In 1989, I was working as a journalist for a community newspaper. That meant a job description that went far beyond what it would have at a daily. Not only was I out and about interviewing and attending meetings, but also taking pictures. Back at the office I was not only busy writing and setting up appointments, but also developing the film I’d used, then printing contact sheets and photos for that weekly issue.
Those last responsibilities were short-lived as I made editor two years later and they were handed off to my reporter. However, I did get to keep a hand in things as I was still responsible for doing the reprints people ordered of photos they’d seen in the paper of Grandma Sue or Little Billy.
From the start, I loved those hours in the darkroom, locked away, earbuds filtering classic rock into my brain, making the isolation complete. I took pleasure and satisfaction in bringing the best image to that sheet of photo paper — dodging, flashing, burning — until it was as close to perfect as I could get it.
When the publisher came to me one day to say that we were getting this amazing program called Photoshop and our darkroom would now be obsolete I was sad. And a touch nervous. Though a firm believer in lifelong learning and well aware that an old dog can be taught new tricks, this didn’t mean the idea of doing so wasn’t slightly intimidating.
Well, no surprise, I came to love those hours at the computer, too. So much so that the idea of having a similar program of my own took shape early. The cost, however, was prohibitive at the time.
These days, for people who can’t afford costly, professional programs there are image editing software and online image editors there are affordable, even free. Here’s a great selection from our iCLIPART.com Pinterest pages:
