![]() ![]() The basic editing tools offered within Aperture (or Lightroom for that matter) have been more than enough since the introduction of such software. ![]() It simplified my whole workflow ten fold. When I shoot digitally now I am using Aperture to manage and adjust images as they come into the computer. There was a distinct decline in the amount of editing I would do within Photoshop. SO at any rate, setting all that work flow philosophy aside, I started to notice something over time. Let’s just leave the new wave of cell phone photography out of this one for now, feels like an entirely separate beast really. I have done my fair share of tweaks to images I would have otherwise lost in post but I would like to stress the value of understanding photography starting with the basics. Before you jump on the offense train of thought I would also like to mention that I am not at all ANTI post editing. This goes not only for Photoshop but for other applications such as Lightroom or Aperture as well which can be just as easily used and abused to lay it on too thick. This is not to discourage exploring, simply to raise awareness of a growing laziness attacking creativity. ![]() Heavy photo manipulation is often cause of a trend or a gimmick and I rarely see it lead to images having any more truth or fulfilling narrative within them. After being in the field for so many years it gets really easy to spot those who abuse these new technologies as an easy way create something that contains any breath of emotion. That said, I encourage those of you using Photoshop heavily in your post photo work to heavily offset average imagery before sharing it with the world should think seriously about the approach. It’s an often debated subject and I have no real answers outside of my own personal opinions but I can admit to strongly believing in a less is more approach to photography digital or otherwise. While some of you may feel as though digital tools amplify creativity I somehow feel as though it is stunting many young photographers growth and understanding of the art form. It makes me fear for the creativity within the medium. I have said it before, and I will say it again. But then again, I have been saying that for a while now yet they still manage to cram in some new tech that pushes photography more and more into a corner, leaving it’s humble roots hiding in the dark as it mangles the definition of a photograph to include any manner of heavy digital grooming. I am really not too sure what else they could add to it. My how it has grown, and my oh my has it had an ever increasing ability to cannibalize a niche in the marketplace.ĭon’t get me wrong, there are plenty of alternatives around for your average digital photo maker but not many as stuffed full and as bloated as Photoshop. To stay focused within this review I am zeroing in on the elephant in the room, Adobe Photoshop. Needless to say we have come a long, long way in the past ten years or so and design programs have grown increasingly powerful and make it easier and easier to do some really crazy things that once took a true mastery of the applications being used. It’s a bit hazy in my mind but something as simple as a drop shadow or embossing used to require an elaborate mess of alpha layer editing, selection masks, and effect trickery. Before then things were so much more convoluted. This is just before version four came along and changed everything with the introduction of layers. I remember clearly using photoshop THREE (even version one a small bit on an older computer in the corner of a computer lab) to create design in my first design course way back in high school. ![]() I know there are more and more of todays youth able to say that these days but digital imaging and me really do go way back. I have been using computers to edit images and design for as long as I can remember. Before jumping in it’s good, I feel, to offer a bit of background, and share my opinions on editing photos digitally. That wonderful piece of indie code is called Pixelmator. After seeing so much attention being drawn to the new mac app store I saw an opportunity to put my review/suggestion hat on and focus on an application I have been using more and more lately. ![]()
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