.Before & After Blog Hop.

I keep going back over the 900 plus images from the engagement shoot I did a few weekends back. I keep coming up with new shots that beg to be edited. This entry was one.

What I love about post-processing is the artistry. Now I know, and am the first to admit, I have a long way to go here, but I love taking an image and creating something beautiful, something.... more. I know in order to do this one must start with a good image, and I am working on that.

Before:


With this image I really wanted the person viewing it to notice the details - the curve of her cheek bone, his freckles, the shadows that accentuate the contour of their faces, her lashes, etc. I am not sure if I accomplished that or not. But I hope when you look at this portrait you feel the emotion, the intensity, the love in that moment of time that I saw through my lens.

After:


I hope I forever captured for Roger and Bethany a moment in time that is unforgettable.

I used my beloved Roxy (my Nikon D5000) for this shot with a Nikkor 18-55 mm lens. I edited in Photoshop CS3.

To see the artistry of others or to join in yourself head over to Monica's.

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.Before & After Blog Hop.

If you are not familiar with this hop, please check out Monica's blog here. I have found this hop to be a really fun way to express some creativity in my edits and get some new, fresh ideas from looking at other people's edits.

So if you have a photo and love to edit, you should hop in! Even if you don't it is fun to look at all of the photo entries.

My boy has been suffering with allergy problems the past few weeks, so he has needed extra snuggle time with Mommy. We were snuggled together on the couch as he was sniffling, and I happened to get a candid photo of us - taken on a whim.

After looking at the SOOC shot, I thought I might be able to give it a more "portrait" look with my edit, so I gave it a whirl.

Before:


After:


I edit with Photoshop CS3.
I shoot with Roxie, my beautiful Nikon D5000 and used a 18-55mm Nikor lens - which I LOVE.
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.Before & After Blog Hop.

If you enjoy editing your photos, you should really give Monica's before and after blog hop a try! Click here to enter or see the other edits!

I have been working really hard learning the ins and outs of my new camera, and I have been delighted to be able to capture catch lights with her! This photo is one of my first captures of catch lights. I know it would have been better if I had Scotty looking into the portrait rather than out, but this was a candid. {grin}

SOOC shot:


Edited Version:


(I edited with Photoshop CS3)

.Before & After Blog Hop.

Every Thursday Monica over at Pixel Perfect does a really fun photography blog hop.

Here is my SOOC shot.
I loved the emotion captured in this shot, but it needed a boost with editing. (I am still getting used to my new camera.)



Here is the after. I was going for a moody, portraiture, vintage post card type look. Ha!



(I edited with Adobe Photoshop CS3)

Head over to Monica's to join in the fun!

.Before & After Blog Hop.

I did this last week and thought it was fun. Since I am short on time today, and cannot fully articulate a coherent post, I thought I would join in the blog hop again! I really enjoy looking at all of the other edits. This blog hop is hosted by Monica at Pixel Perfect. I found her blog a few months ago, and I have so enjoyed reading her posts and "oohing and aahing" over her photography.

Post-processing is almost as intriguing to me as actual photography. I really love taking a photo and turning it into a work of art - or trying to anyway! I have enjoyed experimenting with textures since discovering them this summer. I still have so much to learn. Just when I think I am getting the hang of it, I discover something new to try. I think that is what I love the most. The ability and freedom to create and recreate, and how it just never ends and every artist is different.

This photo was taken along with these shots here. That was such a fun time with Cadi. I took her onto our front porch, just as the sunlight was perfect, and I told her to "do whatever you want". She was silly, and cute, and sweet. We giggled and played while I snapped. It was perfect. I captured the essence of Cadi. I captured the four year old sweet girl whom I want to remember forever, and I can and always will whenever I look at these photos. I am sure when I am old and gray I will still be able to hear her magical little girl giggle when I gaze on these images. It's one of my most favorite aspects of photography- a tangible memory to hold onto forever.

I was going for an artsy shot here. Cadi had no idea where my camera was aimed, and she was being silly and jiggling her whole body. The shot had too much movement in it when I pulled it up on my computer, and I was disappointed in it for a moment.


Then I saw it for what it could be. I saw the artistic beauty in the movement and softness in the photo. It just begged for textures and moodiness. I cannot remember all the steps I took to get from the before unedited shot to the post-processed one. I know I added a lot of warmness to the photo, and I also added at least three textures. Yup, I am that kind of girl! Ha! I tend to go overboard, but I ended up really liking the final outcome.



I like the mood and darkness of the edit. I also really like the vintage-y look - it added dimension, and it seemed to make the photo tell a better story.

I currently use Photoshop CS3 to edit my photos. I am a work-in-progress. {grin}

.Blog Hop - Photo Edits.

Monica over at Pixel Perfect is hosting a really fun blog hop today where we can show off an edit to a photo. Head over to her site to see all of the fabulous edits, and then join in yourself! Let me know if you join by leaving me a comment as well - I would love to see your edits.

I am still a newbie when it comes to editing, and at times I have a heavy hand. I am working to take better photos and therefore edit less. It is addicting to edit, though. I like the creative artistic side of it. I currently use Photoshop CS3 for my post-processing. I am not good enough at it to explain every step along the way. I stumble through each photo until I get it how I want it, but then have no idea what I just did! Here is a shot of Cadi that I have not shared yet from the group of shots that I shared here. It wasn't a great shot - not focused - so it's not sharp. Rather dull. However, with an edit it is salvageable. It's still not the best from the group I shot that day, though. {grin}

Unedited Photo:


Edited Photo:


I cropped this a little too much probably as the end result became a little soft. I tend to do that, and need to be more careful.

Cannot wait to see all of the other edits!