Tools of the Trade
The tools are important, but they are never the starting point.
I have worked with Adobe Photoshop for many years, using it for compositing, retouching, masking, colour, texture and image manipulation.
The technical possibilities are extensive, but the most important skill is knowing what the image needs.
A simple mask can be more useful than a complicated technique. A subtle change in colour can do more than a collection of effects.
My workflow is mostly built around combining photographic elements and refining them by hand. I work with layers and masks, adjusting shapes, textures, light and colour until the different elements form a coherent image.
Over time, the tools become less important than the judgement behind them.
You learn which details need attention, which can be left alone and when an image has reached the point where another adjustment would only make it weaker.
That experience is what turns a collection of Photoshop techniques into a visual style.