Tony.mustang

Hi I have been in the hobby for 1year and would like to discuss using software to enhance your photos vs using your photographic skills to produce great photos. As technology goes it appears to me that more people are becoming software experts than photographers. As this continues we should have photo contests in two groups one with the use of software vs a straight photo.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

They do, and of course they have the constant arguement about how much PP can be used and still call it SOOC.

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

Ansel Adams was probably better in the darkroom than behind a camera. Same difference.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

No amount of Photoshop 'expertise' can convert a 'dud' photo into a 'masterpiece.' And Photoshop 'fiddling' can despoil a 'great' photo (moral - save the original).

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

An inflammatory way of posing the questions that shows your naivette & lack of knowledge.
But as you said, you have only been taking photos for one year.
At least you are leaning towards learning camera skills instead of "fix it all in post" and push everything to the limits.

But don't fall into the trap of thinking that "straight from the camera" is more real or more valid or more pure.
It is not.
Sometimes you have to process the crap out of a photo to make it real because the camera is incapable of capturing the scene as it is.

Processing your images is a very significant important part of producing quality images.
It ALWAYS has been - for the last 180 years or more.

It is important to have photography skills, and the wonders of all of us having our own processing lab, has opened up the opportunities for us to produce better final images.

It is a partnership between the photographer, the camera & the processing.

Processing is a very important part of the equation.

Yes, some people overdo it or just don't have the skills and churn out rubbish or mediocre efforts.
And some people use all three legs to produce masterpieces.

Wallbanger Loc: Madison, WI

It's very easy to take a great photo and create a dud in Photoshop though :) I especially like when everything has glowing edges.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I wholehearted disagree.
It depends on your definition of 'dud' and 'masterpiece'.
It depends on why the photo was considered a 'dud'.
A simple crop can turn a dud into a masterpiece.
As can a "content aware fill".
If you use ETTR then all masterpieces are created from 'duds'.
Noisy horrible 'duds' can be megastacked to create masterpieces.
Crowds and traffic can be removed from 'duds' with stacking to create masterpieces.



Yes, we have seen this countless times.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Well, back in film days many top photographers were both masters behind the viewfinder or groundglass, and also masters in the darkroom.

Just replace the darkroom with photo processing software and you will understand that things have not changed much.

One of the most often cited examples of this is Ansel Adams and his Moonrise over Hernandez. In the link below, take a look at the contact print (no post processing) and the final image, which was the result of many hours spent over several years.

http://www.kevinshick.com/blog/2013/4/revisiting-hernandez-nm

Only the naive will expect a perfect image to come straight out of the camera - with the exception of reportage and certain other highly specialized areas of photography where image manipulation is forbidden.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

I agree. I believe it is the nature of digital censers that they need some PP such as sharping. This is what I read from many experts in the digital field of photography....Rich

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The new sensors that have a weak or no AA filter do not need the sharpening as much. But, as you can see from Ansel Adams' image, much was done to the image to make it the iconic work of art that it has become - in fact, it is his most printed image. I doubt anyone would have noticed the contact print. Pretty dull, no range, everything was grey. It took a master to bring out what was in the image in a most artful manner. Except for the case of reportage, photographs are taken with cameras, but great art is created in post.

Raider Fan Loc: Lake County, IL.

For me personally I only use software when I need to tweak a sky or enhance and area of a photo. I like to spend more time taking and admiring photos than spending my time in front of a monitor. Today's cameras are equipped with some great features that most photographers are either too lazy or don't understand that can give you great photos right out of the camera. My .02 worth on the topic!

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Tony, in my opinion, software enhancing makes a good photo better and it makes a bad photo a little less bad - maybe.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Here are some examples of before and after - where post processing turned an ordinary picture into something a little different. All were shot in raw, and took a couple of minutes or so to process into the final - a minute for the bird, and a few minutes for the focus stack. I am pretty sure you would agree that the straight out of camera results lacked "something." Though the stack could have been more carefully shot (more slices) and cleaned up (there are a few edges that have artifacts from other layers), I think you get the picture, so to speak.

All too often jpeg only shooters will press delete when, if they had shot raw, they could have made a great image. I have other examples of images that should have ended up in the trash bin but didn't, if anyone is interested.

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OviedoPhotos

I try really hard to get right in the camera. When I don't usually its lighting or framing. These are easy to fix in PP. However, an out of focus pic will always be out of focus.

jbaird Loc: Coatesville, Pa

What is it with the snarky people on this site. You can't even ask a simple question without someone having their panties in a twist.

Y'all need to learn to lighten up. You won't get an ulcer that way.