Photography Minute

I’ve talked about the difference between a snapshot and a photograph before (here and on EricBrown.com here and here).

I still take snapshots for the most part but I’m learning.  I’m also learning that I can take a regular snapshot and, using tools like Adobe Photoshop CS4 as well as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 , I can turn the snapshot into something that resembles a photograph.

Let’s look at an example.

I took this picture at the Dallas Arboretum last month:

Now….this picture isn’t bad.  Composition is OK but it really doesn’t “say” anything…its a snapshot of a rose.  Blah.

While looking through my pictures one day last week I decided to see if I could turn them into something more than snapshots.  I opened this picture in Photoshop CS4 and cropped it.

I then did some Selective Color adjustments and ran Nik Software Sharpener Pro 3.0 on it…and this is what I got:

Now…a more skilled and seasoned photographer might have been able to take this photograph without the aid of photoshop…but I’m happy to be able to find something this beautiful in a so-so snapshot.

Some may argue that this using tools to ‘make’ a photograph rather than ‘taking’ a photograph is cheating….I disagree…especially when someone is learning the art of photography. Think about the above example and the lessons I learned from it.   Next time I encounter a rose will I take the first snapshot or will I attempt to take the 2nd photograph?

Even if you aren’t skilled and/or experienced enough in the art of photography, don’t let that stop you.  Keep learning and shooting and playing with your digital tools and you might be able to take an average snapshot and turn it into a real photograph.  It’s OK to fail in photography (and in life)…just remember to learn from it.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sharpener Pro plug-in adds Lightroom support (macworld.com)
• Photoshop CS4 Photographer ‘s Handbook (oreilly.com)
• Review: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 (freelanceswitch.com)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom – How to Personalize Lightroom (5min.com)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom – How to Customize Preferences (5min.com)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom – How to Use Adobe Lightroom (5min.com)

Related posts:

1. Camera Dojo releases Monochrome Lightroom Presets
2. Dallas Blooms – More photos
3. Scott Kelby’s Lightroom 2 for Digital Photographers Book Review
4. My Digital Workflow – an intro
5. Richard Earney’s Inside Lightroom 2 Book Review