The Art of Digital Photo Retouching

This is where photo retouching is introduced into the picture.?What exactly is photo retouching, and what exactly does it serve??It is possible to approach this issue from two perspectives and both are linked to each other.

Moving the Photo closer to the memories we have of it

1.) On one side, photo retouching is the art of taking the first photo and then working on it with various techniques to get it closer to the image we saw as we stood looking at that stunning scene.

Photo retouching that is applied to the situation described above is, for instance, the process of altering the image we have taken and bringing out certain aspects which were almost lost because of the limits of our camera.?It also allows us to increase the brightness of the image and make it more like what we see.?Retouching is essentially allowing us to create a photo and overcome any limitations on our cameras.?Retouching gives us the chance to attempt to bring the final image as close to the image we have in our minds.

Two crucial points:

A) Retouching, for one, isn't synonymous with Photoshop.?Photoshop is one of the most well-known of the tools that are used in this digital age to alter photographs.?Retouching is possible in many ways, whether using the various software applications available for purchase or through processing the digital outputs in various methods (such as scanning and printing the image multiple times, including physical intervention within the middle of an image to change various characteristics of the photo).

A) The second aspect is that whenever we talk about the things we've remembered from the scene, we must be aware of how we feel about this assertion.?It has been demonstrated that frequently when we think of an amazing natural landscape we will remember it to be more vivid and green in hue than it actually was. Therefore whenever we edit the photo, should we alter the output in order to match what we remember from the scene, or do we consider what is the actual appearance of the scene when we are standing in the front of it?

However, no one can define what the actual scene appears like.?Each of us will have the impression of seeing something is different.?What we will remember by our connection to the scene could be different for us all because vision is truly subjective.?(let's think of a person locked in a room that is completely red with nothing else to compare the hue to.?The individual will not be able to appreciate the red hue before we bring something to that he can compare it).

If we're doing photo retouching services for ourselves, we'll try to bring the image closer to the image we have in mind in our personal experiences.?If we're doing the image for someone other than ourselves, we could make the scene more similar to what's generally accepted as beautiful for this situation, or we could inquire from the person whose picture we're retouching to share the specifics of their perception of the scene, and alter the outcome in this direction.

Moving Beyond what we know

2.) On the contrary, retouching allows us to expand beyond the initial point and expand our perception in endless directions.?As we have mentioned before vision is a very personal thing.?We all recall the same scene in various ways.?The lush green vegetation is remembered by a few of us as having a more saturated color than others. Some will recall it as more yellow while others greener.?Some people will perceive the vegetation as more vibrant and darker, certain people will remember it as larger, while others will remember it as smaller.?It is a result of the biology behind our eyes as well as of the continual filtering the brain does to what we see in the surroundings.

The importance and impact that our various memories hold on our brains, we remember various scenarios in various ways.?This is why we can sum up the idea that once we have left a scene the way we remember it begins to become blurred.?The information we retain is a result of the processing and filtering done by our brains and the way our brains want to recall that particular input.?In the end, the majority of the information we recall has nothing to relate to the physical information we received before us.

The very same human characteristic which at first might seem a little odd is what fuels our imagination as well as our ability to think, invent, create and expand beyond what we can see.?It lets us blend with, connect, and create images and ideas that we've never experienced in reality.

Retouching is once more a effective tool.?It is not just possible to start with that first image that we took with the camera and get rid of the distortion that occurs naturally in our heads however, this time we are able to alter the image in any directions our imaginations suggest.

It is possible to make the blue shirt red.?It is possible to expand the forest of trees to make it five times bigger.?It is possible to build an ocean around our home or take a silhouette from the background to let it fly across the sky.?The possibilities are limitless.?In this perspective the retouching process is a great method of visualizing the possibilities of exploring, creating, and expanding your ideas.

Retouching, as described in these two ways is an art which requires conscious thought and decisions-making strategies.?It is important to determine what areas of the image we'll be working on and what kind of retouching will be used.?Are we going to do retouching which is not noticed and will only improve the image without drawing attention to it??Or is it editing that seeks to make the image something that is completely outside of our mind and will try to make it appear unexpected and fresh in a stylish manner?

An experienced photo editor handles the image in the same way as a skilled craftsman.?He is required to work with the electronic brush fixing, correcting, blending and altering the image using subtle techniques that gradually change the image just as sunsets or sunrise slowly shift into a different reality, without abrupt changes that be noticed.?The job of a professional Retoucher is similar to that of a painter, artist or sculptor.