The Power of an Edit

I've been taking pictures for most of my adult life- probably even longer. In taking pictures for so many years I have developed my eye for composition, my patience to wait for a moment to occur, or my ability to notice a moment unfolding. I've known for a long time the fundamental elements of what makes a strong photo. What I haven't known for very long is what to do with a photo post-process. I was always a minimal editor, using merely the Photo App on my MAC to adjust exposure, crop, sharpen, etc. I knew people were doing much more than I was. In fact, I had heard people speak of Lightroom in my early days of taking classes at The Atlanta School of Photography, circa 2006. I didn't know what Lightroom was- only that it was an Adobe product that would probably run me more money than I was willing to spend. I was taking good photos without it, so why would I waste my money? Fast forward to maybe three years ago when I learned that the Adobe suite could be purchased with a monthly subscription, consequently giving me access to Lightroom and Photoshop, and I decided it was time for me to step up my game! At this point I'm a busy mom of three in my early forties, with little patience or desire to learn something so foreign. Through the magic of You Tube, my involvement in The Unraveled Academy, my inability to quit and a whole lot of frustration I learned to master Lightroom. What it did for my photos was more than I ever could have imagined. It took my photography to an artistic level I always thought unattainable. I became the artist I wanted to be through the power of digital editing. While my journey is continually ongoing, and my editing style will forever be evolving, I find myself happy where I am currently. In fact, today I played with a black and white edit and actually created my own preset. I am obsessed with the work of Mari Trancoso so today I show you some before and afters using my interpretation of a Mari black and white edit.