Photoshop versus no Photoshop

No Photoshop versus with Photoshop. (Screenshot by BobbaLew.)

“Don’t ‘lighten shadows’ with Photoshop, a definite NO-NO,” said a guy who did photography for Norfolk Southern Railway. “Do that and you’re distorting what the camera saw,” he added.
“Oh yeah?” I’d say. Witness above: no Photoshop versus with Photoshop.
Years ago my brother and I were in Altoona, PA to photograph restored steam-locomotive Nickel Plate 765, by far the best restored steam-locomotive I’ve ever seen.
I was staying in a trackside bed-and-breakfast in Gallitzin atop Allegheny Mountain. My brother was in a motor-court down The Hill near Altoona.
My bed-and-breakfast accommodation was last-minute. Instead of a single king, I had two twin beds in one room. The owner asked if I could allow this NS photographer to use my extra bed.
Sure, why not? That owner was a good friend — like me, he’s also a railfan.
I don’t know as that guy was Norfolk Southern’s official photographer. That was probably someone else, lacking the freedom this guy had. You can’t be everywhere at once. You can’t be at Altoona’s Amtrak station, then suddenly up The Hill.
I noted my brother and I found a location on The Hill that wouldn’t have 89 bazilyun railfans. 765 always attracts crowds. The guy was interested, so next morning we all went to that location.
A fabulous spot. No one was there. We’d have 765 to ourselves. It’s also very photogenic. We hike to it through woods.
Norfolk Southern gave the guy a portable transmitting radio. He’d test it, and our railroad-radio scanners picked it up. I don’t remember details, except it was an employee appreciation excursion, perhaps Altoona to Johnstown or Pittsburgh.
Up The Hill it started. We could hear it: chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff! 10 minutes passed. We were at least 3-4 miles from Altoona’s outskirts.
The railroad is uphill, 1.75-1.8%. 765 is fairly strong. It’s SuperPower, Lima Locomotive’s fling at hotrod steam locomotives. Big boiler, gigantic firebox.
But the grade over Allegheny Mountain challenges any locomotive. So does its curvature, which resists forward motion. 765 would encounter Horseshoe Curve, reduced in grade (compensated) to offset drag, but it would slow the train.
Finally here it came. Chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff; steadily marching up the grade at 25-30 mph. We couldn’t see it yet; all we could see was the towering column of steam.
Click-click-click-click! As it marched into view. Then click-click some more; the NS photographer was also shooting video with his iPhone.

(Photo by Brent Lane©.)

After 765, we zoomed back to my bed-and-breakfast. The NS photographer started Photoshopping his pictures. He did things I don’t understand, and wouldn’t do anyway.
He tried to replace the sky, but it looked weird, since he couldn’t select portions partially obscured by tree-branches.
This is when he commanded I not “lighten shadows.” I didn’t for a while, but after thinking about it, I went back to it.
Photography is pretty good any more, but it’s always an approximation. This was especially true in days of yore, when shadows went solid black, and highlights bleached out.
My brother and I have hundreds of pictures of Norfolk Southern locomotives. Norfolk Southern locomotives are black, as is their running-gear.
Digital photography still blacks out running-gear, just like film. But the information is in there. I use Photoshop — actually Photoshop-Elements 10 — to bring out that running-gear.
This also happens with steam locomotives. I “lighten shadows” to make their running-gear visible. You hafta be careful. Lightening too much can wash out the locomotive.
I was Photoshopping pictures my brother took, and decided to “lighten shadows” on one of his pics.
“WHOA!” he exclaimed. “Where-dja learn that trick?”
HELLO, Mr. NS photographer. If “lighten-shadows” makes a photo look better, I’m doin’ it. Photography is an art. A photograph isn’t what actually is.
The two photos above of my dog licking out a yogurt container are an example. No-Photoshop at left, versus “lighten shadows” at right. “Lighten shadows” brought out the dog’s coat. (I did other PE-10 tricks too.)
The artist is always me. If I think “lighten shadows” improves a pic, that NS photographer can just lump it!