Beware Photoshop Dreamy Effects: It Might Make Your Photographs Look Overexposed

Anyone can go out and buy a camera and snap a few shots. These days, many people can also edit their photos with various programs. However, if you are a budding photographer with professional dreams or an amateur who likes quality work, be aware that some tools found within many editing programs can distort your artwork. A keen eye and education about editing programs is necessary. In response to the article “Dreamy Photos in Photoshop- 3 Steps to Glamour Shots,” the described effect actually makes many photographs look overexposed once it’s applied.

A lot of details – that may already be in your photograph – can appear very white and overexposed if you apply the “dreamy” effect. When a photograph is overexposed, the white areas indicate there is no information in that portion of the photograph. Frankly, that means you’ve lost quality in your work when you actually may have performed quite well when you snapped the shot.

The main thing that makes a photograph great is, well, you guessed it – the photographer, his/her artistic abilities, his/her knowledge about photography and programs and the equipment he/she is using.

The programs they use are important because editing features can enhance photos and make them usable in different mediums. For example, they can fix colors so that they match your printer’s capabilities. Program tools also allow you to crop, change resolution, add borders, slightly sharpen, get web-ready and remove color – just to name a few uses.

However, many professional photographers will tell you that clarity, lighting, details and composition are among the highest aspects they look for when judging the quality of a photograph. Certain tools found in various editing programs, if used improperly or at all, can lessen those things.

It’s a trade-off and one that not too many professionals are willing to take.

You can look at the two photographs shown below and see the difference in the wings of the bee and, especially, in the inner workings of the flower (I’ve taken the resolution down to protect the images but you can still see the differences.)

In the “dreamy” version, the definition and details are somewhat lost; whereas, in the original photograph with no alterations, the details are there. In the “dreamy” photograph, the colors look richer and there is a difference in hue. However, in the original, you can see what that particular flower and its petals’ details look like up close.

A good photograph is supposed to invite you into its environment and while some tools or functions can add colors, a good photograph can lose some its inviting aspects because of that tool. This overexposed effect is even more prominent depending on the photograph you choose to alter.

If you want richer colors from the very beginning, some tips on making that happen can and should begin with the film you choose. If you want more vibrant colors in the original shot and in your negatives, for example, choose Fuji film to enhance yellow and green photos and Kodak for reds and blues. There are many other kinds of great, high-quality film makers out there but Fuji and Kodak seem to be popular and you can find them everywhere. Choosing the right film brand relates to film saturation levels that are not always the same – various film products perform better with certain color sets.

Another tip is lighting. If you like “dreamy” photos but don’t want to trade clarity and details for that look, try taking photos of people on an overcast day. Overcast weather is great for skin tones because people look more natural in those environments.
Weather, time of day, film brands and speeds are just a small number of aspects a professional photographer has to take into account before snapping any shot. Artistic views and ideas are also necessary to make any photograph great. Programs are great but they don’t offer what an original photograph does.

What it really comes down to is what you start off with – and the beginning is where budding photographers should start. Of course, some people may like certain program effects and they should use them. Others, however, might begin with a really great photo and end up with an altered and less-professional-looking picture – and that would be a shame.