photoshop? what do you mean?

I understand the term photoshop. But when people say, "do this and this in photoshop." Or a specific tip in "photoshop" what specific program are they talking about? Or is photoshop a general term?

They can mean that they're using Photoshop, but it's also become a general term used as a verb 'to photoshop', meaning to make digital adjustments to a photo. (For the heck of it I just looked it up on Merriam-Webster's site, that's pretty much their dictionary's definition).

Sort of like "Googling" something.

If people are giving you 'specific tips in Photoshop', chances are they're talking about Adobe Photoshop. But as the others have said, I have noticed that some people use the term 'photoshop' for any image editing, done with any software.

Yeh I agree with the above.

When I say something like: Duplicate the layer and then put a layer mask on, then use a brush to brush it out... etc. I mean the specific program "Adobe Photoshop".

When I say: "You should photoshop this to make it better." I mean use some post production method to improve your image... though usually I'll say something more specific like: "You should crop this" or "This is overexposed, you should increase the exposure". etc.

If I say: "This has obviously been photoshopped" I mean "This has obviously been changed in post production somehow."

So yeah "It depends".

I agree with the thoughts posted above. Adobe Photoshop has been the industry leader for a long time so it has come to refer to using any image processing software. I'm using Photoshop, so when I give advice I usually am referring to PS specifically, but other software often has very similar tools and features. It doesn't matter to me what brand you use, as long as it gets you to the desired end result. For instance the curves tool is pretty much the same whatever brand software you are using, and whenever Adobe comes up with something new for Photoshop someone out there starts working on a version for GIMP.

I have been trying to use the term "processing" instead of Photoshop, but I'm sure I forget sometimes. I don't like how a century of dropping film off at a lab has made photographers forget that processing is just as important as exposure. Today "photoshop" is sometimes used disparagingly to connote that it was required to "fix" the photo. There is this idea among the masses that processing is not important. Anyone who has ever gotten serious about the darkroom knows what BS this is. There are no photos without processing; even Polaroids have to be squeezed through the wringers to get a picture we can see. The photographer can either leave it up to the materials, software, and/or processing machine manufacturers, or they can take control of it themselves. I don't understand why using the mostly auto processing software the camera manufacturer installs in the camera is somehow better than the photographer taking control of the processing with Adobe software or whatever other brand.

Henry Peach wrote: I agree with the thoughts posted above. Adobe Photoshop has been the industry leader for a long time so it has come to refer to using any image processing software. I'm using Photoshop, so when I give advice I usually am referring to PS specifically, but other software often has very similar tools and features. It doesn't matter to me what brand you use, as long as it gets you to the desired end result. For instance the curves tool is pretty much the same whatever brand software you are using, and whenever Adobe comes up with something new for Photoshop someone out there starts working on a version for GIMP.

I have been trying to use the term "processing" instead of Photoshop, but I'm sure I forget sometimes. I don't like how a century of dropping film off at a lab has made photographers forget that processing is just as important as exposure. Today "photoshop" is sometimes used disparagingly to connote that it was required to "fix" the photo. There is this idea among the masses that processing is not important. Anyone who has ever gotten serious about the darkroom knows what BS this is. There are no photos without processing; even Polaroids have to be squeezed through the wringers to get a picture we can see. The photographer can either leave it up to the materials, software, and/or processing machine manufacturers, or they can take control of it themselves. I don't understand why using the mostly auto processing software the camera manufacturer installs in the camera is somehow better than the photographer taking control of the processing with Adobe software or whatever other brand.

Well stated. Read any book or article on Ansel Adams and you will see what a master post-processor he was.

A few of his quotes:
"Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships."

"The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways."

And don't forget "Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop."

Read more: www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/ans...s.html#ixzz1gKrLwbcJ

Every gave great answers. So in the end, you don't need to own Photoshop to say photoshop this or that, you just need to own some kind of photo editing software. However, if you come across a tutorial which is based only in Photoshop, then it will be hard to use the tutorial in other software unless you know the software well enough and is similar to photoshop...such as elements.

YUP Design wrote: Every gave great answers. So in the end, you don't need to own Photoshop to say photoshop this or that, you just need to own some kind of photo editing software. However, if you come across a tutorial which is based only in Photoshop, then it will be hard to use the tutorial in other software unless you know the software well enough and is similar to photoshop...such as elements.

I tend to agree with all that posted above. I use my own editor of choice and converting a "Photoshop" tutorial or tip to my own can be done. However, I have been using my particular editor for something like 10 years.