5/6/2018 0 Comments Editing verses photoshop!Good morning. Today's topic is on photoshop. I really feel the need to cover this subject, and look at it from different points of views. All the topics I cover, I always cover them from different aspects, and try to keep out emotions as much as possible. There are so many levels of photoshop, different techniques, different processes, different software, different editing apps, and difference is personal taste. Before you ever even book a date with a photographer you've never worked with before, ALWAYS research their past and current work. Ask a variety of essential questions. Do NOT wait until during or after to ask important questions, or go over your goals for that particular shoot. To be on the same page, and assure you'll receive the quality and style you desire, ask several questions, and show image examples to your photographer. Unfortunately I've done the research 1st, asked the essential questions, and shown exact examples of what I'm looking to create, and the goals I'd like to achieve, for that specific shoot, and did not receive what was expected or planned. But, for the most part, that is a rare occurrence, researching and communicating in detail has worked 7, or 8 times out of 10. What I've never once in all my years of modeling, heard a photographer say, no they can't produce that level of quality. Yes, I've heard, they are brand new to pinup, brand new to the world of publication, or that they won't shoot sexy content. But, no one has ever looked at the examples I've sent, before the shoot and after researching them, and been honest and said they are unable to produce that quality. So, that's when trust comes into play. I've seen good to great quality photography, maybe not excellent, fabulous, flawless, and extremely high quality, and of course expected that same level of quality, however I received a lower, or even much lower quality. Again, it's rare but it's a chance taken, and thars why I began showing exact examples. If you are a professional model, I can think of a million styles of modeling that, definitely require editing. Obviously in the world of publication, it's not only standard, it's a requirement and demanded! When I think of actual photoshop, I think of a higher skill level needed, different software often expensive, needed. I think of special effects, adding props, taking away props, making the models body parts bigger or smaller, adding a curve to the waist or back, changing her hair or eye color. And when I think of photoshop, I also think of the process of extracting the model, then placing her on a different background. That can take real skill, real time, and not with regular retouching software. There's no way I'd ever expect images with special effects, extracting me, or seriously altering my body parts or shape, unless #1 I already see that in their port, or #2 we've discussed that and agreed upon that. I had a photographer, I've worked with countless times, tell me he can do photoshop well, and extract me to place me on a different background. Well he did that, but the extraction wasn't smooth looking, and I wasn't correctly proportional to the background. I blogged yesterday about minor editing verses advanced editing. Minor flaws that can easily and quickly be removed, don't require photoshop and a high level of skills. Removing small wrinkles from the skin or outfit, removing the shine on skin, removing harsh lines under the eyes due to poor lighting, fly away hairs, blemishes, small scars, veins, uneven skin tone, clothing tag, run in stockings,..... in professional photography those are considered minor things! They are common and standard to edit, and it doesn't take a whole lot of time. Try adding a curve to the waist area, still keeping the background looking natural. Try extracting a model smoothly, and placing her on a realistically looking background, with the correct proportions. Try removing props, or adding them. Those things are advanced editing, not standard and common, an takes more skill to produce. To say, an image that had minor, common and very much standard editing, looks fake. My response is, " that's kind of the point "! I don't want to look, " real ", if that means leaving tiny but visible flaws! ANYONE can research my past and current work, anyone can clearly see the quality level of my images is high, anyone can see I'm a highly published, professional pinup. If editing the model, even lightly and removing minor but visible flaws, is something you can't do or are against, TELL YOUR CLIENTS BEFORE THEY BOOK YOU! Or simply decline the shoot, so easy to be honest. Why waste your time, and end up with an unhappy model, who feels her time and money was wasted?!!! Save them the disappointment, by turning down the shoot If there were no middle ground between looking quote unquote fake, verses natural and real, I'd definitely choose fake! However, in my opinion there is a middle ground. Smooth, flawless looking skin, no tiny flaws left, but by facial features haven't been altered, my body hasn't been altered, my hair color wasn't changed, I wasn't extracted, etc. I'm gonna go out on a limb here. 90% of models want smooth looking skin, in their images. I've never in life heard a professional model say, " keep my scar there, keep my veins there, keep my bruise there ". YES, I'm positive there are plenty of models who do say, keep those flaws there, however I've never personally met a single one, out of dozens of models I've styled and or photographed. No fashion, bridal, fitness, glamour, catalog, pinup, or lingerie model who's shooting for magazine publication, wants or expects visine flaws to be left in every single edit. Why call them edits, if flaws are left?! No magazine, at a professional level no matter what style, wants images edited or unedited, that have visible flaws! If you are against editing or actual photoshop, or you can't do minor editing, DON'T work with professional models who want publication, don't submit to magazines. It's really, really just that simple. If my client shows me a hairdo I'm unable to do to a high quality level, I won't agree to doing it! My clients aren't paying me to wing it, experiment on them, or expecting a lesser quality than what I advertise with, on social media. They see high quality and their personal taste comes into play. If removing skin blemishes, small scars, fine wrinkles, tiny veins, and smoothing out all the visible skin on the entire body, is looking, " fake ". Then either you try and do it better then show me, or YOU in fact have an issue with editing. I have absolutely no use at all for unedited images of poor quality. And images with such minor flaws, must be edited, period! The thing that slightly upsets me, as I close this topic and deal with my emotions based upon the facts above,.... how are you telling me you've researched my work, which means you saw high quality photography, and saw that I've been published in the top pinup magazines in the world, why book a shoot with me if you're against editing, or don't have the neccessary skills to achieve high quality, PUBLICATION quality edits? That's what I do now when someone makes no sense to me, I ask questions. You researched my work, I showed example images before the shoot, and somehow you thought leaving visible flaws would be ok? After seeing my past work and the quality, you still felt comfortable providing me with images that look completely unedited? Why? If personal taste means you're against minor editing, that's totally standard, leaving lots of flaws that can easily be removed, then don't plan to ever work with me, or work with me again, please. I doubt even without being highly published and 43 covers, I'd ever be ok with tiny flaws being left in, supposedly edited images! Know your abilities and communicate that. I'm NOT A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER! In this image, I see tiny flaws, and yes it's an edited picture. Am I happy with it overall? Yessss! It's a self portrait, and I can have a professional digital retoucher make it look totally flawless, if I wanted to. I know my capabilities, and in not going around calling myself a professional photographer! Pinup Talk host Dianna Prince Vintage Stylist Dianna Prince Atomic Jane Clothing
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