Newbie- Photoshop

[Cherry Cyanide]

Hi all. I'm a newbie to pinup. MY initial photos will be very novice, taken by my roommate. Neither of us have any experience with pinup photoshoots.

My question is Do I need to invest in photoshop software to "clean up" the pictures when we're done?

[Harlean Carpenter {★}]

There is rarely such a thing as an image that looks great right off the camera. So yes, you will want some software to finalize your shots. But it doesn't have to be an investment. I use software that came free with my scanner, works fine for basic touch-ups. One of the photographers I work with regularly uses GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program) which is a free download available at www.gimp.org. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles you get with something like Photoshop, but it is free, and free is usually a really good place to start :)

[Cherry Cyanide]

thanks for the starting point
Harlean Carpenter {★} said:

There is rarely such a thing as an image that looks great right off the camera. So yes, you will want some software to finalize your shots. But it doesn't have to be an investment. I use software that came free with my scanner, works fine for basic touch-ups. One of the photographers I work with regularly uses GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program) which is a free download available at www.gimp.org. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles you get with something like Photoshop, but it is free, and free is usually a really good place to start :)

[Cherry Cyanide]

A what? My roommate has a Cannon DSLR we plan to use.

richie/rockabilly richie{PLA} said:

ALSO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS LIKE CAMERAS, TABLETS ETC. COME WITH PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS. YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT GETTING ONE OF THE INEXPENSIVE WACOM TABLETS. THEY MAKE EDITING PHOTOS A LOT EASIER TO DO.

[Shirley Rowe{★}]

Photoshop is not super simple to use. If you buy it, try to find a class to help you learn it. Does your friend have good photography skills? I teach classes for people who have a DSLR and have minimal skills. Learning how to use the camera settings correctly is the easiest way to make the photos look better. White balance mistakes are the cause of many bad looking photos. Lighting and good poses are important too. Good luck and have fun.

[Cherry Cyanide]

I don't have a mac- yet. But I plan to buy one in the coming months. It just seems like it will make so many things I need to do easier.

That tablet thing looks cool!

richie/rockabilly richie{PLA} said:

if you're using a mac it comes with photoshop elements 7

richie/rockabilly richie{PLA} said:

wacom makes pen tablets. they have videos on how they work on their site wacom.com. this is the least expensive one. it's a very useful tool. it's a lot more functional than trying to do progets with a mouse.

[Cherry Cyanide]

Are you in the bay area? I'd love to take a class.

Shirley Rowe{★} said:

Photoshop is not super simple to use. If you buy it, try to find a class to help you learn it. Does your friend have good photography skills? I teach classes for people who have a DSLR and have minimal skills. Learning how to use the camera settings correctly is the easiest way to make the photos look better. White balance mistakes are the cause of many bad looking photos. Lighting and good poses are important too. Good luck and have fun.

[Cherry Cyanide]

Oh, thank you! I guess I'll have to figure out how to get podcasts on my phone. Lol. Any you recommend?

richie/rockabilly richie{PLA} said:

if you have itunes there are many free podcasts with photoshop instructions and tips.

[Cherry Cyanide]

thank you so much for all your help!

[Cherry Cyanide]

Glad I could be of assistance. Lol.

In all seriousness, thank you. I will probably have questions down the road for you...

[Cherry Cyanide]

Thank you. :) You can bet I'll take you up on that offer!

richie/rockabilly richie{PLA} said:

ONCE AGAIN ANYTIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION DROP ME A LINE AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN HELP.

[Vega {★}]

Whatever you decide to use, tutorials on youtube or deviantart.com can be invaluable!!!

If you don't know what deviantart.com is, you MUST check it out! Great for beginning artists (models, photographer, writers, painters, etc) to post their work and get feedback! More experienced artists also often post tutorials on how they achieved a particular style of digital art, photo retouching, etc!

[Lilly F Elliott]

Short answer - yes photoshop is essential. Rockabilly Richie's advice is spot on. I use it on windows for cost reasons, but I would prefer to use mac, it does make things easier than windows.