A Little Post Processing

I've started to delve into the world of "Post Processing!"  Very scary, indeed!  What I mean here is that I'm taking on the task of learning how professional photographers do simple (or major) tweaks to their photos, for the best possible shot, using programs like GIMP or Photoshop!  It's interesting, though..... When I did 35mm Black and White back in the day, there wasn't much "fudge room."  You had to make sure that shot was exposed and composed PROPERLY, or you had a "helluva" mess in the darkroom.  Sure, we had "old school Photoshop" in the darkroom, which mainly consisted of different light filters and some tweaking on the Enlarger, but that was about it! 

This new world of Digital Photography opens up so many possibilities for editing, tweaking and/or doing some major overhauls on photos.  On the other hand, it kind of cheapens the deal for me.  With 35mm photography, you had to get the photo right the first time, or you had to shoot an entirely new roll.  Now, even mediocre shots can be GREAT shots with some Post Processing work.  Photoshop isn't a cure-all, though.  You may be able to eek out some great photos by adjusting the light, hue, saturation, etc., but a bad shot's still a bad shot.  Photoshop surely won't recompose a better shot for you, and if it ever does, I think I'll go back to my trusty 35mm SLR!

I'm not big into heavy editing because I prefer a more natural look, but here's what some SLIGHT adjustments can do:

Set 1

Set 2

This one really "pops" with a few adjustments!  This was shot in shady 4pm light, so it really benefitted from some fill lighting!

Set 3

Set 4