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From the very beginning, I knew I wanted my photos to stand out in an eye-catching and artistic way. So you can imagine my frustration when my photos came out dull and uninteresting when I simply snapped a photo with no thought as to what I was doing.

So I got to work learning everything I could, mostly from YouTube and Google, on composition, color, lighting, exposure, storytelling, and postprocessing with tools like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

It's been about two and a half years since I started and I still have so much to learn. But I am very happy with the results I'm starting to get.

My process now is to use the knowledge I've taught myself to use composition, lighting, storytelling, and exposure when shooting and then color and exposure corrections and more storytelling in the postprocessing by adding or taking away elements in the photo that add to or take away from the story.

I look at each photo like it's a canvas. Once I take the photo it's like the first sketch. Then I add life to it by literally painting over it to create the piece of art I had in my mind.

A lot of people will say "you're not a real photographer because you use Photoshop", and maybe that's true. But that's ok because I don't really consider myself to be a photographer anyway, I consider myself to be an artist.

I believe in always continuing to learn and improve. And I love to teach what I've learned.

So if you would like to learn how I edit my photos, I have recorded myself editing all of the photos in this article on my website and explaining my workflow.

Also, follow me on social media to see more of my work.

More info: philliphaumesserphotography.com | Instagram | Facebook

#1

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Phil T
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Want To Show You Some Photography Lessons . . ." is misleading, because all you're showing are results. No explanations offered, just 'checK out my website to find out how.' If you're trying to drive traffic to your site at least have the decency to say so.

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I have absolutely learned more in the last 4 years, and I will continue to learn. We should never stop learning new things or seeking to better our understanding of what we do. That’s why I teach what I’ve learned, because I learn even more by teaching it, and I love that others are learning as well. I’ve really been paying close attention to light, how it affects an image and how to find the best light. I’ve also been focusing on poses more, as well as having an overall cleaner image. I want my images to be a work of art, not just a snapshot.

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Phil T
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Want To Show You Some Photography Lessons . . ." is misleading, because all you're showing are results. No explanations offered, just 'checK out my website to find out how.' If you're trying to drive traffic to your site at least have the decency to say so.

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NWB
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

a lot of these are just a lighting issue to start with

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I’m assuming you mean what are the things to look for that make a great photograph. Again, light is everything, it will make or break your image. I start there. I look for soft light, early mornings or late evenings are the best, but if you have to shoot at midday, try to find the soft light in shadows and shaded areas. This is because you don’t want your subject to be overexposed with harsh light or distracting shadows. Colors are also important. If possible, use color harmonies to make your image stand out. Also, the pose is important. You don’t want a boring subject just standing there with their hands straight to their side looking at the camera.

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NevadaJo
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you shoot with dimmer settings on your camera you will be able to capture more focused areas and then fix it in PS as to if you have to much light once you fix it their will have more unfocused areas and some times you won't be able to fix it.

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It’s easy to get absorbed in the sea of what needs to be learned. What camera is right for me? How to use that camera? What lens should I use? Do I need a flash? How do I edit my images? What software should I use? The list goes on and on. That’s why I’ve created my free photography course to help answer those questions and get you where you want to be as soon as possible. You can learn it all on your own like I did, but it will take years and years. I wanted to create a shortcut to get straight to the answers and save others all of that time.

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Just a Purpler
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The skill is great in this picture, but in my opinion I like the original more. The snow takes away a little bit to much from the three main focus points.

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I picked up a camera in 2015 to start documenting the lives of my children. I didn’t realize at the time where it would take me. An art form should never end, in my opinion, unless you're in it for the wrong reasons. I love what I do and I love continuing to learn about what I do, but if you’re just in it to make money from it, then you will have no desire to learn or get better and will eventually burn out.

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My free course is getting old. I’m actually in the middle of revamping it to include what I’ve learned in the last 4-5 years. The old course still has great content and is still relevant, but I wanted to make it even better. Beyond that, I have also started an online academy where I invite you to look over my shoulder and ask questions as I work on my projects.

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Christie Mathis
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're off to a good start. Some of your originals are better than the edits. Some of your edits are very yellow. I started out making this mistake myself which is why it really stands out to me. Great eye for framing things and very clean originals.

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Beans
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The color overlay on this doesn't work because you mostly lose the rainbow, with it, when the rainbow is an amazing part of the original. Also the reflection on the grass is somewhat lost to me, which is another beautiful part of the original.

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Beans
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again the before is amazing in set up and execution. The effects in the second are just trying too hard.

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Beans
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure why you removed the side tree-- it was a natural framing object which drew the eye to the subject of the boys. Without it in the frame, the picture loses something interesting.

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