Minimal Processing

Good shots without Photoshop are possible. When I started getting serious about photography, the only post-processing software I had was iPhoto. That app usually comes preloaded on iMac's and Apple laptops. (if it is not on your machine, it is available in the Apple "App" store for $5) It is simple, but powerful. 

Of course, you want to get your photo the best it can be "in-camera". Try to get rid of any distracting backgrounds, have good light and the hardest thing, is a willing participant! LOL! My son indulged me here (I owe him a new video game now)

This photo lacked good contrast. Colors are pretty washed out. iPhoto has several options that you can play with. Instagram like filters and sliders that control contrast, exposure, brightness, ect. If you get something you don't like, you can hit "revert to original" and your picture is back to normal. 

Here, I darkened it up some and added a bit of saturation. Finally, I added a vignette. That darkens up the edges and draws more attention to my subject. I LOVE vignettes and put them on almost all of my portrait photos. 

Much better! Disclaimer: I did take this picture into Photoshop Elements to remove a zit, per request of my son! LOL!

iPhoto is great for photo organization, but it is also pretty powerful for punching up your photographs. Play around with it and have fun!