burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Post processing refers to what happens in electronic workflows. Video post-processing is what happens after recording the video. It's all the stuff we do to make an image ready for presentation. If you correctly expose and process JPEGs in-camera, there is no post processing. It's already done. But if you save the raw data (which always includes a camera-baked JPEG preview image), what you do later, whether in the camera or in a computer, is post-processing.

Raw post processing workflows include development (demosaicing to a bitmap), application of a camera profile to the bitmap, application of parametric adjustments to the bitmap (exposure, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, color temperature, response curves, etc. ad nauseam), and any "finishing" done in a bitmap editor such as Photoshop. That could include titling, cropping, rotation, sharpening, filtering, etc. and removal of blemishes or flaws. The list is endless, really.

In "Film world," processing usually refers to color film. Both black-and-white and color films are developed. But color films require many more reactions besides development and fixing. For slides, there's a reversal bath, wash, color developer, bleach, fix, wash, and stabilizer. For negative films, there's bleach, fix, wash, and stabilizer. In modern processes, some of those steps may be combined. "Processing" is, indeed, a multi-step affair, and the distinction is complexity.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Or we can have See How I Tried. 😁

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

When I used to harvest lodge pole pine, we would cut them in various lengths to make fence rails or posts. That's where the term post processing came from 🤠🤠🤠

Bayou

delder Loc: Maryland

I beleive this is a worthy topic of discussion. In the case of Modern Smartphones & Late Model ML's, we ASSUME some Internal processing of the JPG output. Prehaps Primary & Secondary Processing?
Historically, the FILM was DEVELOPED, [Possibly Pushed] while the PRINTS were obviously processed.
SLIDES were pretty much WYSWYG. Print Photos went through layers of production processing.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Prep also includes moving the garbage can out of the way before snapping the shutter. Post of course would be removing it after you take the picture. Removing it after is much easier today than it was with film, and much cheaper.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Post-processing is not an arbitrary term. It has a real meaning. It differentiates the processing of captured data before an image file is created, and the modification of an image file with additional adjustments after it's been created.

Processing is applied in your camera to create an image. Any adjustments made in software on your computer after your image files have been created and downloaded is called post-processing, meaning additional processing applied after the initial creation of the image.

Some current digital cameras also have some additional processing functionality that can be applied in-camera after the creation of an image which is similar to using post-processing software and is also considered post-processing.

Yes, the word processing might also be accurate, but it would also confuse the issue since it would not be clear whether the processing referred to was applied while the original image was being created or as modifications to it after it was created.

Film may seem different since film is processed outside of the camera and modifications such as dodging and burning are made during the processing of film. However, if you scan film images or negatives, save them as Tiff files, and edit them in software, that would be post-processing.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

I take "post processing" means processing after ("post") taking the picture.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Six of one vs. half a dozen of another...

bwa

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

If you are starting with a JPEG your camera has already possessed it

Bill_de Loc: US

I believe most photographers understand what post processing is all about.

The rest will fill the next ten or so pages debating it.



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DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

But each additional page increases the exposure of UHH, increasing the viability of this site by supporting advertising.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

AND we can appreciate the value of "possessed" photographs. I know I do!!

MJPerini

In the beginning there was no RAW. RAW was not introduced shortly after because some felt they could get better results than the JPEGs that were for a time the only output.
The fact is that most photographs taken are not processed after capture, they are shared in social media.
So the term really means Post Capture processing as differentiated from in camera processing.
The Movie industry has been using Post Production to mean everything done after the footage was captured.
Post Processing makes sense to me, but it is just a defined term, when you say it it is generally understood what you mean. COULD it be called something Else, Sure
But the term is clear, it is in broad usage, people understand it, so it is probably a little late to worry about it.

Bill_de Loc: US

Then why mention it in the first place?

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