Imagery is subjective. What the camera sees and what your mind envisions are two different things. Here is a shot taken at the Toronto Zoo – Canon 50D with 100mm Macro handheld. The top image is unprocessed, the shot below is retouched in Photoshop.
Colour corrected in Photoshop. I have always had an image of chameleons being very saturated and rich in colour. Using different layer effects, I am able to manipulate and colour correct the tones, while keeping it very realistic and believable. This now captures more of what I had in mind and makes for a more dramatic and interesting photograph. At times, the most effective retouching techniques are the one you don’t even question. The technique is subtle and pure. Bad photoshop is obvious.