Before & After (And a little FAQ...)

I did some Q &A's a few weeks back and had a few questions come in late, so I am sprinkling them around in some posts so everyone still gets their questions answered!

How did you develop your editing style?

Well... it just sort of happened. It was an evolution of tastes, and an evolution of skill. As my mental formulation of how an image should look post-processing became more sophisticated... my ability to achieve that mental image became more possible. Everything I do or have done is self taught. I've bought a few books here and there but I have found the internet to be a much more resourceful tool.

When I started out, I was always annoyed by low-contrast black and white images. (So much of how I get into things is because I am annoyed how others do things... LOL Control freak? Hmmm, not sure, but I know I am somewhere on the road to Crazyville. [And if you have any doubts, just review all my posts about my cats; particular the one where I took them to see Santa "Claws" at PetSmart...]) Anyway, by just pittling around with the photo software my computer came with, I learned how to adjust the contrast. And with that, the editing freak was born.

I didn't invest in PhotoShop until the summer of 2008 if you can believe it. Before then I used some random software, which again, came with the computer I used. I thnk it was called Microsoft Picture It! Premium Pro 10... or something. Anyway, it worked great and I had a difficult time unclentching my fingers from the totally outdated program when I replaced my computer. I eased myself into PS by first working with PS Elements, which is where I learned about layers... which if you know anything about PS, is like a revolutionary lightbulb exploding in your mind when you realize all that you can do with layers! I downloaded actions here and there, made some of my own, and as always, fiddled with my contrast, as well as just experimenting with random things. Just like how I learned to use a camera, I learned to edit by pushing buttons and seeing what would happen. Now I can "drive" PS just like a stick shift... (Of course, I'm crappy at driving stick, I'm pretty much guaranteed to kill the motor at 70% of all intersections, but you know what I mean!)

Here's a couple of Before & After examples. The first is from Miki & Sean's maternity session just from this Sunday, and then next is a totally anicent example from early 2008 I think... Things have changed, but they also have stayed the same. I like bright colors, sharp focus and honing in on tiny details... There is consistency in the chaos... Just gotta put your bifocals on to see it. :)

On with the pics!

Miki & Sean, SOOC and PP:

and my 2008 bride, Before & After:

PS: What do you think of my new logo-stamps on the top two pictures of Miki & Sean?
I'm working on writing my own PS Action to resize and stamp my pictures for the blog... I think it looks super cute and professional, don't you think? Like a REAL grown up! :-O I just worry it's too easy to crop out if somebody tried to steal it... (Constant issue in this industry...SIGH!)