Good at editing?

[MReid]

Take a photo in good light, get a proper exposure.
Do a levels adjustment to get your black and white points, contrast adjust.
That is what gives you vibrant, correct color.

Yes processing skills are important, on the other hand if you get your jpeg settings correct in the camera and know how to take a good photograph, you can get away with not doing much....this only works for very good photographers.

The most important thing is to take good photos in the first place, not the processing.

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[Peano]

Those are awesome before and afters on your site...

Thank you!

[Peano]

The most important thing is to take good photos in the first place, not the processing.

I think it depends on the outcome you're after. In some cases processing is more important.

In many cases, the photographer just doesn't have control over lighting, posing, etc. You might have to shoot a wedding in a church using no strobes. At sporting events, you can't always choose your vantage point, let alone what action will occur, nor can you take your time about shooting. You have to fire when the action occurs. These and many other things can make it impossible to take good photos in the first place. In those cases, processing saves the day.

[Bossy]

Photoshop is a tool, just like anything else involved in Photography. To completely disregard it because many misuse it is foolish

[MLeeK]

I dont know.. I have had 3 people told me I turned crap photo into masterpiece after I heavy edit it on photoshop. LMAO.

Just remember, a lousy photo will still be a lousy photo regardless of how much photoshop you apply, and don't ruin a good photo with heavy handed photoshop work.

You must have used your BIG LENS to get that professional work too, eh?

[c.cloudwalker]

I do a fair amount of judging and I rarely see a picture made with slide film (no PPing) that comes close to the average good digital image.

WOW

Really?

Are you judging snapshots?

[gerardo2068]

Thank everybody. I understand better now. I know it's VERY important master the shooting skill. Just wondering how they get those photos popping with color.

[jaicatalano]

A photo is your vision. Photoshop is your dream vision.

[gerardo2068]

A photo is your vision. Photoshop is your dream vision.

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[Jeff_Franklin01]

Photoshop is like your palette of colors (in terms of a painter) and the picture is your canvas. I do TONS of stuff in Photoshop (and sometimes GIMP). I shoot in RAW so I use Photoshop to process my RAW photos, changing white balance, adjusting color, ect. But it also depends on what you want the picture to look like. Jaicatalano is right, you put your dream vision into the photo with Photoshop.

[gerardo2068]

Photoshop is like your palette of colors (in terms of a painter) and the picture is your canvas. I do TONS of stuff in Photoshop (and sometimes GIMP). I shoot in RAW so I use Photoshop to process my RAW photos, changing white balance, adjusting color, ect. But it also depends on what you want the picture to look like. Jaicatalano is right, you put your dream vision into the photo with Photoshop.

Thanks, you all clarify my question for me.

[Edsport]

A carpenter can build a wooden box with (camera) some boards, a hammer and some nails, toss in a couple extra tools (photoshop) like a saw, a planer and some paint he'll have a home...

[Arturos]

Hello Gerardo,

When it comes to photography and editing of your photos, you are likely to come across two general opinions.

For some photographers, the act of taking a photo is the most important and setting everything up right prior to taking it is crucial to achieve satisfactory results. These photographers aim to capture what they see with their own eyes, trying to keep is as real as possible.

There is another group of photographers, for whom the act of capturing a photo is just the beginning. They believe that the final result is not what they see, but rather what they imagine while taking a snap, therefore they use programs such as Photoshop to make their photos look exactly as they have imagined them.

While the first group will use graphic software for minor adjustments of the image and colour calibration, the latter group can alter images to the extent that they hardly resemble the original photos. As much as you can easily survive without any editing knowledge, you can miss out on the possibilities the graphic programs have on offer.

My suggestion is give it a go, it’s not difficult and with time you will learn how to make your images look great. Start with basic colour management techniques, which always come in handy. There are thousands of great Photoshop tutorials on the net, spend 30 minutes a day and you will be a pro in no time However, never forget to take good photos in the first place, as editing can’t fix everything!

Good luck!