The power of Photoshop as a tool of enhancement and reinterpretation in expressive photography is limited only by our imaginations. I posted my original version of this abstraction of Yosemite National Park’s Merced River embracing the shimmering reflection of El Capitan, in the fall of 2004. Since that time, the original image has triggered the imaginations of many pbase artists. You can see this image, and read the continuing commentary, along with my responses, on the previous page of this gallery.
A number of viewers have asked me to what extent I altered the original colors of this image with Photoshop. I have always answered that question by saying that I honored the original as it came out of the camera, with only minimal adjustments. Yet as time passed, I began to wonder how I might have altered the meaning of this abstraction by significantly intensifying the colors reflected in the waters of the Merced.
In the spring of 2005, I decided to put the original through Photoshop once more, only this time intensifying the colors to present a more vivid portrait of El Capitan’s reflection in the rippled waters of the Merced River. I used Curves, Saturation, and the Shadow/Highlight Control to bring to El Capitan to life within the water.
This image is the result. The colors are now warmer, richer, and the image holds more detail as well. However, I do not consider it to be either an improvement or a regression. It is still very much an abstract vision of a monumental scene. Yet it is a completely different expression than the one on the preceding page. Each of these two images will be perceived according to the imaginations of each viewer. Like the original version, this photograph has its roots in reality and its substance in fantasy. I present it to you here as a lesson in using the power of Photoshop to reinterpret our original expression in any way we wish.