Tip #3 Photoshop

Welcome to the world of the air-brushed. Let's face it, not a lot of people like pictures of themselves. I see it all the time at the studio I work at. I print beautiful pictures of a bride, and all she can see is that she's squeezing her arm in and it looks fat. Whatever, I think. But I do it too! I take a close up self portrait (the only kind really, when you're holding the camera yourself) and all I see is a big nose, a few blemishes, and a little bit of a double chin. The good news is that I can still salvage a shot that I otherwise love with a little help from my new friend, Adobe Photoshop. I use the dodge tool and the lens blur if I want to hide blemishes, but still keep the shot looking as natural as possible. If yiou want to see an example of those techniques, check out the photo I used in Tip #2.

I used the Glass option under Distort for the picture of me in the hat. I like how you can still tell what I look like, but imperfections are hidden. I think this option really adds something to the picture too. My interpretation of this picture is that someone is looking at me through a beer bottle. It feels very "Bar" and goes with my hat and serious expression.

I used the Watercolor option under Artistic for the picture with my hands in it. This option goes with the whimsical and soft expression I have in the picture.

Both options give a nice overall forgiving mask while maintaining integrity of the shot. I'm sure there are other options that will accomplish the same task, I just haven't found them yet.