Photoshop Now and Then: PSW18 Instructors Re-edit Work from the Past

One of the most exciting aspects of Photoshop is that there is always a different way to do something that will have a different impact on your work. There’s always room for improvement, growth and experimentation.

We asked several of our Photoshop Week 2018 instructors (and one of our in-house photographers, too!) to re-edit an image with fresh eyes that they had previously edited several years ago. Sometimes subtle, other times drastic — the changes between photos reflect evolutions in personal style and technical aptitude. Read on to see how the results are a true testament to the power of Photoshop.


Are you ready for the biggest Photoshop event of the year? Join CreativeLive for Photoshop Week 2018 to learn how to produce professional quality photos and reach your full creative potential. RSVP Today.

Photoshop Week 2018


Blake Rudis

“Five years ago, I was photographing Kansas City from the World War 1 Memorial. This is my favorite spot in the city. It is like a magnet — every time I make my way into the city, I find myself on the wall of the memorial, taking in the skyline.  

I used to be huge on HDR. When I say huge I mean overly infatuated — kind of like a teenager who thinks they are in love, but really just the idea of love… The HDR process could do no wrong — the grittier and edgier the better, right?  But it just doesn’t work for this gorgeous sunset over Kansas City.

The shot from five years ago is over-processed, overly contrasted and screaming for less HDR. The image processed today is true to the atmosphere of the sunset moving into Blue Hour, but more refined and caters to the beauty of the scene.  

Five years is a lot of time to refine your style. In the last five years, I have learned so much about color theory and using color to control the mood of the viewer. I have learned that a strong HDR effect is not the only way to process an image. I have learned to be less about global edits and more concerned with fine-tuned — almost surgical — local adjustments.”  

2013

2018

Khara Plicanic

“The differences in the sunflower image mostly has to do with attention to detail. For example, matching the red horizontal gradient to the horizon.”

2003

2018

Daniel Kudish

“The main difference between the edits we did back in 2008 and now is the control of the light, and as a result where the viewer looks within the image. In the original, the light spills everywhere. In the new edit, we focus the attention around the the tear/tissue. We’ve also cropped out the groom’s eyes, which can be a point of connection for the viewer. All of this makes for a stronger image that grabs you that much faster!”

2008

2018

Casey Cosley

“The biggest change I see in my edit has been my personal style and attention to detail. While I was originally happy with a very dark and faded image that came from the click of a Lightroom preset, my taste has moved towards something that can stand the test of time. There were also a lot of issues with skin tone, blemishes and stray flecks of mascara that I cleaned up in my re-edit. With an extra five years of experience, modern retouching techniques such as frequency separation (thank you Pratik Naik for teaching this to me) and the numerous advances in Photoshop technology, I am able to create work that is more polished and closer to the vision of what I feel is ‘better.'”

2013

2018

Can you edit a photo better today than you did before?

May 14 marks the start of Photoshop Week 2018 and to celebrate, CreativeLive wants to see how Photoshop has helped develop your personal style over the years. Find a meaningful photo you’ve edited in Photoshop and re-edit it today to show us the change in your technical ability or style. One lucky winner will be picked at random to receive the entire Photoshop Week bundle (a $1200 value)! See full details here.


Are you ready for the biggest Photoshop event of the year? Join CreativeLive for Photoshop Week 2018 to learn how to produce professional quality photos and reach your full creative potential. RSVP Today.

Photoshop Week 2018


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