Before and After

When I started taking photos with my Nikon D40 I was thrilled with the quality of the pictures compared to my point and shoot camera.  I did minor editing in iPhoto and thought... "these are great photos!".  I still use iPhoto for minor editing on those large groups of photos from family events (i.e. The Birthday Parties, The Holidays etc.).  I still think my Nikon does a great SOOC (straight out of the camera) shot, but I have finally learned how photoshop can make a good picture become a great picture and sometimes, a piece of artwork.  Sure, it's still important to get a "good" picture to start with... photoshop can't fix out of focus shots (darn!).  So...  since I'm on summer break from teaching and I absolutely HATE being outside in the heat, (it's been over 90 for quite a few days now... which means I'm hiding in the AC!) I've had a lot of time to learn how to use that powerful piece of software called Photoshop.  I'm using the Elements version (which is plenty complicated enough for me!) and what I've learned has allowed me to create some really beautiful effects on my photographs.  I can correct lighting issues, make those colors pop and add interesting filters that changes a photo into a little piece of art. I thought I'd post a few before/after so you can see the difference.  It takes time to edit in Photoshop, but it is so worth it!  I can be working on photos for hours and it seems like minutes.  I hope you enjoy looking at my before and after photographs.