SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Nobody decides on 50!!!
SS

shelty Loc: Medford, OR

They did that from the fifties on back, retouching until the person looks more like as statue than the person they are.

harly82fxr

i think its up to the ones paying .I agree i don't like to go overboard where it looks fake i hate that but i give them a choice just do a few pictures from nothing all the way to fake looking .I think most pick just a minor touch. But i guess i am one that likes what i shoot right out of the camera but again i still shoot some film .i just enjoy film sometimes just to see how they look see if you still can take some good shoots with film. i have pictures my father took with his old 2 1/4 3 1/4 speed graphic and the black in white you look and you can almost see the colors of the trees and sky .

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

AND, if you drop even a LITTLE bit of acid...., the colors will get really VIVID!!!
SS

tommystrat Loc: Bigfork, Montana

Ansel Adams said, "The negative is the score, and the print is the performance." So, to whatever extent you want to use PP to achieve a particular result, you are in great company... ;-)

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Every image is subject to PP. How much is up to the photographer who, after uploading, loads their pallet with pres-sets, filters, curves, etc. From photographer to artist at the push of a button or swirl of a stylus. Let the fun and or frustration begin! The limits of creativity seems to raise almost yearly with a new group of pre-sets and PP software. Many enjoy pushing those limits. Many prefer the "minimalist" technique. I generally get to decide the level of PP regardless of "for free" for friends and relatives. If a customer wants their facial wrinkles filled in with digital "bondo" we can do that - up to a point IMO, but consider every image image you share is an advertisement for the quality of your work. You can generally tell the difference from those willing to pay from those looking for a handout. Low resolution, perhaps with an added watermark and a copyright mark can be a tool if you feel you need them. Maybe share one hi-res image for comparison as an example of why you charge for your work. Regardless of the price, the point is to satisfy the customer to the point where they will recommend you. Everyone has their own style and technique. Something else to think about. A lot of the "pro's" don't do any PP. They send it out or have an employee do it in house, so to compare yourself with others can be futile. I do not see anything wrong with a refusal to share finished / hi-res images for free, admittedly I have done it, although not often.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

You have to know how far to go. No lady wants to see ALL her wrinkles and creases. I soften them just a bit so they are less noticeable, and sometimes just change the contour ever so slightly. It is appreciated. Here is a dogshow photo taken by a professional, which I touched just a bit for publication advertising her win. Both the lady and the judge were pleased at the slight refinements. The dog needed no help.

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Bobsphoto

Photography is a unique medium in that it captures what the camera, lens and film or cards see. All other forms of representation require the creator to eyes and hands to create from their own mind.
Does it not depend on what you want to achieve?
Forensic photographers must by definition capture the the scene accurately when they push the shutter. Any manipulation can invalidate a photo. Yet even they manipulate by choosing exposure combinations, light source, angle, etc.
Photo manipulation has been around as long as photography. Portrait photographers have used various tools to improve photos from the beginning. With film photographers could use filters, lighting, exposure, developing techniques including dodge and burn, touch up and the like. We have one friend who hand paints black and white photos.
Many of the photos I take I try to use the camera to capture the best image and do little post processing. Others I take knowing that I will be manipulating them later, either because the existing conditions don't allow me to capture the image at its best or because I want to be creative.
Photography is a creative art, and like any other form of artistic creation, the artist is free to create.
The age of digital has opened a whole new world of available tools to use both in taking the photo and in processing the photo.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

For raw files, I twiddle the Lr CLASSIC CC sliders and bend the curves until it looks right. If it needs more, I open a copy in Ps and fix it there.

Generally, I like subtleties. Less is more.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Good analysis!

I see photographers as artists whose medium is the camera rather than paints and charcoal! We use a lot of the same principles in our photos as the great artists did in their paintings and drawings. And we experiment just as they did, seeking a new style, a different effect, to inspire a unique response in the viewer. Also like the great artists, our photos can be "true to life" in their realism, vague and suggestive of fantasy yet still having a realistic form, or out-and-out fantastical such as can be achieved through a composite image and other forms of extreme editing.

henrycrafter Loc: Orem Utah

It depends on the demands of the situation. But always keeping in mind the reality of the occasion. I only enhance! Never Distort beyond recognition!

BlackRipleyDog

Not in my experience......

D200 ISO 100 18-35 Af-D f5.6 1/125 sec - single NEF image underexposed

No Raw Adjustments in Bridge
Photoshop CC and Capture NX2- Contrast, Curves, Gamma, Low-Pass Sharpen, Active-D Lighting, Shadows, Saturation, Histograms, Level and Crop (No HDR used) Oh yeah, print, mat and frame.

Results - a lot more potential than when I first opened it up.

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Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

Wow, love seeing this kind of stuff. Great job. I could of took the first pic but could not turn it into what you did. I have a lot to learn about PP. my work schedule has changed and I’m hoping to have more time behind the computer.

BlackRipleyDog

Yeah, you just have to open up your mind to the possibilities and don't be afraid to spend the time experimenting. Every hour spent in front of the computer only makes you better. This image consumed about 3 hours.