In the digital age, you see photos every day, for all kinds of reasons. It might be on social media, or in a family photo album, or in a news article. It could be in a book or an ad for a product you’re thinking about buying. One thing is for sure: photography has come a long way throughout the years.
As an industry, Photography has a long and interesting history. The first permanent photo was taken in 1826 or 1827 by a French man named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. He’s widely considered the first Photographer and the inventor of modern-day photography. Fifty years later, in the 1880s, George Eastman started Kodak, which became a driver of photography technology. It wasn’t until the 1940s that consumers could afford film and recreational photography became more popular. By 1991, Kodak had developed the first digital camera which produced high enough quality images for professional photographers to use.
Throughout the years, there have been many photo firsts, including the first image of the inside of a black hole in 2019.
What’s Included in the Photography Industry?
Since the advent of digital cameras and camera phones, most people can take a picture at almost any given moment. Despite the fact that photography is so accessible, the Photography profession falls into a specific set of categories.
According to IBISWorld industry research, Photographers generally offer the following services:
- Individual or group portrait photography
- School portrait services
- Commercial or industrial photography
- Wedding & special occasion photography
- Sports photography
Photos related to TV and film production fall outside of the Photography industry for the purposes of this research.
3 Smart Ways Photographers are Using Photoshop
Photographers capture life’s special moments and turn them into tangible memories
With all sorts of specialties from portraits to weddings to newborn to nature photography, taking the photos and working with them is what unites the profession.
Adobe Photoshop has long been an industry-standard tool for Photographers. Common tasks include: retouching photos, creating photo composites, and creating artwork & art prints.
Retouching Photos
It happens all the time: you take the perfect picture and capture a blissful moment, only to realize one strand of hair blew across your forehead at the last moment. Or you had a pimple that day and you want to smooth your skin in that area. The good news is that there’s technology to touch up these small imperfections if you want.
Photoshop retouching tools allow professionals to alter images slightly, for instance correcting red-eye or smoothing skin in a photograph. The tools can do things like “heal” or “erase” imperfections such as wrinkles and pimples, as well as repair rips and tears on old photos.
Photographers across specialties use these features regularly to ensure professional quality photos their clients will treasure for years to come.
Photo Composites
A photo composite is a new image that’s been created from more than one photo. Being able to pull elements from multiple pictures is exceptionally useful for designing creative images and feats of fantasy.
Compositing images is one of Photoshop's most popular and well-known features. It’s sought after by Photographers because adept users can use any piece of any photo down to an individual pixel and create something brand new out of those pieces.
This is one area Photoshop excels in and the comprehensive set of tools can create stunning images and artwork in the right hands.
Artwork & Art Prints
Digital artwork and art prints are popular, especially among the younger generations. Etsy and other creative seller sites are full of artists who create and sell their work, sometimes for a premium price.
Although Photoshop excels at editing photos, it can also be used to create beautiful original artwork. Through almost limitless customization down to the most minute detail, and the way artists can utilize layers, professionals can create complex art within the program.
Digital artists, and Photographers if they’re familiar with the Photoshop nuances, have the ability to create high-resolution images and sell prints from them. With time and dedication, Photographers could create a nice passive income from the types of digital artwork they can create in Photoshop.
Where to Learn Adobe Photoshop for Photography Skills
If you’ve decided to learn Photoshop, there are plenty of great options for learning live online or in-person. There are even specialized topics once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics.
Noble Desktop offers several Photoshop courses. From Photoshop in a Day to Photoshop Bootcamp to Advanced Retouching, there are classes for beginners and more advanced users.
Not that into classroom learning? Find live online Photoshop courses using the Noble Desktop Classes Near Me tool. The Classes Near Me tool offers a concise way to see what training courses are available from multiple different training schools. You can use the same tool to locate Photoshop courses in your area.