chuckography

Hmmmm, think maybe this was PhotoShopped?

PhotoShop is a software program that let's you manipulate a photo.

It has come to be a derisive term that implies "cheating" on the image.

But other "tweaks" can be done without using PS:

Increase/decrease contrast.

Make a photo lighter or darker or crop it for dramatic effect.

But, yeah, this shot has been doctored like crazy.

PS has a clone tool that let's you copy a portion of the image and place it somewhere else. Like left and right hands on the guitar player seen here.

It was an interesting picture because of the 3-neck guitar played by Eddie Vaan Shaw.

The top is a 12-string guitar and the other two are more traditional 6-string.

I felt the two on the bottom felt left out so I corrected it.

The "swaying" building in Prague, Czech Republic, was actually designed and built that way by American architect Frank Owen Gehry.

He initially named it the Fred & Ginger building, after the famed dancing duo.

I did not have to alter anything about the "Gum Trees" that drew the attention of tourists and locals and, finally, the City.

A man with a steam machine was hired by the city to clean poles on four corners by the Custom House and the Market.

Who knows how and why the stick fad started but it wasn't the kind of image Charleston strives for.

After getting them clean, a sign warned Gummers that they would be fined a thousand dollars if they stuck with doing this.

I DID add the caption over the head of a tourist.

The picture of a "relaxed" Mickey Mouse was not retouched at all.

This was a lazy street entertainer on a main street in Las Vegas that I happened to spot as a passerby dropped a tip.

While others had to prance and dance and pose to gather tips, this person (male or female?) found a position that Disney never would approve.  The blue beer bottle was a perfect touch.

This dramatic photo was not Photo Shopped.

However, the contrast was boosted and saturation was increased.

It's pretty close to what I saw when I captured a pretty awesome scene on the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Because that area was filled with tourists milling around at all hours, I simply tilted my camera up a bit and shot over their heads.

Guess that was fooling around with the image.

But simply a planned approach to crowd control.

Another thing to do when the shot you want is too crowded, just wait a few moments.

Crowds ebb and flow and there will be a time when you can have fewer people in the picture.

The long scenic street shot in Lisbon, Portugal, could have used some cleaning up with software.

If you zoom in, you'll see the front of that beautiful iconic yellow electric trolley is totally covered with graffiti that was scribbled, scratched and painted on.

On other shots, where I am much closer, I did use a "paint brush" tool from PS.

With it, I was able to restore the original, pristine look that you saw on Lisbon t-shirts.

(Click on the photos and links for more details.)

PhotoShop is simply a tool and certainly can be overdone, creating a false look.

On occasion, I am guilty of that.

Thanks for stopping by.

Labels: Charles Bridge, graffiti, iconic yellow trolleys, Lisbon Portugal, paint brush tool, PhotoShop. clone tool, Prague

posted by chuckography @ 12:12 AM