Photoshop as a hobby?

[dennybeall]

Chatting with a couple people at a local photography club meeting and they said that for them Photoshop was a hobby. Secondary to photography but a separate endeavor.
Wondering how many photographers are pros for photography yet a hobbyist for Photoshop or perhaps pros in both or amateur in both.
I know I've made money with each separately and together.
Comments?

 

[Forkie]

I see Photoshop as part of photography. I personally wouldn't have one without the other, but there are plenty of people who make a decent living out of being professional retouchers and there are plenty of photographers who give their photos to someone else to edit. Each to their own, I guess, but I prefer to have full control over my photos and the editing of them.

The only problem I see with only doing the Photoshop part is, where do you get your images from?

 

[dennybeall]

Re: source of photos for Photoshop. I've handled close to 150 photos this year that are as old or older than I am. Rips, tears, water spots, fading, missing corners or even half torn off are all par for the course. More modern photos have the same problems and often include an ex-wife or ex-husband that needs to not be there anymore. More fun than chasing a Rottweiler around a lure coursing course like I'm doing Sunday.

 

[snowbear]

The only problem I see with only doing the Photoshop part is, where do you get your images from?

There are plenty of royalty free, creative commons photos available (I mod at one site). I see PS as a tool, not just for photography, but for digital art, in general.

 

[Overread]

I think many people like photography as the act of physical interaction between themselves and the camera. They press physical buttons and things happen

Digital world is a bit removed from them, they feel that they are not really interacting on the same level; plus they might lack experience and confidence with using computers in general. So Photoshop is a very alien thing for them - so they keep it to a minimum and don't feel like jumping deep into the rabbit hole.

I also suspect that a good few tried and found it nightmarishly confusing. Not just because of the wealth of different methods on offer, but because there are often several ways to same effect in photoshop.

I also find that you need to approach PShop with some mental idea of what you want the shot to be at the end. This in part relies upon you knowing what is and isn't possible (within your skill set and software limitations). It is almost like learning to shoot all over again just with a totally different skill base.



Finally I think some get the idea that if they have photoshop then the only way to use it "Seriously" is to spend hour upon hour editing each photo and tweaking very tiny little insignificantly important part to be perfection (that doesn't reflect reality).

 

[Derrel]

There is a fairly OLD art, science, and craft called photography. And there is also a much newer art,science, and craft named digital imaging. The two things are actually different endeavors. I think a lot of people have started overlooking the differences, and have fallen into the trap of referring to digital imaging as "photography".

 

[Braineack]

Chatting with a couple people at a local photography club meeting and they said that for them Photoshop was a hobby. Secondary to photography but a separate endeavor.
Wondering how many photographers are pros for photography yet a hobbyist for Photoshop or perhaps pros in both or amateur in both.
I know I've made money with each separately and together.
Comments?

I'm a graphic designer by trade, photography is my hobby to get me off the computer and out of the house. Doesn't work out too well when I edit/process.

As much as I can I like to separate the two and keep the photography pure.

 

[dennybeall]

May have to add a third interest.
The new Photoshop CC (2014) has gotten fairly powerful handling HD Video. Not at a pro-level but useful. Shot video with the D5300 in HD and PS lets me use layers and filters and transitions etc. to give the client the quick turnaround they needed.

 

[Overread]

There is a fairly OLD art, science, and craft called photography. And there is also a much newer art,science, and craft named digital imaging. The two things are actually different endeavors. I think a lot of people have started overlooking the differences, and have fallen into the trap of referring to digital imaging as "photography".

Then you forgot the old art, science, craft and smell of messing around in the darkroom for hours too.

The question of where photography ends and where darkroom/digital manipulation dominates is a somewhat hazy line indeed, although its one that most of us can tell when we see it.

 

[gsgary]

For me photoshop is a chore but shooting 95% film I don't have to use it very often, working in the darkroom is a pleasure

 

[Buckster]

"There is a fairly OLD art, science, and craft called photography. And there is also a much newer art,science, and craft named darkroom manipulation. The two things are actually different endeavors. I think a lot of people have started overlooking the differences, and have fallen into the trap of referring to darkroom manipulation as "photography"."

~Ansel Adams contemporary and SOOC snapshot pioneer, James Pretentious Sr., the third.

 

[Forkie]

The only problem I see with only doing the Photoshop part is, where do you get your images from?

There are plenty of royalty free, creative commons photos available (I mod at one site). I see PS as a tool, not just for photography, but for digital art, in general.

That's true. I didn't think of royalty free and stock images.

For me photoshop is a chore but shooting 95% film I don't have to use it very often, working in the darkroom is a pleasure

I have the exact opposite feeling! I have, in photography at least, a very "I want to see it NOW!" attitude. I've never really been interested in the darkroom process, but I'm very glad that there are still people that are! I like to appreciate other people's analogue processing wizardry whilst remaining blissfully ignorant!

 

[gsgary]

The only problem I see with only doing the Photoshop part is, where do you get your images from?

There are plenty of royalty free, creative commons photos available (I mod at one site). I see PS as a tool, not just for photography, but for digital art, in general.

That's true. I didn't think of royalty free and stock images.

For me photoshop is a chore but shooting 95% film I don't have to use it very often, working in the darkroom is a pleasure

I have the exact opposite feeling! I have, in photography at least, a very "I want to see it NOW!" attitude. I've never really been interested in the darkroom process, but I'm very glad that there are still people that are! I like to appreciate other people's analogue processing wizardry whilst remaining blissfully ignorant!

I don't mind using Capture One, I don't use PS that much mostly just to resize for club digital competitions

 

[photoguy99]

Wait. Was that Buckster?

Sh*t just got very real. Grab some popcorn, kids.

 

[imagemaker46]

I started using photo shop in 1992. I use it everyday. I do spend time playing around with it when I get bored just dealing with work, so in a small way I treat it as a hobby at times, or maybe just use the time to practice. I'm pretty good with photoshop, but I know there are many that are wizards with what they can do. A lot of photographers I know have learned just enough of it to do their job. I do a lot of graphic work so learning more of what can be done has helped.

I think it can be used as a hobby, same as photography.