Post processing, is it natural...

Battou · Dec 10, 2009

Post processing in photography is sometimes questioned as unnatural and unnecessary....Is it? The answer is no, it is a natural element of photography. It's the use of programs like Photoshop, Gimp, Photomatix and other photo graphics software based on computers that creates the illusion of it being unnatural because those who refer to them selves as "Naturalists" are always saying that film existed long before computers and digital photography.

The use of graphics programs in photography predates graphics programs, believe it or not. Through out various darkroom practices anything could be accomplished from a slight saturation boost to King Kong in the city. All photoshop actions where all derived from a few things, some that predate even film. Those things are painters tools like paint brushes, media textures and the like, dark room techniques like USM, cloning and the like as well as with camera tools like colored filters, exposure adjustment and so on.

Post processing photos is absolutely necessary, wile yes many cameras now have the ability to do the basic post processing techniques, it is still best to do them your self. Photos straight out of the camera are often in need of attention. Sharpness, saturation, color balance are integral elements in the final photo, often as important as composition and subject matter.

Back in the early days of film many needed to learn the darkroom in order to be able to even enter into photography. This for the most part holds true even today. Learning how to use the software at hand is almost as important as learning basic composition theory. Even if your work is composed perfectly if the final image under saturated or fuzzy people will notice this and your work will go largely unnoticed additionally Over processing an image will bare the same results. In this digital world we live in the process of learning is made much easier than ever before with a wide selection of tutorials on the internet, it matters little what programs you have at your disposal with some research you can find tutorials on any program imaginable even those considered obsolete.

No photoshop can not make a bad photo an award winner, never could. So one still needs to know how to take an award winning photo before they get an award winning photo. That is the nature of photography, knowing how to take a photograph from start to finish. This includes but is not limited to post processing. Beginners often fall into the rut of thinking that they can be sloppy when they take the photo and that they can just fix it in photoshop later, often completely neglecting fore thought, but it does not work that way. Post processing programs like photoshop, photomatix are tools of the trade and need to be used responsibly. Like a hammer, any one can use it, but it can't fix a hole in drywall if its user does not know how to put up drywall. If you do not know how to take a photo Photoshop can't fix the photo. If you can take a photo, photoshop is always there to make the necessary little repairs and fixes.

PhotoXopher · Dec 10, 2009

Goontz · Dec 10, 2009

Agreed.

Village Idiot · Dec 10, 2009

Hasn't this been covered, stated, rehashed, smothered, spread, and stacked like a google times already?

Battou · Dec 10, 2009

Village Idiot said:
Hasn't this been covered, stated, rehashed, smothered, spread, and stacked like a google times already?

Yeah, but none of those other times it occupied my boredom like it did this time.

PhotoXopher · Dec 10, 2009

Canosonic · Dec 10, 2009

That's why it's pretty important to state what PP software you used. If you done it with PS CS4(3,2..) than it's pretty obscure what you've done with it, because there you can forge it. I think that's a bit not fare. Whereas when you use PS Lightroom , people can assume that you have done simple color correction, exposure control ... but no hard cosmetics - basically what people used to do (still do!) in darkrooms. Yes, I know it's a lot tougher and still there is that patch tool, but come on.
But , hey, as they say, you can cover a turd in make up, but it's still a turd,

Mike_E · Dec 10, 2009

The only real 'post processing' is done with a pencil eraser and a Polaroid. and that's iffy.

Chiller · Dec 10, 2009

In the very near future, I will be involved with a horror shoot that requires I photograph 2 subjects in front of a green screen. Both subjects will then be edited into a video, with two different scenes behind them, that will eventually overlap, and become one morphed image. (it is easier to do, then explain) :lol:

Figuring out how they are going to do that is not my gig, but the editing dudes and the videographers issue. My job is to photograph the 2 subjects. One of the reasons we are doing it like this....is a location problem.
The thing is...without any editing and processing this might be impossible, but the tools are there for us to do it, so we can. We are basically combining the tools of photography, photoshop,and video editing and graphics together, which makes me laugh, after all the discussions I have seen about when is a photograph a photograph, or when does it become art, or digital, or....or....or. :lol:

:lmao:

We dont really care what it is called, as long as our finished product has some umph to do its job.

ok...back to my crypt. Far too bright up here. :mrgreen:

camz · Dec 10, 2009

Post Processing is for people who don't know how to use a Camera and completely rely on the digital age to capture and make images. You know back in the day there wasn't anything like CS4 or DDP or LR. PP is just for the new generation, wasn't such a thing before DSLR's. Such a dying art...photography

Garbz · Dec 11, 2009

Village Idiot said:
Hasn't this been covered, stated, rehashed, smothered, spread, and stacked like a google times already?

HA you have been taken over by marketing.

I think you meant a googol times

camz said:
Post Processing is for people who don't know how to use a Camera and completely rely on the digital age to capture and make images. You know back in the day there wasn't anything like CS4 or DDP or LR. PP is just for the new generation, wasn't such a thing before DSLR's. Such a dying art...photography

You're either sarcastic, a troll, or an idiot. I really hope it's the former

Chiller · Dec 11, 2009

Garbz said:
You're either sarcastic, a troll, or an idiot. I really hope it's the former

:thumbup::thumbup:

Village Idiot · Dec 11, 2009

camz said:
Post Processing is for people who don't know how to use a Camera and completely rely on the digital age to capture and make images. You know back in the day there wasn't anything like CS4 or DDP or LR. PP is just for the new generation, wasn't such a thing before DSLR's. Such a dying art...photography

Where were you when I was editing photos with MS Paint?

camz · Dec 11, 2009

Garbz said:
camz said:

Post Processing is for people who don't know how to use a Camera and completely rely on the digital age to capture and make images. You know back in the day there wasn't anything like CS4 or DDP or LR. PP is just for the new generation, wasn't such a thing before DSLR's. Such a dying art...photography

Click to expand...

You're either sarcastic, a troll, or an idiot. I really hope it's the former

Just wanted to pull some purists legs :lmao:

camz · Dec 11, 2009

Village Idiot said:
camz said:

Post Processing is for people who don't know how to use a Camera and completely rely on the digital age to capture and make images. You know back in the day there wasn't anything like CS4 or DDP or LR. PP is just for the new generation, wasn't such a thing before DSLR's. Such a dying art...photography

Click to expand...

Where were you when I was editing photos with MS Paint?