Firstly, thank you! I am becoming completely obsessed loving photography so much, it has seriously taken over most of my heart and soul and headspace, and I feel so happy that other folks are liking the photographs I make.

To business then. I use post-processing rarely, for no other reason than I am learning how a camera works (always be on manual mode) and what I can get it to do (almost anything apparently). The idea is that during the course we try to get the results we want in-camera as much as humanly possible, make mistakes, try again. Having said that I do nudge things sometimes when a shot is not for my homework, though I have very little idea about how the software works and how much it can do (I know a lot more about cameras than software, true facts). So in the past I’ve used Paint.Net free image editor, which seems to be fine (I’m sure their website will quote my expert and considered review: “seems to be fine”. Actually it’s really good). Last week I downloaded the new Beta version of Photoshop Lightroom 4 because I saw it mentioned with great excitement somewhere online and, more importantly, it’s free. I’m just getting to grips with it, but I like it. It looks real pretty, all dark and smooth and brooding. I am impress. But, honestly, I know next to nothing about this type of software: I see a slider labelled ‘Contrast’ and slide it up and down a bit until I decide the image looks a bit better. I am learning though.

For the two snowy ones from yesterday (the one of the shy dumbass horse may be my new favourite) I used Lightroom 4 to nudge the contrast a bit because they weren’t assignment shots, they were just for me. And all of y’all, of course.

So there you go. I’m sure there are much more knowledgeable photo chaps who can advise on software (if that’s what you want, possibly not), but thanks for the “gorgeous” and now I have to go take some long exposure shots of me doing light painting or something for my next assignment. Whee!