31 Days of Before & After Shots: Day 15 {and a giveaway you won’t want to miss!}

by Dawn Camp | Oct 15, 2012 | Before & After Shots, photography | 21 comments

After purchasing my first DSLR in March of 2008, I received two pieces of advice: first, read the Digital Photography School blog and second, read Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Books (there were only two volumes at the time). I signed up for an email subscription to DPS and carried those Digital Photography Books in my camera bag.

The next month DPS published Photographing Your Best Friend’s Wedding – 10 Tips, basically you own a nice camera so your friend suckered you into shooting their wedding. I laughingly told my sister about it, and then she paused and said, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something . . .”

You guessed it—my sister wanted me to shoot her wedding! By that time I would have only owned my camera three months. In my sister’s defense, she trusted me completely and never acted nervous. I, however, was terrified. Absolutely terrified.

Thankfully each Digital Photography Book has a chapter on wedding photography. Although reading them made me feel better, it just wasn’t enough. The week before the wedding I drove to Nashville for a four-hour NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) event called Photoshop CS3 for Digital Photographers. My life had become a crash course on learning how to use both my camera and my editing software. (Did I mention that I was scared. out. of. my. mind?)

I gained more than information that day in Nashville, I found my people: I found NAPP. At the end of the day I signed up for a two-year membership.

After the wedding I still carried around Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Books until I’d read them cover to cover (and didn’t have to obsess over the wedding chapters). That summer I posted the photo that’s my before and after shot for today and mentioned Scott.

I have no idea how he found my post, but two hours later Scott left a comment. Those simple words—much-needed encouragement from someone who didn’t know how much his work had influenced me—had a profound effect. The Kelby stamp of approval on my photo pushed me to edit it further; it’s appeared on Adobe’s website for over 3 years in the Lightroom section (click over to page 2 in the Customer Successes section).

Since April 2009, I’ve been an Evangelist for NAPP, where everyone learns Photoshop. It’s not about religion, but about being an enthusiastic advocate, like Adobe Product Evangelists. If you join using my promo code—DAWN—you’ll save $10 on the $99 per year membership, plus receive Photoshop Down & Dirty Tricks for Designers FREE! If you qualify for an Education Discount (we do as homeschoolers), you’ll save another $10.

The Edits:

Use the adjustment brush in Lightroom to decrease saturation on the whites of her eyes, which lightened them (we’d just gotten home from the pool and you could tell).
Increase contrast on the blue in her eyes (I think I did this in Photoshop).
Use the adjustment brush in Lightroom to decrease clarity on some of her skin, evening the tone.
I didn’t add the vignette; it’s from the lens.

I usually don’t work on eyes that much, but I’d missed my focus, which was more on her eyebrows, than her eyes. I edited her skin because it looked splotchy from the sun and the pool.

The Giveaway

I’m giving away the Scott Kelby Digital Photography Book Volumes 1-4 Boxed Set! This is the two books I carried in my camera bag plus two more that have been released since then. These books are written in a conversational tone free of technical jargon; they’re filled with simple instructions for how to get the shots you want.

Even though Volume 1 was released over 6 years ago, it is currently the #9 best selling photography book on Amazon!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Related Post: 9 Days of NAPP Day 7: Scott Kelby

Find Day 1 and links to the whole series here. Sign up here to receive new posts in your inbox (click the link in the confirmation email from FeedBurner to complete your subscription).

[Click here to read my other 31 Days series, 31 Days of Encouragement and 31 Days of Real Life.]

Disclosure: Affiliate links used.

21 Comments

Theresa J on October 15, 2012 at 2:47 am

Not currently using any I am new to photography and I am in the read stage
Southern Gal on October 15, 2012 at 6:56 am

That’s so amazing that Scott actually found your photo and Adobe used it. It’s a beautiful shot. I get all kinds of nervous just taking photos of my own family. I have no idea how you kept calm enough to shoot a wedding!

The only editing program I have is Lightroom 3. I purchased it after encouragement from two other photography bloggers recommended it. I’m still a novice. I’ll resort to picmonkey when I want a collage.
Melissa on October 15, 2012 at 7:24 am

I have dabbled with my husband’s photoshop program but really need to find a VERY user friendly guide….and the time to play around with the program. I keep thinking mid-January is the perfect time of year since we are housebound in NY. Maybe this will be my New Years resolution! Thanks for mentioning the books you use????
MarshaMarshaMarsha on October 15, 2012 at 8:27 am

I have always loved that photo. Isn’t it wonderful how God sends us encouragement just when we need it?

I am a HUGE Scott Kelby fan! I have gifted his books many times.. So excited they come in a box set now!
MarshaMarshaMarsha on October 15, 2012 at 8:51 am

PS Rafflecopter isn’t working or loading on your site right now.
amber on October 15, 2012 at 9:17 am

Currently I use Lightroom 3 and a little bit of Photoshop Elements. It’s so different from Lightroom that I am having a difficult time with it. I really only use Actions in Elements because i don’t really know how to use all the features. What an AWESOME giveaway!! thank you so much!
Leah yates on October 15, 2012 at 9:39 am

We use light room.
sprittibee on October 15, 2012 at 10:51 am

Lightroom rocks. I have to reinstall it on my laptop after the crash. I’ll let you know how that goes. 🙂 You are such an inspiration!
Nancy on October 15, 2012 at 11:35 am

I am so behind the times, I use Photoshop Elements and Picasa.
Bree on October 15, 2012 at 11:44 am

I use Photoshop – when my husband (a professional photographer) lets me play with his Mac.
Kaitlin Boles on October 15, 2012 at 12:07 pm

Whatever comes standard on the Hp Computers is what I use. I can fix red eye and crop but that’s about it on the program.
Gidget on October 15, 2012 at 1:19 pm

hehehe – paint.net or picmonkey 🙂
Kristi on October 15, 2012 at 1:36 pm

I don’t use any software at the moment. And it so shows…
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect on October 15, 2012 at 2:28 pm

I use PIcasa. And I guess I should be embarrassed by that, but honestly, it works well enough for me. 🙂 I do have Photoshop Elements, but I don’t know how to use it so I haven’t. Now THAT is embarrassing!
Amy @ Cheeky Cocoa Beans on October 15, 2012 at 3:07 pm

I usually use PhotoStudio…the freebie software that came with my, um, *last* (not current) printer.
Liz on October 16, 2012 at 1:25 am

I use the very basic photo editing software I got on my new (very basic) laptop. Before that my computer was so old I had to upload online to crop! If I want to get fancy these days I use photobucket. I’m trying to learn more about photography so I can make some really good decisions about cameras and software in the near future!
Elizabeth on October 17, 2012 at 10:38 am

I use Lightroom 3 – love it, and want to grow in it.
Heather :) :) :) on October 17, 2012 at 8:18 pm

I use PicMonkey and Photoshop CS3 when I’m on my dad’s computer. When I”m on my mobile phone I use Instagram, Little Camera or Vintage camera…but mostly the first two. Thanks for such a cool giveaway. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Trish F on October 18, 2012 at 8:50 pm

I don’t use any photo editing software right now. I’m hoping for a DSLR for my birthday in 10 days and then I will need to educate myself on all of that. I’ll be a newbie. Thanks for a great giveaway!
Olivia on October 19, 2012 at 11:06 pm

I use CS4 to edit photos at the time.
Taylor on October 27, 2012 at 8:12 pm

Wow. That before and after is impressive. I’ve just gotten into digital photography. Your work is inspiring. 🙂