In my previous life I used to do a lot of flashing — in the dark.
For more than a decade I spent a good deal of time working with negatives in a cramped, rudimentary darkroom developing film and printing pictures for the weekly edition of our community newspaper. Of course, as the editorial staff generally considered themselves writers with a camera thrust upon them, a good photo often came after the fact. Flashing, fogging, dodging and burning were among the techniques used to turn a less than ideal shot into one deemed publication worthy. While these were generally effective, the degree of improvement was limited, especially in the confines of a deadline-burdened newsroom.
Enter the digital age and Adobe, the magic of which took us far beyond improving contrast and balance. Never to be forgotten was the day when, feeling a tad mischievous, our Photoshop guru switched the heads in a group picture. While it may have been done in fun it was the first serious realization of the potential now available at our fingertips.
That potential, of course, has continued to grow and be mastered by technicians, transforming great photos into glorious works of art. All in the bright light of day I might add.
To see just a small sampling of the amazing techniques that can be used check out these links:
Photoshop Special Effects Tutorials
Design Paragon 50 Photo Manipulation Tutorials
