Optimizing Images for Presentation by Bob Benson

We all have this same problem when evaluating our images: 

We can easily judge others works for flaws (perhaps too readily sometimes), but are blind to our own transgressions. How many times do you find yourself looking at a recent image, and jumping into it, eager to make software improvements before printing or sending it off to the web? Perhaps you remember the magic of the moment of the shutter click, or you are over whelmed by the beauty or uniqueness of the image in front of you. But did you see those little (and sometimes big) improvements or corrections that should be made first?

At my CAPS class, I will talk about the approach I try to use to prevent the above scenario. (It is hard to break habits, and like most people, sometimes fail at my own advice.) I am not talking about understanding the camera functions, or good composition; these are learned processes that are needed to start the digital process not covered here. I plan on discussing not only the approach to breaking the cycle of evaluating the finished results, but by process of examples, show some software techniques to improve the images that have worked for me in the past. No one person’s process flow covers the best for everyone by any means, but hopefully by showing these examples you can get revved up to the next level with your images, or find some technique that helps your process flow.

Below is an example of a before and after that I will show the steps I used to make the final image.

Bob Benson, APSA, is active in CACCA as a current board member and former president. He co-founded the first all digital camera club in the area thirteen years ago. He is also active in PSA as the chair of the international Inter-club Competition for Pictorial Image Division, and writes a regular column for the Journal on Lightroom.  He has received the Charles Stinson and Wanda Christl awards for his local contributions to photography. He started with version 3.0 of Photoshop, and he is still learning all its intricacies.

CAPS-Chicago Area Photographic School will be on November 21st and 22nd at Elgin Community College.  Check out the Caps homepage at:  Home

To register for CAPS go to:  Chicago Area Photographic School (CAPS) 2015 - RegOnline