// Photography Magazine
Let’s face it, to the general public anyone can take pictures. That seems to be the perception of many people, “My friend has a good camera, so I’ll get him to take my senior photos.” When photographers ask me how they should deal with this perception, I quickly answer, “Give them something that ‘the guy with camera’ can’t.” That can include your experience, your knowledge and your artistic vision–but it can also include Photoshop and, specifically, compositing.
Think about it for a moment. Anyone can buy a good camera, and they may take decent photos. But will they invest in the cost of Photoshop and take the time to learn how to use it? If you think of Photoshop as a companion to your camera, it opens up great opportunities to add to your product offerings.
Compositing is hot! Take a look at people like Joel Grimes, Richard Sturdevant, Ben Shirk, Calvin Hollywood. They often shoot portraits with the specific intent of compositing the subject(s) onto a different background. Compositing gives you the opportunity to add another product; one that can differentiate you from “the guy with camera.”
Before Photoshop CS5, compositing was a potentially time-consuming proposition. But now you can create a composite quickly and easily, if you give yourself every opportunity to make it easier.
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