The word Photoshop has actually made it into our lexicon as a verb meaning: alter (a photographic image) digitally using Photoshop image-editing software (Google). Adobe is the developer and publisher of the Photoshop family. Through Photoshop a person can inspire others and show others the imaginable.
History
Photoshop had its beginning in the late 1980’s. The Knoll brothers paired up with Adobe and released their first version of Photoshop, Photoshop 1.0, in 1990. It was released for use with Macintosh/Apple computers. Its features included color correction facility with balance, hue and saturation and Image Output Optimization. Some of the tools were curves, levels, and clone. With the rapid growth of personal computers Photoshop kept up and in 1992 they supported Microsoft Windows for the first time. With newer versions released every couple years Photoshop has been the driving force in image manipulation (KMahesh). Personal computers were not the machines we depend upon today. In 1990 there was no Internet as we know it today. Personal computers were very expensive at prices north of $1000. Computers were for specific jobs/functions, not for recreation and leisure. Over the next decade the Personal Computer took off and became integral in our daily lives. With every step forward and advancement made by the Personal Computer, Photoshop kept stride and arguably was integral to the forward momentum (Pearson).
Today
Photoshop’s claim to fame is as one of the world’s first and best photo editing/enhancing programs available. There have been many revisions over the years which keeps Photoshop ahead of the pack. With its incredibly user friendly interface, loads of various tools, and multi-device integration the drawbacks are few (Muchmore).
A drawback to this program is the cost to buy the software. Once a version is bought it is not available for an upgrade. The license in not perpetual, if you want to upgrade you’ll have to buy it again and again and again. There is an option to keep Photoshop(along with other Adobe programs) up to date constantly. The Adobe Creative Cloud or the Adobe Suite is a month to month subscription of only $33 a month that gives the user access to all of Adobe's software. The other drawback is that this isn’t for the novice photo manipulator; until you have some knowledge and a basic understanding the interface and many options can feel overwhelming (Muchmore). Fortunately, Adobe has made many efforts to make many videos and tutorials to teach anyone who may want to learn how to use the software, giving everyone the opportunity to learn the program.
Photoshop is evolving with the times. As it progresses the interfaces are seemingly becoming more intuitive. Projects can be worked on across device boundaries via the Creative Cloud.
Photoshop is no longer just for editing photos. It is also for layered image editing, including typography, 3D modeling, and drawing. Projects such as Textured Geometric Masks, Instant Film Mockups, and Photo Collages are possible. The various templates now include photo, print, art & illustration, web, mobile, and film & video (Links & Resources).
With other programs/apps from the Photoshop Suit it is easy to stay organized. Lightroom is a way to organize photographs with any number of customizable tags so that projects can be found easily and quickly using any number of key words. Within Lightroom photos can be edited and shared from anywhere using any device.
Who hasn’t heard someone talking about a movie and heard “the book is better than the movie;” Photoshop is the answer to statements such as those. Through the Photoshop Suit a person can optimize photographs so that they match the scene the way they remember it. The vibrancy of colors can be brought out, skewed photos can be straightened up, and distracting objects can be muted or completely removed.
Photoshop and Ethics
With this software becoming more and more capable of altering images in a way that looks natural and real, many people have felt as though there are unethical ways in which companies are using Photoshop. Within the past decade, The American Medical Association has taken a stand “against image manipulation in advertising, stating that alterations made through processes like Photoshop can contribute to unrealistic body image expectations, eating disorders and other emotional problems” (Diller 2011). Some companies have taken the Anti-Photoshopping Pledge, which says that they will do “their best not to change the shape, size, proportion, color or remove or enhance the physical features, of the people in ads in post-production, that if the company does make post-production changes to the people in their ads, they will add a “Truth In Advertising” label, and they will not run any ads that include retouched models in media where children under 13 might see them” (Gibson, 2014). Labeling whether the photo is photoshopped or not is also a new trend that some hope will be used in all advertisements. Still the companies that take the pledge or label their photos as photoshopped or not are in the minority. The distinct alterations that define the line between ethical and completely unethical are what need to be addressed. When all is done and said Photoshop is the tool of the person who is choosing to be ethical or unethical; Photoshop in and of itself cannot be ethical or unethical.
Plug-ins The functionality and ability of photoshop can be extended beyond its vanilla software with plug-ins. Although many plug-ins are available through Adobe, there exist a wide variety of third party plug-ins as well. These programs vary widely in the extended functionality that they provide. Some examples of the functionality of these extensions include filters and effects, image optimization, or workflow and organization.
KMahesh. “History of Photoshop: Journey from Photoshop 1.0 to Photoshop CS5.”Creativeoverflow, 12 Sept. 2011, creativeoverflow.net/history-of-photoshop-journey-from-photoshop-1-0-to-photoshop-cs5/.
Pearson, Steve. “Computers From The 1990's.” 1990's Computers from The People History Site, The People History Where People Memories and History Join, 2016, www.thepeoplehistory.com/90scomputers.html.
Photoshop
The word Photoshop has actually made it into our lexicon as a verb meaning: alter (a photographic image) digitally using Photoshop image-editing software (Google).Adobe is the developer and publisher of the Photoshop family. Through Photoshop a person can inspire others and show others the imaginable.
History
Photoshop had its beginning in the late 1980’s. The Knoll brothers paired up with Adobe and released their first version of Photoshop, Photoshop 1.0, in 1990. It was released for use with Macintosh/Apple computers. Its features included color correction facility with balance, hue and saturation and Image Output Optimization. Some of the tools were curves, levels, and clone. With the rapid growth of personal computers Photoshop kept up and in 1992 they supported Microsoft Windows for the first time. With newer versions released every couple years Photoshop has been the driving force in image manipulation (KMahesh).Personal computers were not the machines we depend upon today. In 1990 there was no Internet as we know it today. Personal computers were very expensive at prices north of $1000. Computers were for specific jobs/functions, not for recreation and leisure. Over the next decade the Personal Computer took off and became integral in our daily lives. With every step forward and advancement made by the Personal Computer, Photoshop kept stride and arguably was integral to the forward momentum (Pearson).
Today
Photoshop’s claim to fame is as one of the world’s first and best photo editing/enhancing programs available. There have been many revisions over the years which keeps Photoshop ahead of the pack. With its incredibly user friendly interface, loads of various tools, and multi-device integration the drawbacks are few (Muchmore).
A drawback to this program is the cost to buy the software. Once a version is bought it is not available for an upgrade. The license in not perpetual, if you want to upgrade you’ll have to buy it again and again and again. There is an option to keep Photoshop(along with other Adobe programs) up to date constantly. The Adobe Creative Cloud or the Adobe Suite is a month to month subscription of only $33 a month that gives the user access to all of Adobe's software. The other drawback is that this isn’t for the novice photo manipulator; until you have some knowledge and a basic understanding the interface and many options can feel overwhelming (Muchmore). Fortunately, Adobe has made many efforts to make many videos and tutorials to teach anyone who may want to learn how to use the software, giving everyone the opportunity to learn the program.
Photoshop is evolving with the times. As it progresses the interfaces are seemingly becoming more intuitive. Projects can be worked on across device boundaries via the Creative Cloud.
Photoshop is no longer just for editing photos. It is also for layered image editing, including typography, 3D modeling, and drawing. Projects such as Textured Geometric Masks, Instant Film Mockups, and Photo Collages are possible. The various templates now include photo, print, art & illustration, web, mobile, and film & video (Links & Resources).
With other programs/apps from the Photoshop Suit it is easy to stay organized. Lightroom is a way to organize photographs with any number of customizable tags so that projects can be found easily and quickly using any number of key words. Within Lightroom photos can be edited and shared from anywhere using any device.
Who hasn’t heard someone talking about a movie and heard “the book is better than the movie;” Photoshop is the answer to statements such as those. Through the Photoshop Suit a person can optimize photographs so that they match the scene the way they remember it. The vibrancy of colors can be brought out, skewed photos can be straightened up, and distracting objects can be muted or completely removed.Photoshop and Ethics
With this software becoming more and more capable of altering images in a way that looks natural and real, many people have felt as though there are unethical ways in which companies are using Photoshop. Within the past decade, The American Medical Association has taken a stand “against image manipulation in advertising, stating that alterations made through processes like Photoshop can contribute to unrealistic body image expectations, eating disorders and other emotional problems” (Diller 2011). Some companies have taken the Anti-Photoshopping Pledge, which says that they will do “their best not to change the shape, size, proportion, color or remove or enhance the physical features, of the people in ads in post-production, that if the company does make post-production changes to the people in their ads, they will add a “Truth In Advertising” label, and they will not run any ads that include retouched models in media where children under 13 might see them” (Gibson, 2014). Labeling whether the photo is photoshopped or not is also a new trend that some hope will be used in all advertisements. Still the companies that take the pledge or label their photos as photoshopped or not are in the minority. The distinct alterations that define the line between ethical and completely unethical are what need to be addressed. When all is done and said Photoshop is the tool of the person who is choosing to be ethical or unethical; Photoshop in and of itself cannot be ethical or unethical.Plug-ins
The functionality and ability of photoshop can be extended beyond its vanilla software with plug-ins. Although many plug-ins are available through Adobe, there exist a wide variety of third party plug-ins as well. These programs vary widely in the extended functionality that they provide. Some examples of the functionality of these extensions include filters and effects, image optimization, or workflow and organization.
Resources: