Blackpitts

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Photoshop V Pixlr

The Benefits of a Photo-Manipulation Site

It may seem self-evident, but I think there is something to be said for exploring why sites like Photoshop and Pixlr are so important in general nowadays, and especially within the world of blogging and online media.

Being able to upload photographs and images allows you to ensure your website or blog has a ‘professional’ feel. It is the aesthetic of a blog which the person who is viewing your site is immediately confronted with. I recall from class a statistic which suggested that a user decides whether to stay or leave a website or blog within the first three seconds of logging on. Of course, the content is essential: but you need the person to stay on the site for longer than three seconds in order for them to actually read what you’re writing. The look and feel is essential to this.

The advance of digital photography has meant a complete shift in how we understand photography, both in terms of what they mean to us and also in how we take photographs initially as well as how we store them and view them later. Taking photographs has become less and less specialist, which can only be a good thing. There are negatives, however: with less reliance on expensive equipment and knowledge of the technical aspects of photograph there can be a corresponding drop in the quality of the finished product. And that’s where programmes such as Photoshop and Pixlr are so helpful. If the look of your blog is so important, and you feel a photograph is key to this, then a badly taken photograph can be disastrous. You could use another photograph, or, if you feel a particular photograph really captures the ‘essence’ of what you’re trying to say, you can use these programmes to take out that annoying ‘red eye’, blot out the guy ‘photo-bombing’ your otherwise perfectly captured shot. It can be difficult, but it’s more than worth it: it’s essential.

My Personal Experience

After the problems experienced last week with photoshop (which was probably due both to my ineptitude as well as the whole class accessing the site at the same time) I have recently discovered what I view as a much easier program to navigate: Pixlr. The interface seems more intuitive to me and I’ve had a bit of fun distorting images, as well as using their specific website for effects.

The original image (to the left) has been taken with a very basic digital camera. The image to the right has been altered by Pixlr to give the impression of having been taken by an old camera, possibly with some issues regarding proper colour processing.

Man holds dog in original colours