Editing

[melissa_offman]

<p>Hi... I recently started getting into weddings. I am a serious photography lover and teach myself everything as I go along which is difficult at times! I really want my photos to be nice for the couple I did a wedding for, and they are quite nice, however I want to edit them properly and do some nice stuff to them. I am working with Photoshop Elements. Can anyone tell me how to edit a photo using Elements where the picture looks very high contrast, the colors are very bright, like fashion magazine style. I am not sure how I would post a link to show you what I am talking about but picture a high contrast style fashion wedding style photo where it the colors are very vivid and bright. I see a lot of wedding photographers doing this and have no idea how to do it. Also, is there a version of Photoshop that is better than what I have but not too expensive? Can someone give me some advice on editing photos and what they would suggest to make a nice wedding photo edit. All suggestions are welcome. Thanks so much.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Mellisa -</p>

<p>Easiest question first - Unless you're a student or a teacher - the answer to the Photoshop (Cheap) question is No. Don't be sucked in by the EBAY sellers saying that they have legit copies of PS 4 for $199.00 - They're not legit and Adobe won't help or support them. Elements gives you about 80% of what PS does (IMHO) - What it doesn't give you (easily) are some of the different channels and selections to balance different colors.</p>

<p>My basic editing tool is Alien Skin Exposure - it allows you to do a lot of things color, contrast and sharping wise to photos. You can get a 30 day (i think) trial copy and if you like it the cost is about $200.00 (not real cheap, but not a budget breaker either.)</p>

<p>Also - check out the various wedding photography books at Borders or B/N. They have a lot of tips for editing in some of them...also Scott Kelby's Photoshop Books have a ton of tips.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[hal_b]

<p>You're just beginning to scratch the surface of post processing. Any meaningful answer will be hundreds of pages long. What I recommend is finding some literature that explains how to perform edits to a photograph that will enhance them, rather than make your pictures worse. Post Processing is a delicate art, and is way too easy to do wrong. Go to Barnes & Noble or your local equivalent bookstore and browse through the digital photography section until you find a book that speaks to you. I personally don't think there are any shortcuts that will magically make all your pictures perfect.</p>

[jennifer_spencer]

<p>You might also want to download the 30 day free trial of Adobe Lightroom and try that. What is great about it is that you can apply the same settings you just created from photo A to photos B-Q if you want to. It's about $300 unless you are a student somewhere, or otherwise employed by a school, in which case it's $99. Lightroom has some pre-loaded settings for vivid color, high contrast, or punchy photos. </p>

[nuzumphoto]

<p>There are a lot of unknowns here. The photos themselves will dictate a lot of what you can do. It would be pretty difficult to layout...do A...then do B...then do C...without having seen the photos.</p>

<p>The suggestions above are the best. Get a book, learn some, and find what works best for you and your photos.</p>

[rocky_g.]

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<p >Try lynda.com. It has video tutorials on any program you can possibly imagine to enhance or retouch images. Many of the Photoshop tutorials are done by Chris Orwig who is an instructor at Brooks. I found this site to be invaluable when it comes to any postproduction issues. It also keeps me up to date on any changes or improvements in new versions Photoshop, bridge, or lightroom. The info on the site seems to be endless. </p>

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[farceur_coince]

<p>Lightroom Beta 3 is available for free until April 3... it's a beta version, but completely free and legit.</p>