Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
printing your photos
Remember back in the black & white chapter,
when I told you how important it was that
you make a black & white print for your street
cred as a photographer? That's because most
of what we do today after we press the shutter
button happens on a computer screen. Let's
put this in perspective: It takes us 1/2000 of
a second to take the shot, but then we spend
10 minutes in Lightroom processing the image,
so the majority of our work takes place after
the photo is taken. However, in real life, when
we talk about a photo, your average person
thinks of the 1/2000 of a second part of the
photograph much more than they do the
10 minutes we spent on the computer balanc-
ing, sharpening, dodging and burning, etc.,
part. So, to them, the 1/2000 of a second part
is the “real” part and the rest they (thankfully)
don't really think that much about. So, when
you show them a picture onscreen, it kind of
reminds them that this is all software based,
because your image is trapped inside a com-
puter screen, and images in a Web gallery are
in “a cloud,” so they aren't real. To most non-
photographers, an image becomes “real” when
you make a print. Otherwise it's just some
manipulated image on a computer. Think
about it. So, you are kind of like a modern-
day Dr. Frankenstein, in that you have created
this thing, but you need to flip a switch (the
printing switch), to give your creation life.
Now, when you print, it's not entirely necessary
to look toward the heavens, laugh an evil laugh,
and yell, “It's alive!” but I can tell you that most
of the pro photographers I know do exactly
that (but you also should know that they
generally wait to do all their printing on a
dark, stormy night). Now you know.
