Photography without Photoshop

[anmar]

At times, I wish I didn't have photoshop. In a way it, makes me lazy as a photographer. Im guilty from time to time as Im sure many are of taking short cuts knowing I can fix them later in PS. However, I do try to capture the best picture I can In camera. If the pictures I take at any given shoot turn out without much if any editing in post that totally makes my day.

The three programs I use are CS4, Photomatix Pro and iPhoto

Anthony
Austin Area Photo

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Take a look at Amy Dresser's retouching portfolio. All the images she is retouching are shot by commercial professionals. If you hover over some of the images you can see the 'before' and 'after' (this starts at the third image down). The most striking thing to me is how "unfinished" the images look before PP. And these are shoots where there are art directors, hair stylists, make-up artist, photo assistants, etc.

AMY DRESSER || PORTFOLIO

You want images to be about the subject, not about glaring distrations within a photo.

I just want to have this re-iterated.
One of the shots, of the woman with the towel on her head, with tassels...one of the tassel strings was longer than the rest. It was cloned out. It's not about laziness. It would have taken longer to stop the shoot to trim the tassel. It still can be said, even with so many eyes on a pro shoot like that, things will be missed. Photoshop is not evil. It's a tool.

 

[kkamin]

At times, I wish I didn't have photoshop. In a way it, makes me lazy as a photographer. Im guilty from time to time as Im sure many are of taking short cuts knowing I can fix them later in PS. However, I do try to capture the best picture I can In camera. If the pictures I take at any given shoot turn out without much if any editing in post that totally makes my day.

The three programs I use are CS4, Photomatix Pro and iPhoto

Anthony
Austin Area Photo

I personally don't feel this way. If anything, Photoshop has made me a better in-camera photographer. I've spent countless hours in post fixing things that could have been corrected easily during the shoot. PS has made me more aware of what the camera is seeing. Example: If I see flyaway hairs and just let it go, that means another 15 minutes for me in post. If the subject is slightly extending past the background paper I'll move them, rather than trying to mask it out later with a paint brush.

I agree with Bitter Jeweler's point too. I had a flamenco dancer shoot where we could not find a vibrant red dress in time. We did find a magenta colored dress. Instead of canceling the shoot, we shot with the ugly a$$ magenta dress, but I was able to very easily shift the hue to a red in post.

I don't understand why so many people thing PS or post processing is this bad thing. It's been around since the first microsecond of photography. And everything, everything you see published is post processed. And every time you go to the kiosk and order prints from your local printer, they are post processing your photos too.

 

[anmar]

I don't understand why so many people thing PS or post processing is this bad thing. It's been around since the first microsecond of photography. And everything, everything you see published is post processed. And every time you go to the kiosk and order prints from your local printer, they are post processing your photos too.

I should clarify. I'm not referring to getting your images ready for print, that absolutely needs post processing. I'm talking about things like, waiting for people in the background to get out of the way of your shot. There are times the wife and kids would be nagging at me and I think, "What the hell, it's just one guy off in the distance. I'll just clone him out later."

btw
"I shoot with a disposable Dora the Explorer camera" That's hilarious!

Anthony
Canon 40D
Austin Area Photo

 

[erichards]

I just try and shoot the best image I can hoping for no PP but if I have to I get to see everything that i can fix the next time around.
I use Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom (for bigger batches of photos)

 

[Mulewings~]

When we were kids we drew with pencils and had erasers to fix our mistakes.

Photoshop and a computer allows everyone to be creative, and why not?

I say have fun with it and use it.

 

[NateWagner]

I don't think photoshop is needed. The skill is in taking the actual picture not what you can do with it afterward. If you have the ability to take a really good picture and not touch it up with photoshop then you are a true photographer. If anything the presentation is the most important. What kind of album you keep all your photos in. I recommend checking out Photo Books | Try photo book software or create online | SmileBooks It is amazing. I have made so many albums and use them as my portfolio for jobs. It is really a great website.

^ Makes me chuckle

 

[kkamin]

I don't think photoshop is needed. The skill is in taking the actual picture not what you can do with it afterward. If you have the ability to take a really good picture and not touch it up with photoshop then you are a true photographer. If anything the presentation is the most important. What kind of album you keep all your photos in. I recommend checking out Photo Books | Try photo book software or create online | SmileBooks It is amazing. I have made so many albums and use them as my portfolio for jobs. It is really a great website.

I want photography without spam.

 

[DennyCrane]

I don't think photoshop is needed. The skill is in taking the actual picture not what you can do with it afterward. If you have the ability to take a really good picture and not touch it up with photoshop then you are a true photographer. If anything the presentation is the most important. What kind of album you keep all your photos in. I recommend checking out [LINK ERASED] It is amazing. I have made so many albums and use them as my portfolio for jobs. It is really a great website.

Heh, nice try. I guess those hacks over at National Geographic are not true photographers.

 

[ChasK]

If anything the presentation is the most important.

That's why I use Photoshop. Your post brings up another question. If a set is built for a photograph, like so many are for portraits and particularly advertising, who is the artist? The photographer or the set designer, or the set builder? Or would you just say I don't need not stinking set! I can take pictures without it.