Over the last several months I've gotten into browsing the blogs of various talented gals who all take amazing amateur photographs of their crafts and creations. (Oddly enough, most of them are also Mormon, although I can't figure out if there's a connection there or not. Are Mormons really more craftsy than the rest of us? Do they take classes in letterpress and graphic design in between sewing sleeves onto tank tops and baptizing the dearly departed? If so, can I sign up? Also, their homes and clothes and children are all pristine and, it seems, perfectly color coordinated.
All the time. Like living, breathing spreads for a Martha Stewart magazine. It's unreal, truly.) So I've been inspired to pay more attention to the pictures I take, and next year a friend and I hope to take a photography class together. But there's only so much you can do with a basic point-and-click digital camera. So last week in a burst of inspiration and frivolity I ordered a new big-girl camera--a Nikon SLR with a couple of lenses. My excitement over its impending arrival on my doorstep via the friendy UPS man was shortlived, however, as the day after placing my order I was informed that they were oversold and on indefinite backorder. Arg. Since then I've been shopping around at other online camera sites, but for now I've decided to put it off until Christmas so that I can maybe solicit my loving family for contributions to my "new hobby fund" as Christmas and/or birthday gifts.
So since the camera is on hold, I've been fooling around with Photoshop a little bit more. This is one of my favorite candid shots from our wedding reception. Aren't they sweet? But Carol, I'm afraid, looks a tad....er....luminescent? In a word, the girl is
white (love you, CB!). And that thermostat on the wall had to go. But I still wanted Carol to look like herself and not 5 shades darker. So I did some subtle tweaking, and here's the result.
Better, no? Carol's skin is still a beautiful ivory, but she's no longer putting fireflies to shame or redirecting ships from the shore. And that thermostat has magically disappeared. Here are the side-by-side before and afters.
So since the camera is on hold, I've been fooling around with Photoshop a little bit more. This is one of my favorite candid shots from our wedding reception. Aren't they sweet? But Carol, I'm afraid, looks a tad....er....luminescent? In a word, the girl is white (love you, CB!). And that thermostat on the wall had to go. But I still wanted Carol to look like herself and not 5 shades darker. So I did some subtle tweaking, and here's the result. 
5 comments:
Nothing like a good friend to build up your self-esteem! Redirecting ships?!? Thanks, Spacelady.
:) XOXO
Lest anyone should think I'm a horrible friend, I should state for the record what I told Carol herself: in reality (and especially that day) both Carol and her skin looked gorgeous, as usual. It was the flash in this particular photo that washed her out so badly and, yes, did sorta kinda make her look like she was glowing at the intensity of a lighthouse. A stunningly beautiful lighthouse. A stunningly beautiful and smart and charming lighthouse.
Oh, and at Carol's request I will also mention that in the original photo Phil had a blemish on his cheek that I corrected in the revised version. So to be clear, Carol was not the only one in need of Photoshop assistance in this photo. Got it?
But Phil, I still think you looked tall and handsome and charming and so on and so forth, too. Like a big tall charming boat drawn to Carol's stunningly beautiful lighthouse-like glow. You get the picture....
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