Word’s Getting Out | A Review of RK Fundamental Photoshop Actions

“You cannot create great art without mastering your tools. Unless you transcend their influence, they will hinder your vision. Turning vision into art requires technique.” — Minor White

I’ve always felt that getting it right in the camera is the most important step in creating great images. Too often you hear people comment “you can fix that later in Photoshop”. The most important aspect in creating great storytelling images is being able to recognize a moment as it unfolds before you. Being able to sense and capture the decisive moment. Dressing it up in Photoshop later with crazy, wacky actions is not my cup of tea. I feel that a naturally honest moment deserves a vision that involves some degree of post production. But one should not rely on post production to make a great image.

This is the heart of my personal Photoshop action set, called RK Fundamental Actions. The basic nuts and bolts of good image making. Seshu, a Connecticut photographer recently reviewed the RK Fundamental Photoshop Actions on his blog. Seshu is a passionate and talented photographer. Be sure and subscribe to his blog (as well as this one).

Since posting last week about my post production technique, I’ve received a number of emails from photographers saying I was crazy for sharing my secrets. But they missed the point. The secret is not in your tools, but your vision. The tools are merely that—tools, to help you realize your vision.

For example. Let me share with you an example from a recent engagement session that illustrates the thought process of my vision. Here is the image, straight out of the camera with minor tonal adjustments. When I captured this moment, I had a feeling about the moment. The placement of this couple in relation to each other, to their environment. The lens choice that I used, the direction of the light, the compositional elements present in this image and how I chose to frame all of it. My exposure, my depth of field—all in a split second. But more important, I knew what I wanted to do with this image long before I pressed the shutter button.

Italian photographer Domenico Froschi writes “Out of focus areas carry an important weight in my work; they are the equivalent in poetry of reading between the lines. They open the doors to an unknown imagery, where shapes, although still being vaguely familiar, challenge and at the same time lure us to a softer and exciting world.”

I’ve always been intrigued with the “image within an image”. In the darkroom, I would spend hours exploring. Pictures within a picture. The out of focus areas are fascinating and every bit as important. It’s the vision of the artist. This is how I put together the final image using pieces from the original. Areas of color and shape.

Mastering your tools is the first step. Taking the time to master the fundamentals and establishing a good base to work from is fundamentally important. That is what my action set is all about. The basics.

If you’d like to explore the basics as I have, then I encourage you to pick up a set and begin your journey. This Photoshop action set is offered as a bundle with Action Matic™ from Fundy Software. Post your comments and questions below. I’m happy to answer any specific questions or reply to you directly.