The Magic of Photoshop!

I wasn't a photographer in the film age, at least not one who earned income from my photography. My father had a darkroom, enlarger, the chemicals etc. but for me it was just the joy of shooting then. Post-production work? What was that? In fact, I have no idea how editing was done then, if it was done, the way it can be done today. The digital age of photography is absolutely amazing! All the various software products available to a professional photographer can stagger your mind very quickly.

As a wedding photographer, I have learned to work very hard to anticipate the action and compose the shot in a manner that will allow the least amount of post-production work. Even still, the image may need some editing to create what the client wants to see in the final print, rather than what really happened. The two images shown illustrate that point. They also illustrate the magic of Photoshop. The client wanted the minister out of the final print. They also wanted the print to show the actual emotion of their first kiss as husband and wife, not a posed shot after the ceremony. SO, first you see him....then you don't.

Click on each image to enlarge and you will see the difference in the details of the edit. The print lab complimented me on the edited version. That made me smile and want to share!

Children are fun to photograph!

Beyond the terrible twos, in my opinion is the terrific three-year old. Inquisitive, alert, bright, fun-loving, gullible...it's all there! A three year old child is like a lump of clay. You can mold it anyway you want to. Tell a three year old that if they stick their finger in a bowl of water a magic fish will appear and SWISH, in goes the finger! Then down goes the head to take a look see. "Where is the fish?" is the immediate reply from the inquisitive one. As a children's portrait photographer, we sometimes have to use a bit of subterfuge to capture that golden moment. High-key photography (all white background) is popular with parents because it illustrates so well the purity and innocence of the child. I love it! And yes, through the magic of Photoshop, the fish does indeed appear, albeit not in the eye of the child at the expected moment, but in the finished photograph that will soon be hanging framed on a famly room wall or standing on an easel on the fireplace mantel. Family portraits are priceless, especially those that capture our innocence.

Happy New Year!

Receiving a thank you note.....nothing makes your chest puff out more than a great compliment from a happy customer. I received an email today from the mother-of-the-groom from a wedding I photographed during 2008. It reads....

"Hi Ambler, Tom and Susanne brought the album at Christmas and I am so pleased. I'm so glad I asked for help in laying it out, as I could have never been half so artistic. A friend just sent proofs of her daughter's wedding album, and you win, hands down! I appreciate your work. Judy"

I really enjoy creating wedding albums! This mother's email just made my day and has set the tone for what I believe will be a great 2009! Happy New Year!