ROCKY JA Loc: Living in Burnsville, Minnesota

Good morning everyone,

As a wedding photographer, I did my best to artistically present to the customer the be quality print possible. Sometime it was inevitable that in composing the shot, a exit sign, telephone wire, or a candle growing out the top of the bride’s head, etc..

The pose, location, and lighting was perfect, except for that small problem... It was perfect, so I took the shot. Anyway. It mwas just to good to pass up.

My wedding film was always processed and print at a custom lab. They did fantastic work, and they packaged and numbered each negative, saving hours of sitting on the floor in my living room sorting them all myself.

My camera of choice was a Mamiya 645 with 2 ¼ format, which made it possible for the lab to retouch the negative where needed. Bingo, received beautiful prints, and everyone was happy.

Now that I’m retired and out shooting photos for my own enjoyment, and having a digital camera so I can see what I shot, is fantastic! However, sometimes that beautiful shot I took is missing something to make it just a little more dramatic.

Having a program in my computer to enhance my photos, when needed, or just to add or take away a little contrast, has helped me improve some of my photos.

Should I feel guilty, that I sometimes need that enhancement tool to better my print? Does that mean I’m not being a purist? If I like what I do, and other’s enjoy my work, it pleases me, and isn’t that what it’s all about?

I like enhancing a photo when I feel it needs it. So, what are your views, pros and cons, on the subject of enhancing a photo?
I personally don’t feel that there is a right or wrong way. I’m just interested in your feelings about it. Thank you, and have a great day.

Rocky

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If we were all "purists," Adobe would be out of business. It's your image. Do with it what you will. Take a look at the spread posted by Magic Mark.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-159636-1.html

ROCKY JA Loc: Living in Burnsville, Minnesota

Thank you Jerry. Never thought of it that way. LOL
Rocky

jgitomer Loc: Skippack Pennsylvania

Have you ever looked at the variations in some of Ansel Adams photos?

His finished product looked nothing like an unretouched print.

He was a master at visualization and in the darkroom.

If it was good enough for Ansel Adams it should be good enough for us mere mortals!

Jerry

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Indeed. ;). Digital PP is a no different than the darkroom as far as manipulation goes. Now as for the manipulator, it is easier, correctable, cleaner, faster- no smells and no cleanup. AA would have loved it. He once lamented that digital PP was on the horizon but that he probably wouldn't live to see it. ;)

Eustace2 Loc: Cincinnati

You'll get some variation of this answer from everyone who responds. As a film photographer, none of us were purists. We chose the film and paper we used to get a certain look or feel to a photo. We might also make other changes to a print if we had access to a darkroom or a custom lab. Digital allows you to make the changes much more easily and saves time and money spent on film, paper and chemicals. Post processing, even if it is simple cropping to improve the composition, has always been part of the photographic process and, to me, it can often make the difference between and average photo and a very good one.

Nikocarol Loc: NM & FL

Did Ansel Adams work his images in the darkroom? Tell me what is the difference? Besides the obvious.
I believe you make your images look how you saw them in your mind and if photoshop helps you do that well so be it. I also believe you try and get that image as close to what you are seeing in mind by working your equipment so not to hang out in the digital darkroom to long.

Wellhiem Loc: Sunny England.

Why do we call them "purists"? In the days of film, if you didn't take control of your own developing and printing, you would have been called a snapper.

ROCKY JA Loc: Living in Burnsville, Minnesota

Thank you Nikocarol, That is so true.
Rocky 8-)

ronwande Loc: Hendersonville NC

Rocky,

I am securely in the camp of "post processing is good". If I can place a link here you can go to a post I made a while back. Sometimes we have little control of backgrounds etc. when taking "candid" shots. PP can make a world of difference.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-143877-1.html#2431421

jimni2001 Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA

It seems odd to me that we were okay with having film developed by ourselves or others but when we come to digital we seem to think that everything should be done in the camera. Granted we should take the time to set up the shot and get the camera settings as near perfection as we can before taking the shot, when possible. Should the photo then come out of the camera perfect? Light changes every second, we get color cast, maybe too much contrast or too little, maybe we would like the photo to be sharper. If any of these things are off do we just toss the photo and try again? Probably not. The instant is gone forever. However we do have a digital darkroom that we can change the white balance, sharpen, or adjust contrast and colors in. Why not use it? Do we need to be purist to enjoy our art?

EstherP

I'd like to give you an example from a completely different field of art. Many years ago I learned to make bobbin lace: Torchon, Buckinghamshire, Honiton, Valenciennes, and others. There are very decided differences in these laces and you can tell them apart by these differences.
Honiton, traditionally, has been worked in the finest of threads - finer than a human hair and always in white or natural (creamy) colour. So, one day I found I found a floral pattern I really liked, I worked the flowers in different shades of reds and pinks, the stems and leaves in greens, and the ribbon in a pretty blue. Oh, and the thread size was more like a heavy sewing thread. I was very pleased with the result - but had my bubble burst when a lace making friend told me, But that's not Honiton...
Well, I'm sorry, but to me it was! Non-traditional, but Honiton nevertheless. Just larger and coloured.
It is the same for photography. Brought down to its simplest form, lace making consists of crossing two threads over each other, or twisting two threads together.
Brought down to its simplest form, photography is capturing an image on a medium, whether that is film or a memory card.
Because of the tools and materials available you can make some changes before you wind the bobbins with thread, or before you press the shutter button. Other changes can be made afterwards.
If that makes you a non-purist, so be it.
In the end you have to please only yourself, if you don't it no longer is a hobby but a task (on the same level as washing dishes).
So, enjoy your hobby and non-purist ways IF you like the outcome - or purist ways IF you like that outcome!
EstherP

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Rocky
Your custom lab did the pp for you now you can do it yourself. Digital Raw is always flat coming out of the camera so your enhancements improve the picture and you are the one doing the PP. With JPEG the camera is doing the PP set to your criteria

JPL

Your way is the right way. And the world would be dull if nothing was changed in pictures, movies, plays, tv etc. Just imagine if we would only be allowed to see the world as it is and never could to anything to improve our expression.

dragonfist Loc: Stafford, N.Y.

Your camera is a tool. There is no such animal as a perfect tool or a perfect operator of that tool. Editing only helps bring to the fore the image as your mind saw it at the tine you snapped the shutter. They haven't made a camera yet that sees exactly as the human eye does. Edit away and have no regrets.