Shoppin'

You don’t take a photograph, you make it.

~Ansel Adams

To photoshop or not to photoshop? That is the question. Ask 100 photographers how they feel about post-processing and you’ll get 100 answers. Some will argue that the sign of a good photographer lies in the SOOC (straight out of camera) shot. Why rely on Photoshop when there are so many possibilities using only your camera? “Don’t do it!” they insist.

If someone can take museum quality photos with nary an edit, they are indeed a far better photographer than I. I agree that the art of photography should likely be accomplished in the camera using its compositional properties, but I also believe a little tweaking never hurts. It can make a good photo a great photo. Heck, even before the advent of modern technology, the masters were manipulating their shots both in and out of the darkroom. Of course it’s much easier to accomplish today. All it takes is the know-how as to which buttons to push. Plus, it’s just so darn fun to see what Photoshop can do!

My approach to purchasing editing software is akin to the type of camera I use. Why spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a high end DSLR when I can get the same effect from the manual settings on my glorified point and shoot? While I’d love Photoshop CS, the granddaddy of imaging editing software, I am really stingy about handing over a fist full of Benjamins for it. For about one-seventh of the cost, Photoshop Elements (PE) is a great substitute. Until I’m up to speed on how it works, I’m happy with the less expensive version for my photography experiments.

I initially was intimidated by all the bells and whistles of PE, but dove in anyway. Much of what I knew was self-taught and resulted from a little bit of trial and a whole lotta error. But I knew I was underutilizing its features and barely scratching the surface of what it has to offer.

Enter Kim Klassen dot com. I don’t even remember how I stumbled upon her website, but Kim has proven to be a godsend with her post-processing techniques. She’s one of those people who embody the spirit of encouraging and assisting fellow artists by unselfishly sharing her talent and knowledge. Through her online courses, one of which was FREE! (you remember how I feel about free, don’t you?), she introduced me to things in Photoshop I never quite understood and many of which I never even knew about.

Her Skinny Mini tutorial is an introduction to the software, which addresses either PE or the full-blown CS version. The ten-day course is self-paced, which means you can do it at your convenience from the comfort of your own home while wearing bunny slippers.  Just sign up, receive a classroom password, review the videos, and go to town! She provides step-by-step instruction and the photos, and also offers a message board and Flickr group to which you can post comments and photos for feedback. It was nice to know that I’m not alone in my Photoshop ineptitude, and I found myself in the good company of some very eager-to-learn and creative people. I think I even picked up a blog follower! Woo hoo!

The course initially reviews the software desktop and menus, as well as basic functions like cropping and adding text.

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We then delved a bit deeper with layers (something which previously made my head swim) and textures.

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Words like opacity, dodging and burning suddenly began to make sense.

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And if you sign up for her mailing list, she’ll provide you with a new texture each week … uh huh, for FREE!

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I can't believe how much I learned in just ten days!

Have I mastered all the ins and outs of PE yet? Heck no! My post-processing skills will always be a work in progress, but I know where to turn to for guidance. Kim’s website is now my go-to for all PE questions. I realize post-processing isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a creative type like me and have jumped on the Photoshop bandwagon, be sure to visit Kim.