Rongnongno Loc: FL

When I press the shutter, I have several things in mind. One of the first is processing.

Landscape? Composition...? Stitching... Post processing is in my mind. The exposure and focusing plane are part of the PP

Close-up? Composition is primary, as if I depend on PP to 'adjust' I'm wasting my camera capabilities. Then I have exposure that is part of my PP, I do not consider a 'good exposure' as anything but a starting point. PP allows enhancing part of an image using HSL/CMYB* localized adjustment.

Portrait? Composition, context is as important as the subject. There again PP is in my mind. I know I will have to adjust minor details in folk's face and/or clothing.

Basically, I live and photograph for PP.

Result? It slows me down. I have to think before pulling the trigger. A capture that requires too many modifications is simply junk.


----------------
* CMYB = Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black adjustments made in an RGB environment using The selective color adjustment layer. This is a tool too often ignored when working on an image. It is way more powerful than HSL, try it.

redlegfrog

Where do your stand on exposure? So many years shooting slides taught me to underexpose slightly and its a hard habit to break.
I have successfully PP'ed both under and over exposed but always wonder what other folks prefer.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Amen.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I am a wildlife photographer, mostly birds and bugs. My first priority is focus which is the one thing that can't be fixed (yet) in Post Processing. Next priority is get the shot within the capabilities of Photoshop to fix the shot. Only after meeting those two priorities do I start thinking about composition. I understand that portrait and landscape photographers have different priorities. The better composed the shot is SOOC the better the final result will be.

No matter what your subject I believe focus and then exposure are the most important elements of any successful shot