The Magic of Photo Shop

Before it gets lost in all my brilliant prose, here's a great article on Al Gore that I recommend reading. I think it nicely points out why the former Vice President is not running for President. (Also check out his video on my "Look at these Videos" page!)

It's no secret that "house cleaning" is not high on my list of priorities.

A week or so ago, I reported on Bissell tearing up a magazine and making a bed for himself under my desk.

I don't often publish photos like this, showing the floor cluttered with junk but, you know what? It doesn't usually look this bad, but it rarely looks as clean as you usually see it.

Photoshop is a wonderful tool. A couple of years ago, I posted this photo:

This was the original photo:

Note the stuff on the floor, the dust up against the leg of the desk, the container under the desk and the chair in the way. All cleaned away with PhotoShop. I even brightened the look of the rug with PhotoShop.

I frequently use PhotoShop to make things look better than they really are. I've gotten pretty good at it and am almost more proud of the photos where you don't have a clue that I've "fixed it" than photos where I've made obvious corrections.

This morning I finally got around to sweeping up Bissell's magazine bed. Including getting the broom and the dustpan, sweeping up the mess, and taking it to the garbage, the task took roughly two minutes.

Fixing up the above photo took at least five minutes or more, to get it "just right." Sometimes fixing a photo to my satisfaction may take as long as 15 minutes.

Now if I had kept the floor clean to begin with, think how much time I would have saved and I could still have taken a photo that I wouldn't feel needed any "fixing."

But then I suppose I have to look not at how much time it would save to keep the house clean, but how much knowledge of PhotoShop I'm gaining by fixing all of these photos that need touch-ups.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(and I suppose you'll never again look at my photos without wondering if they've been fixed, and if so, what I thought I had to fix. Heh heh heh. That will remain my little secret!)