Hey Everyone!
Hope you are all doing good! Over the last 6 months or so I have been experimenting with my retouching. Photographers will probably understand where I am coming from but after some time I get tired of editing the same way. That time came for me a few months ago and I decided I was going to try new things. I watched Youtube videos for days, researched other photographers and read some books and then I started up Photoshop and took some old shots and started experimenting. I also started using my Wacom tablet and oh my word it has changed my life! How did I edit on a trackpad for so long? lol!
I started editing some old photos with my Wacom and honestly I almost gave up. To go from editing on a trackpad to using this tablet was, I'm not going to lie, frustrating. But the more I practiced and persevered the more I loved it and my editing time became quicker. For my natural light portraits I attempted a more 'fine art' approach and honestly I love it and have continued to edit this way. I even created a few of my own actions that I use on almost every shot right now.
My beauty photography and retouching is something I am focusing on at the moment. I love beauty and studio work right now. Studio photography used to scare me, I'm a natural light shooter and being in a studio with all of these lights made me uneasy until very recently. Now I prefer studio work and can't wait to keep experimenting with lighting. Don't be afraid to try new things, get some friends together and try different lighting. Try different angles. Experiment. Don't let it make you uneasy, get behind your camera and go for it. I'm glad I did because I can see my work evolving and growing each time I do a shoot in studio.
Photography and retouching always requires you to grow and learn. There's always something new. I love that about this industry. I always worried that I didn't have a particular style but now looking back at my work, especially my newer work I see a distinct style there. To all you new photographers, don't hold back! I was told in University never break the rules and honestly now I love breaking the rules because your vision is YOUR vision.
Here is some of my old editing style vs my new editing style. I love going back and seeing how much my work has grown over the years. There's nothing wrong with the old photos, I still love them but the newer work represents my style right now.
Until next time,
Lisa-Marie xo