This is the message that I received from View Bug.
Echo Award
Your photo just earned the Echo Award—Some photos don’t fade—they echo. This award celebrates a photo that keeps making waves long after it was posted. Whether it’s the emotion, the light, or the story behind it—this image continues to inspire, spark curiosity, and draw in new viewers. You’ve created something that lasts. Let it echo.
Congratulations! This photo unlocked the Echo Award—recognizing the quiet power of an image that keeps resonating. First photo or hundredth, this image is proof that your creativity continues to evolve and inspire. Every photo tells a new story. This one shines with your vision, heart, and curiosity.
And here’s the photo that won the award. It was taken in Zimbabwe when I lived there.
The photo processing utility PhotoShop often gets a bad rap because scam artists and hucksters use it to create fake photos that mislead or cheat people. But it’s just a tool and shouldn’t be blamed because some people misuse it. It can be a life saver in some circumstances. Like the time my nephew, Keith, needed new head shots for a film role he was auditioning for and asked if I would do them. I agreed, but since all my photo gear was destroyed when our house burned in March 2021, and I’ve only just begun to repurchase equipment, all I had was my DSLR camera, a few filters, and two lenses. He recently moved, and his lights, backdrops and other gear needed to do proper head shots was still in storage, we decided to make do with a large piece of brown cardboard and my camera’s internal flash. Most of the photos (especially those we took outdoors) came out okay, but some of the closeups had a harsh shadow and the texture of the cardboard glaringly apparent. To make sure the photos would pass muster, I decided that it was time to invest in some proper post processing software, so I bought and installed PhotoShop. A few hours of practice to get the feel of it, and then I tackled the offending shots. Below, see before and after shots to show just what this amazing software can do.
Not a bad photo but the shadow behind the head is distracting.Using PhotoShop, the shadow is removed and a lighter more even background put in. Cropping put more focus on the model, higher contrast brought out the colors, and the flesh tones were softened. Overall, a much better photograph.
