I have a bit a of an issue with editing pictures. Or a quandry, I guess. Here’s [...]]]> SOOC is what cool people use to refer to pictures that are “straight out of camera” or unedited. (Hehe… just kidding about the cool people part, since I use the term and therefore negate that whole cool people thing.)

I have a bit a of an issue with editing pictures. Or a quandry, I guess. Here’s the thing: I really like photography, and I feel like the fact that a lot of people edit their pictures gives an unrealistic expectation of what pictures can look like. Sometimes I’ll see some photos a photographer or whoever has put on their blog and I think “Wow, that’s amazing… I wish I could take pictures with such fantastic color.” And then I realize that they were probably photoshopped. HMM.

Really, it’s that I have neither the time nor ability to edit my pictures, and I’m jealous that because of this my photos might look not as good as other people’s. If my pictures aren’t as good because of my lack of photography talent, that’s fine (and true), but it seems a little silly that half of the talent needed for good photography nowadays is ability to photoshop well. Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?

This is a prime example of what I’m talking about. You see the edited picture and think “Wow, what amazing color! I would love to get a shot like that.” And then you look at the original and realize that you have, in fact, taken that same picture about 15 times, you just haven’t edited it. It feels almost like a lie when you edit pictures to that extreme, you know? (I’m not trying to be nasty about PW in particular, by the way… this is just an example. But didn’t she win some award for website photography? Seems to me like that’s different than pure photography.) I totally understand editing to fix up details, correct exposure, or smooth out someone’s acne or little things like that. But to change major elements of a photo seems weird to me.

This is, of course, the same issue in fashion photography how the editing of pictures gives people unrealistic expectations of beauty and what real people look like. But that’s another, and larger, issue.

Do you know what I’m talking about? I do actually sometimes edit pictures, but that’s only because I tend to take them a little underexposed and so I need to lighten them so that you can see them well. (Also because it’s often grey here, which now is changing as the season progresses.) So I’m not opposed to editing pictures, but I just see it as a different skill than photography. Where do those lines cross? And really, like I said, I’m probably just jealous that my pictures don’t look so amazing. Hehe.

Okay, got that off my chest. I feel better now.

To counteract all the above complaining, here’s some happiness:

Ah! Sleeping baby! I take a lot of pictures of her sleeping. I mean, look at those pink lips, rosy cheeks, soft hands, and little eyelashes. Oh my oh my.

You’d think that these were the same day as any previous shot I’ve taken and posted of her sleeping, but no. I just always nurse her on this pillow and so she tends to fall asleep on it. And it’s been so warm that I dress her in just a onesie most of the time. I can’t stop taking these sleeping pictures, though. Too sweet.