iPhone and Photoshop

When I took my two younger children to the optometrist, I knew I had not done my photo of the day. This was weighing on me pretty heavy. This is one project I don't want to take too lightly. It is a promise to someone very important who doesn't like to know you have let something slide if not necessary. This is a promise I made to myself! So, I think I would know if I am trying to fool myself, at least some of the time.

Using the iPhone at first didn't feel right for this project. But with the help of my supporting wife, she helped me to realize that the equipment used is not as important as the experience gained from trying different things. That which I am not used to doing so that I may concentrate more on what I can gain from the ordinary. I have gotten some darn good images from my iPhone, and there has even been a trend that lends itself to the equipment for art! I saw an ad created for a windows phone, on a windows phone! I mean really, look what we can achieve here!

Anyway, I took numerous shots, most of which were quite blurred without the assistance of my tripod in low light. I did choose to work with this photograph and to see what I could obtain by using it. I brought it into Photoshop and created the light that seemingly comes out of the equipment lighting the eyes of my daughter's face. I decided to reduce the luminosity of the rest of her face in order to focus attention on her eyes (seemed like the thing to do). I desaturated the color, colored her eye, and softened the image using the Portraiture plug-in for Photoshop. I find this filter to be quite useful for smoothing skin-tones, but you have to be careful not to abuse this look, especially on males, as you don't want to get pigeonholed into one look. I finally sharpened the final image, but only slightly and warmed it up a bit to make it less green from the florescent lighting of the office.

I'll tell you, that is one of my pet peeves, using florescent lights! I know that it's greener for the environment, but it's also greener on the images I shoot! And having to photograph architecture for so many years, I have really lost some of the enjoyment good incandescent lights have. The warm, inviting mood and the ability to direct light where it is needed. Not just in photographs, but in the interior design as well. Everything is flat nowadays! It drives me besonkers! I digress...

Well, enough of the sermon. I hope this image at least opens you up to working within the scope of the equipment you either own or can obtain easily. Don't let that be something that stops you from taking on a challenge in photography. Work with what you have an d build from there. I'll yap a little soon, but enjoy you day!