rant

Observations from Photo Retouching

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Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of photo retouching, working with images shot by other photographers. Some of these photographers clearly know their craft because the images sent to me are extremely well done. The retouching required is usually adding or removing specific objects as requested by the final client.

On the other hand, some photographers are, uh, not as skilled. A significant portion of my retouching work involves fixing their mistakes and trying to compensate for their lack of expertise. But even after retouching, the final image may still be subpar due to issues like weak portrait poses, poor lighting, bad composition, or other problems that retouching can’t fix.

Retouching Family Portraits

Recently I worked on two sets of outdoor portraits, from two different families, shot by two different photographers.
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Retouching and Wedding Photos

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If your wedding photos will be important to you, hiring a professional photographer is essential.

Recently I received an email from a woman who wanted to retouch her wedding photos from this past summer. She hoped to create a wedding album in time for Christmas. She wrote that the pictures “need work and maybe a lot of work.”

After reviewing her wedding photos, it was obvious she was right. Her photos needed a lot of work.

Instead of hiring a professional, the couple had asked friends with cellphones to take the wedding photos. While that might have seemed like a fun and budget-friendly decision at the time, reality has now set in.
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Artificially Intelligent Mayor

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A photo from the published campaign platform of Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey. Uhhhh, do you notice anything wrong? If you do then maybe you should run for mayor. I see at least six things wrong, ten if you want to get picky (see the comment section below).

But maybe nothing is wrong with the photo. Maybe Furey is saying that having a third arm will make you more prosperous. Vote for him and get another arm!

Note: The link to the original version of the campaign platform no longer works because it has been updated. Care to guess why it was updated?

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A Good Example Of Bad Public Relations

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A 1950s public relations photo to publicize Dairy Queen’s banana drink in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. This Main Street ice cream shop still exists today but it’s no longer a Dairy Queen franchise. (US Library of Congress)

Public relations photography is, or at least should be, much more advanced today.

Today I received an unwanted press release from a Toronto public relations company. It was a good example of what not to do especially if you’re claiming to be a professional communications company.
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Window or Mirror?

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Some selfies can work out very well. This woman got a good experience being close up with actor Ryan Reynolds, a nice photo of the two of them together and, because of the first two, she undoubtedly has a good memory of the event. But many selfies turn out to be duds.

The purpose of a selfie with a celebrity is the brief(?) illusion that you and the celebrity are connected. You can bask in the reflected glory of the celebrity and the selfie is a trophy you can show others.
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Happiness And Photography

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People record a live event with their cellphones in Toronto, 2018. Instead of watching a real person right in front of them, many of these folks watched a one-and-a-half-inch digital version on their cellphone screen.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, I occasionally crossed paths with a certain other newspaper photographer when I photographed dress rehearsals for ballet and opera. After shooting a suitable number of pictures of a rehearsal, I would leave the theatre. But this other photographer always stayed behind. He put his cameras on the floor and watched the remaining rehearsal. I thought he was being lazy, just sitting there and not taking pictures.
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Yellow Brick Road Photography

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Queen Elizabeth II watches the 151st running of The Queen’s Plate horse race in Toronto, Canada, 04 July 2010. With the passing of the Queen and the accession of Prince Charles to the throne, the race will become The King’s Plate.

This is another view-from-my-office photo.

Most photography web sites are about equipment. I’m referring to photography web sites not photographer web sites. Such photography sites write about gear because it’s quick and easy.

There are some web sites that offer photography advice and instruction. But these “nuts and bolts” sites are superficial and intended for beginners. Quick bites of junk food. Tastes good for the few minutes you’re consuming it.

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