The Ghosts of Edits Past

Everyone,

On Saturday I attended one of my dear friend’s daughter’s bat mitzvah. I’ve known this young lady for years and have watched her grow from pre-tween to now official teendom. Her mom let me know that she wanted to include a photo I shot of her back in 2010, not long after I started in business, in her photo montage during her party. I was thrilled and proud because she said it was her favorite photo of herself. And that was awesome.

So when I arrived at the temple, I saw that they had the 8×10 print of the photo (on my signature metallic paper, no less!) sitting on the table where the programs were located. I think I visibly gasped when I looked at it! OMG, what the hell had I done in editing that picture?! The grass was a fluorescent green!!! 

I don’t know whether I used an action or came up with some other means of creating an “urban” edit, but whatever I did, I should never, never do it again!  I stood there like, OMFG!! The contrast was too high, the color pop was blinding, her arms were yellow, and the blades of grass had even lost detail on that metallic paper (since I hadn’t learned to soft proof at that point.) It was one of those moments that make you want to go back in time and smack yourself!

Of course everyone else thought the photo was beautiful, fluorescent green grass and all. Only I was flustered and self-flagellating. I was truly stunned. I hadn’t realized how much better my editing has become during the past 2 years but geez Louise…I guess I have learned a thing or two.

The day after the party, I immediately went to the computer and found the old RAW files from my archives and re-edited the picture so that it now looked like a sane person had done the work. Please have a look at the 2010 versus 2012 edits. (You might want to put on some sunglasses so that you don’t get blinded by the horrible 2010 version!) 

Terrifying!!!

Of course today I had to apologize tremendously to my friend for my DayGlo editing and told her that I will immediately reprint these offending images. She and her family are too classy to live with phosphorescent green grass! No way!