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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 16, 2021 13:05:57 GMT
In checking out today's release of the Ali Edwards travel class I was really put off by the album because the photos were so obviously photoshopped to the point where they almost looked like over-exposed photos. I'm seeing this look more and more and it's really off-putting to me. With the rise of quality camera phones, it just seems like average Joe is able to take some decent pictures and for me, at least, I rarely edit a photo (so maybe I'm biased, anyway). I'm just wondering what everyone thinks of this trend. I am trying to imagine looking at these albums twenty years from now and wondering if I would be even more put off by this trend. And what's worse is that they were primarily outdoor, beach photos which tend to be beautiful in their own right without a lot of tweaking.
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Post by boymom5 on Jul 16, 2021 13:37:43 GMT
Do you have a link since I’m curious. I did a quick look at her site and didn’t see anything that stood out. I am one who does edit 95% of my pictures- both on my phone and from my dslr. There are definite trends in editing I’ve seen over the years with following photography and with the phones there are also trendy filters (many of which I don’t care for). The bright and somewhat washed out was fairly popular. I’ve seen more of a trend of dark, shadows and even what may be considered underexposed to some. I think it comes down to style, preference and trends. I have some pics in the older albums I edited by the trend and they don’t make me cringe, but remind me of my photography journey more than anything. I look at it like the styles of the 80s- I wouldn’t wear those things now but they envoys memories for sure.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 16, 2021 13:50:25 GMT
I don't have a link boymom5 because it was a private class. I would feel funny sharing any content from it. And it wasn't Ali who put together today's project. I get where you're coming from, too, with it being just another trend. Surely I see the rise and fall of trends in my scrapbooks even though I've never been particularly interested in photography, I can see it in my papers and techniques anyway. Some of them do make me cringe looking back, but there was an evolution of things for sure. So I get this reasoning. I think part of what really made me post today is that beach photos are generally so beautiful, why do this? I can't wrap my brain around it. And don't get me started on filters. I have a facebook friend who puts a filter on every picture of herself. It's so bad, I wonder if her face is just aging and she doesn't want anyone to see it. It makes her husband (who is often in pics with her) look like a cartoon character. |
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Post by boymom5 on Jul 16, 2021 16:51:47 GMT
Oh! I thought it was in the ads and I didn’t see anything there. I was just curious what they looked like and understand not wanting to share. A private class. I completely agree!
I’m not one to do many of the filters and I bet that’s what it was if they’re phone pics! I personally prefer the majority of my pics to be clean, classic with a bit of a color pop making them more vibrant. But I’ll admit to doing some trendy editing for fun.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,855
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Jul 16, 2021 18:42:39 GMT
There is a trend of overdeveloped photos in my opinion. I just do basic editing (color balancing, sometimes editing exposure/brightness/etc) but there are some who really love that overly developed/filtered photo. Whatever floats your boat, I guess, definitely not my style.
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Post by mom on Jul 16, 2021 18:58:44 GMT
It doesn't bother me. Some people choose photography and scrapbook for memory keeping purposes. Others chose it as an outlet for their creativity. Just like in any art work, some will love the bright colors and artsy side of it. Others won't. To each their own.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,042 
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Post by artbabe on Jul 17, 2021 1:17:09 GMT
A lot of people use that first filter on Instagram- Clarendon? It makes everything bright and a bit blown out. I see that used an awful lot. I do like it in some cases, but when everything is that way it gets old.
I want to know what filter real estate agents use. Does anyone know? It makes everything light and very defined. I think 90% of real estate photos have that filter. It does make rooms look cooler than they are. I'd like to use that filter on a few things.
I have a few Facebook friends that use a filter on every photo of themselves and it makes me roll my eyes. Who are they kidding? It is just so heavy handed.
I'll admit to a subtle bit of Facetune on some of my selfies. I just thin my face out a smidge and blur out the wrinkle on my neck. I don't think anyone can really tell- I try to be really subtle. I'll have to ask my friends if they notice.
But when something is already beautiful, like a beach? I don't get it, either.
(My profile photo is not filtered- that is the way I look.)
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Post by honeypea on Jul 17, 2021 1:30:47 GMT
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 17, 2021 4:48:14 GMT
I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about, and I'm not a fan either. There is a link in honeypea 's post above with this photo: x ETA: Huh, the photo I posted is actually an old photo, not a filtered new photo, so I removed it. |
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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 17, 2021 9:49:15 GMT
Yes the beach photos were far worse looking IMO. |
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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 17, 2021 10:03:55 GMT
artbabe I had to play around with Instagram to see because I normally skip right over the filters. But that Clarendon one seems about right. And I think real estate agents take quality photos. So whatever they're using looks good.
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Post by peachiceteas on Jul 17, 2021 13:04:26 GMT
I’m very much a, you do you, kind of person.
Personally, I like my photos to accurately represent what I saw through my eyes that day. That usually involves some colour tweaking, or removing a unsightly trash can I didn’t notice at the time. And for that reason, I wouldn’t over-edit my photos.
But each to their own - over processing is not my style and I think you start to lose the reality which is something that is important to me as a memory keeper, but evidently isn’t as important to some others. And that’s okay.
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julie5
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,611
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Post by julie5 on Jul 17, 2021 13:25:23 GMT
This is giving me early oughts vibes. When everyone (myself included) was buying dslr cameras and overdoing it in photoshop. Shudder. Lol I’m not a fan because scrapbooking the story is more important than the photo to me. I print off my iPhone. I don’t even use my slr anymore. But to each their own.
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Post by myboysnme on Jul 17, 2021 13:37:44 GMT
My son takes gorgeous photos with his phone and he edits all of them. He especially adds saturation. I started doing this at his urging. Not with people because it doesn't look good. But I admit I like it a lot on outdoor photos, especially beach, floral and greenery.
I do think it is a current trend and because I always edit my photos I am liking adding a slightly new element to photos that really aren't that good overall.
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Post by wendifful on Jul 17, 2021 15:56:43 GMT
I don't scrapbook anymore, but when I did, I often felt frustrated because my photos didn't match the colors/aesthetic of the products I was using. I think this is partly why many design team members lighten their photos so much, it makes it easier to match them to many different scrapbook lines because the colors in the photos themselves are much less noticeable.
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Post by scrappyem on Jul 17, 2021 22:01:14 GMT
I lighten pretty much every photo. Occasionally I'll do more. I use Pixel Sugar for my filters in photoshop. I think it's because I want my photos to look similar to how they look on the computer screen when I print them and my photography skills aren't that great. I try not to do too much though, because I don't want my photos to look super dated in a few years. It does seem to be the trend these days and I wonder what I'll think down the road.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 18, 2021 11:47:26 GMT
I don't scrapbook anymore, but when I did, I often felt frustrated because my photos didn't match the colors/aesthetic of the products I was using. I think this is partly why many design team members lighten their photos so much, it makes it easier to match them to many different scrapbook lines because the colors in the photos themselves are much less noticeable. This makes perfect sense. Thank you for adding it. I feel this might help to explain some of this trend I'm seeing in design team submissions. |
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Post by janamke on Jul 18, 2021 13:09:47 GMT
It doesn’t bother me unless the whites are blown out. I’m a photographer and used to own my own business. Honestly even with the very best camera phones photos can almost always use a little tweaking. I lighten and do a curves boost on almost every photo I take, even knowing how to read light and shadow. I’d rather see obviously photoshopped images than orange people, super dark shadows or weird color casts.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,917
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Jul 18, 2021 14:41:44 GMT
I don't filter my Instagram photos or my scrapbook photos except for cropping, very often. I have one layout from 2011ish when photos that looked like the 1960s were in, and while I like it, but not enough to do that all the time. I like things to look like how they looked when I took the picture. Except sunrise/sunset photos that never look like they did in real life, it doesn't bother me too much.
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Post by honeypea on Jul 18, 2021 15:48:51 GMT
I don't scrapbook anymore, but when I did, I often felt frustrated because my photos didn't match the colors/aesthetic of the products I was using. I think this is partly why many design team members lighten their photos so much, it makes it easier to match them to many different scrapbook lines because the colors in the photos themselves are much less noticeable. This makes perfect sense. Thank you for adding it. I feel this might help to explain some of this trend I'm seeing in design team submissions. I assume this is a big part of it. Some designs- like nearly all of CT, for example- are so pastel and “airy” that saturated pics would really look off. Or pull the eye/attention. And if your job is to highlight the products, that’s not really advantageous. I have a big love/hate for DT and scrap influencers for many reasons, but this is a big one. |
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Post by wendifful on Jul 19, 2021 4:59:56 GMT
This makes perfect sense. Thank you for adding it. I feel this might help to explain some of this trend I'm seeing in design team submissions. I assume this is a big part of it. Some designs- like nearly all of CT, for example- are so pastel and “airy” that saturated pics would really look off. Or pull the eye/attention. And if your job is to highlight the products, that’s not really advantageous. I have a big love/hate for DT and scrap influencers for many reasons, but this is a big one. What's kind of funny about all of this is that it's part of the reason I stopped scrapbooking (or, more accurately, doing Project Life). I'm someone who likes to lift other people's layout ideas almost exactly (for my personal use, not for selling) because for me, the fun of crafting is the actual physical process. Most of the time if I try to do the design myself, I end up obsessing over little details and I just give up because I can't get it right. I always got frustrated that I'd try to replicate a DT member's project and it just didn't work with my photos/things I was documenting. What I enjoy about cardmaking is that if I like a card that someone else made, I have the option to recreate it exactly if I buy the same items, without photos mucking up the equation, if that makes sense. Of course, this comes back to the age-old debate about scrapbooking where some people do it more for creative expression and some for memory keeping. I am a firm believer in the importance of memory keeping and still takes tons of photos and have kept a detailed journal throughout my life, but I found that for me, it doesn't make sense to combine the visual creative aspect with the memory keeping. |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jul 19, 2021 11:25:59 GMT
You should see the amount of photos I had to print B&W because the products wouldn't match otherwise. Ali's summer releases are often very bright so I could see this being problematic. Before you know it, the scrappy stuff has taken centre stage and your pics have literally faded into the background. Just frustrating.
I've done specific projects with a more filtered approach for the photos and it has worked. I don't use such a colour-altering strategy for my essential keepsake pictures but it can work really well to evoke a mood, an atmosphere.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 20, 2021 11:28:48 GMT
Of course, this comes back to the age-old debate about scrapbooking where some people do it more for creative expression and some for memory keeping. I am a firm believer in the importance of memory keeping and still takes tons of photos and have kept a detailed journal throughout my life, but I found that for me, it doesn't make sense to combine the visual creative aspect with the memory keeping. I'm so sorry about this. I can see that in years past for me, it was about the visual creative aspect. Now as I'm getting older and can look back at my albums, I realize that the ones with stories are my favorite. So I'm trying to make my books much more about stories (every day ones too). I like the creativity of scrapbooking, but I have found that in layouts, I tend to care a lot more about it being visually pleasing and being matchy-matchy. With project life, I am kind of just liking various kits. It looks cohesive enough as the kits are coordinated, but they don't always match my photos and I'm feeling fine with that. I mostly just want my memories captured. If you've found a way to make that work, good on you, however you do it. And I want to say, I'm good with you (general) doing you in your scrapbooks. I don't always go searching for inspiration so I don't always utilize design team creations. I like looking at them and I like appreciating them. I'm not one for classes and such either. I just signed up for this particular class because I thought it would be interesting to see the products used in various ways. It absolutely has been. I'm not looking at any of the instructional videos as I don't really want instructions, I just wanted some eye candy. And all the projects so far have been exactly that. So I am enjoying the class. Before you know it, the scrappy stuff has taken centre stage and your pics have literally faded into the background. Just frustrating. I get why this is with design teams. They are paid to show off product, sell it to others. But I am alright with my imperfect pictures. I hope all us "regular people" are happy with our photos and memories.  |
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