Page 32 - Autumn 2018 Final

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EDITING
32
PHOTOS
(Yours & Mine)

over the years I have
had to edit many pho-
tographs sent in as
those snapping picture
seldom look behind
their subjects to see
what’s behind them
Sometimes of
course there is nothing
that can be done about
the background and
snapping away is the
only alternative,
Whatever the background. However, good photo-
shopping programmes have the ability to allow
some changes, especially in skilled hands (not
mine)! This is NOT suggesting you edit photos be-
fore you send them in, let me do that but I can’t per-
form miracles. If you want to try then by all means
do so BUT also send me the unedited original as
well.
The top photo is the original, with the notice
on the blackboard, the door handle on the left and
the toilet sign on the right, and it was a wide photo.
There was no better background to take the photos.
Firstly I lightened the picture for a better con-
trast, secondly I cropped the picture and just fo-
cussed on the players. I then set about the task of
getting rid of the coloured notice and the chalk on the Blackboard. This took me some
time but I managed to get rid of it. However, there was nothing I could do about the
Black shirt on the black back ground but it was not too bad. As with most photos I take
or get send, there was nothing I could do about the reflection on the glasses. I have
tried many times but in the end they seldom look right.
Editing photos is a time consuming job so that I can produce a reasonable final
picture. I have had much worse than that one above to work on and some (but not
many) have defeated me. So please, when taking photographs it is better to stand peo-
ple against a wall and shoot them!
Using a Camera only of courseI have had photos with people set against windows
and the light coming in made it difficult to see people’s faces and thus have not in-
cluded them. Any light should be falling on people’s faces and not from behind them.
Look at what is in the background, do they have any exit signs or other things
growing out of their heads? Sometimes this can’t be helped so do your best and above
all else a) get them to do a genuine smile and b) make them look at your camera/phone.
There is nothing worse in a photo than people looking away.
Also, I need the names of everyone in the photo (if you can), in the order in which
they appear, including anyone making a presentation, along with the presenters rank
i.e. Chairman/ Secretary etc.