Yes, dust spots.  I know this is not a flashy or dramatic subject, but it is an important one if we as artists….1. value and take pride in our images and 2. we show our images to anyone, and I mean anyone.  Dust spots are a fact of life for us photographers.  Dust clings to our lens elements. Dust finds its way inside our camera to land on our sensor.  It just is a part of our reality if we take our cameras outdoors and use them as they are intended.  Instead of bemoaning the presence of dust spots, I’ve learned to embrace and accept them as just a part of “doing business” and because I want my photos to be the best they possibly can, I spend time finding and removing dust spots before I begin to fully process an image.

I see a lot of photographs from clients as well as online and it is quickly evident to me whether or not the photographer has taken care and consideration when capturing and processing an image.  Some images looks like a lazy attempt at photography while others look like the utmost attention to detail was given to them.  When I come across “lazy” images, I don’t give them a lot of attention or brain space.  Why?  Well, it seems to me since the photographer didn’t give a lot of attention or care to the image, why should I?  While those that I sense are well crafted I will give my due attention.  Dust spots are part of this equation for me.  When I see images with dust spots, it tells me the photographer either didn’t care enough to remove them, or, didn’t see them to remove them.  Either way, it is a sign of an unkempt image and one that I might not spend a lot of time on since the photographer didn’t either.

As you can probably tell from this, as well as some of my previous posts, I enjoy an attention to detail throughout my entire image.  It’s the little things that can make a big difference in the overall “feel” of a photograph.  Often photographers get fixated on the subject to make sure it is looking its best, but don’t look around the image to check on the condition of the rest of the house.  This target fixation can really have an impact on our ability to see and remove dust spots and other anomalies that might degrade the presentation of the photo.  When doing image reviews, I’ll point out dust spots or other bits of flotsam that should be cleaned up and oftentimes, what I hear from the photographer is “Oh, I didn’t see that”.  That’s often because of target fixation as well as a possibly a lack of care for the entire image and how it is presented.

The reason I am bring this up in my blog is that I recently posted a new YouTube video with a cool new feature in Lightroom Classic (it could be in Lightroom/mobile too)

 

Developing the ability to “see” these dust spots comes with time and repetition.  I remember early on in my career where I would often miss seeing dust spots or other stuff.  Over time though, I eventually worked my vision in to a place where it’s automatic now to scan and see things that need to be cleaned up.  It’s a reflexive action for me now, not requiring conscious thought any longer.  I’m not saying you need to get to that level, however, I am encouraging you give each of your image careful care and consideration to find and clean up dust spots and any other visual anomalies that would degrade the overall impact of the photo.  You’ve invested a lot of time and money to get where you’re at today, be proud of your work and let your images shine the BEST that they can!