Raw photo and selecting images, workshop task 6

For this workshop task I was asked to take an image in RAW format and use Photoshop to edit sad photo. I made numerous adjustments in Photoshop and ended up with these settings: temp 6600, tint +15, exposure +.025, contrast +10, highlights +92, shadows +26, whites +10, blacks +35, texture +21, clarity +1, dehaze -3, vibrance +58, saturation +7.

I felt as though the image was improved by cropping, allowing Rosie to be more visual in the shot. I also felt it was important to use the rule of thirds for this image as it is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The main difference I wanted to see in this image was colour, the first image looks “dull” and I wanted to capture vibrancy.

I began to develop my technique for choosing images after a long shoot. Originally while shooting I knew when an image wasn’t too good standard and liked to delete the image straight away; however this became time-consuming and I quickly recognised that I was deleting images that had good potential. I also recognised it wasn’t a good idea to select images immediately after a shoot as I didn’t have a clear enough head and often let good images slip through the cracks.
My process now is allowing myself an hour or two after a shoot before sitting down and working through my images. I make separate folders for images: final and possible. I delete photos I know I will not use and then look through the rest. Making separate folders allows me to carefully look between images before making my final decision.
I will often not delete images in my possible folder until post-production when I know I am happy with the chosen ones.

Reflection

For this workshop task, I originally struggled with the concept of taking an image in RAW format. Once I gained the understanding I then took the image and used Photoshop to make the required adjustments. To begin with I believed the photo needed to follow the rule of thirds and lacked colour. I made these adjustments and at the time thought they made the image look better; however, upon looking again at the images I recognise this isn’t the case. If I were to do this task again I would use less contrast and focus on colour-balancing the image. I would still crop the image and use the rule of thirds as I think this is more pleasing to the eye.
I think I would also take another photo, with a better background to allow the process of photoshopping to be easier.