Are they real?

Are they real? No, I am not talking about my chest because obviously if I was I would have been ripped off because they look like two fried eggs on an ironing board, or as I like to describe them '70's boobs.' Anyway that's enough tit talk this isn't a top shelf sort of blog. My opening question refers mainly to a shoot I did recently with a friend and after reviewing the pictures it became clear to me we have two very different visions and approaches when it comes to photography. Myself, I prefer a raw picture and as a result all the pictures on my blog have not been in anyway enhanced (well apart from the use of focusing while taking the picture and the odd crop of a random photo bomber when out on the streets). My friend on the other hand enjoys using Photoshop on his pictures. My little sister, her name is Ashleigh or Smashley as I have always called her, refers to my pictures as 'gritty'. This, I feel, is a true description. Okay I know I am hardly taking pictures of people taking drugs in a bathroom toilet. But with my photographs there are no airs and graces, literally, if I have bags under my eyes you see them (maybe this is why I wear sunglasses all the time). Another reason I don't use Photoshop is; quite simply, I don't have it. And lets be honest, its a real skill, it is some peoples actual job. 
With this in mind, and after scanning the most famous fashion blogs (I think we have seen them listed enough times not to do it again). I started to think 'maybe I am naive or missing a trick not using Photoshop on any of my pictures' as some of the photo's on these blogs are amazing and often rival magazine editorials and these posts are often the one's I enjoy the most. I wonder how many blogs you have come across were the writing and the ideas are amazing, but the photographs are really poor and it is a 'turn off' and leads to you loosing interest? Lets be honest a lot of us just look at blogs for the pictures, and I again, tend to do this with the better known blogs. Like most things in life it is trial and error, and after amassing such a following these blog's will know what works well for their readers. However, for me, I think I will be a Photoshop snob and prefer an organic picture to a processed one. Lets face it, my blog and other personal style blogs are merely about showcasing the clothes we are wearing, and I am certainly not professing to be any sort of model. So by using Photoshop, in my opinion, we become just like magazines and not 'real life'. Which, I think, is one of the main reasons street style photography has taken off, because it is 'real style' that people wear everyday. It is not an ideal Photo-shopped by a magazine, it is real life and sometimes life is gritty with bags under its eyes. So after all this rambling I have decided to upload mine and my friends photographs to give you something to compare; sort of raw vs Photoshop. One thing I will say; the setting for these pictures are not my usual urban back drop. Okay, Okay I will stop making excuses. Let me know what you think of the pictures and the topic of Photoshop? 

It occurred to me after reading this post it sounds more like a rock and roll party, I think I have pretty much covered it all with the boob and drugs references. All that's missing is the TV out of a hotel window. 

Hollie 

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