Play around if you must, but promise me one thing. . . . Before you save your edits, ALWAYS save copies of your original photos. Keep them in a folder and leave them untouched. Don't use something like Picasa alone to organize and edit your pictures, and definitely don't use it if you are a paid photographer.
Editing
I shoot RAW, mostly because I prefer the look of RAW, but also for easier editing flexibility. After a photoshoot, I import all of my images into Lightroom as DNG's (which are simultaneously saved on my hard drive), edit my favorites right there in Lightroom, delete anything not worth keeping, and export my edits as jpegs into their own folder. Then, if necessary, I take the favorites of my favorites into Photoshop and edit further.
When editing in Lightroom, and only when necessary, I might adjust the white balance, the exposure, the brightness, the blacks, or the contrast. If I have 10 similar images in a row, and they all need a slight adjustment in brightness (for example), then I will sync that adjustment to all 10 images with one click. And THAT is the beauty of Lightroom. (one of many beauties.)
In Photoshop, I use Levels and Curves to adjust my exposure. A slight S-curve, or just a brightening curve. (I love Photoshop because I think it does a superior editing job than Lightroom does, though I still love Lightroom and couldn't live without it.) I also fix blemishes one-by-one with the healing brush tool. That's it. Truly. No actions, no change in saturation, no filters.
Photoshop is brilliant, but I just don't have time to sit and Photoshop my life away. I have come to love my work without it. I expose the picture as perfectly as I can while taking the picture, and a good lens takes care of the sharpness and the vibrant color of the photo.
In the past, I spent an insurmountable amount of time in front of the computer and it just had to stop. Photography lost its luster when I was up until 3am editing every night. (I still spend some long hours working on pictures, but I have become more efficient since I keep my images uniform.) I never liked the crazy photoshopping trends, but in the past they did influence my edits (you will notice more contrast and darker blacks in my earlier images).
I like to keep the appearance of my images bright, consistent, and as timeless as possible. I know they aren't perfect, but that is my goal. I want to freeze a moment in time and have the picture appear exactly as I see it in real life. And I want it to happen in the camera, not in Photoshop.
Actions
I totally used to use actions, and they were super fun, but I don't use them anymore. They did teach me a few things. Actions taught me how to use layers and the effect of layer order, opacity, etc. They also taught me how to make my own actions. But eventually, they taught me that what I preferred was as little photoshopping as possible.
I have purchased actions from Totally Rad, Nichole Van, Itty Bitty, and Pioneer Woman (hers are free). I genuinely don't use them anymore. Try them if you like, but adjust to make them your own, stay away from trends, and be consistent.
***
I hope this helps! What did I miss???
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2 comments:
I love this. I feel the same way about too much time editing. It's not worth it and they end up looking all fake. My favorite is when people ask " well you can change that around can't you, like make her smile in Photoshop?"
I don't have lightroom... though I would love it in the future. What software/program do you recommend for organizing your photos other than lightroom? I do own CS5... would you recommend me to just use bridge for organizing?
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