A Case For Post-Processing

[SCraig]

There are frequent posts here from those who claim that only images straight from the camera are acceptable and any form of editing is not natural. There are some instances when "Natural" is not the desired result, and I offer this as one of those instances.

I went to Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area this morning, one of my favorite bird haunts, and it was foggy. When I say foggy, I mean F-O-G-G-Y! I can deal with fog up to a point, it's not that hard to get rid of, so I thought I'd post these to show the difference that can be accomplished with some judicious post-processing.

Here's the original. Shot with my D7000 and Sigma 150-500 lens. 15 meters focus distance (which gives an idea of the level of fog!), 270mm, f/5.6 at ISO 200 and 1/160 second. In my opinion the fog ruined it so I wanted it gone.

With a bit of editing in Capture NX2 I pulled this out. Nope, it's not "All Natural" but in my opinion it's a much better photograph.

Still not quite the dynamic range I wanted so I created 3 separate TIF files from my NEF file, 1 at -1EV, 1 at 0EV, and one at +1EV, and tonemapped them with Photomatix. No over-the-top cartoonish colors or halos or anything goofy, just a bit more detail in the water and shadow which is what I wanted.

The abilities we have these days frequently amazes me. I've spent a lot of time in a darkroom in the past and perhaps there is a way to remove that fog in a darkroom, but I wouldn't know where to start. It took me less than a minute with Capture NX2. We can do things today that were only dreamed of 20 years ago, and making use of those tools is very valuable to me. No, it isn't an "All-Natural" photograph however the all-natural photograph that I shot wasn't what I wanted either. I took a bunch of photographs this morning, all in fog like that, and never gave it a second thought because I knew I could eliminate it in post processing.

 

[tirediron]

Excellent illustration Scott!

 

[cgipson1]

Very good way to make the point! Nice shot!

 

[The_Traveler]

You cropped off his feet!

 

[SCraig]

Excellent illustration Scott!

Very good way to make the point! Nice shot!

Thanks guys. I thought it kind of made a point to

You cropped off his feet!

I guess you're right, I did! Although technically I only cropped off where his feet would be Or I could claim that he was a remarkably short Heron in remarkably shallow water.

 

[Steve5D]

I like the way you processed that, but I don't know that I've ever read a post here which says that only a shot straight out of the camera is acceptable. Quite the opposite, in fact...

 

[cgipson1]

I like the way you processed that, but I don't know that I've ever read a post here which says that only a shot straight out of the camera is acceptable. Quite the opposite, in fact...

I have seen several posts from NO POST PROCESSING Purists... stating they thought REAL photographers shouldn't have to do anything is post. (which is laughable, since most of their stuff looked like crap!)

 

[Steve5D]

I like the way you processed that, but I don't know that I've ever read a post here which says that only a shot straight out of the camera is acceptable. Quite the opposite, in fact...

I have seen several posts from NO POST PROCESSING Purists... stating they thought REAL photographers shouldn't have to do anything is post. (which is laughable, since most of their stuff looked like crap!)

Huh... Never seen 'em...

 

[annamaria]

I am so glad that post processing is acceptable. I am a happy camper.

 

[SCraig]

I like the way you processed that, but I don't know that I've ever read a post here which says that only a shot straight out of the camera is acceptable. Quite the opposite, in fact...

Thanks, but trust me in that they are most assuredly around. It's not an everyday occurrence but once every month or so there will be a post along the lines of "Post-Processing or No Post-Processing".

 

[480sparky]

No. Wrong. Unacceptable! You MUST 'get it right in the camera'. No altering allowed in post. Ever. Now matter how you feel about it. PhotoShop is the Devil's handmaiden.

You should have been a real photographer and changed the weather patterns so the fog would lift, then shoot the image. Anything less means you're a hack.

 

[SCraig]

For those that don't realize just how easy it is to get rid of fog and haze in a photograph I thought I'd include this information. It's a very difficult two-step process

Original photograph in Capture NX2:

Take note of the histogram at the bottom right of the screen and the histogram editor above it. Here's an enlargement of the editor:

Notice how the data is all located in the center of the window and does not extend to the left (black) or right (white) edges. That indicates that there is no true black or white in the photograph, and that is ALL that needs to be fixed to eliminate the fog.

There are a couple of ways to do it. This is the method I commonly use simply because it's the easiest. Below the histogram editor are two little triangular buttons as shown below:

Slide the button on the left to the right so that it is at the edge of the data (that's step 1). Slide the button on the right to the left so that it is at the edge of the data (that's step 2):

That's it. Take note that the histogram at the bottom of the screen now extends from the left edge (I actually went slightly too far and there is some clipping) to the right edge (well, almost. I should have gone a bit farther). Total time to virtually eliminate the heavy fog visible in the original image: About 10 seconds.

 

[SCraig]

I am so glad that post processing is acceptable. I am a happy camper.

What many don't realize is just how much "Post Processing" actually goes on inside their camera after the shutter button is pressed. They also don't realize that it has been going on since the beginning of photography in darkrooms and airbrush studios.

No. Wrong. Unacceptable! You MUST 'get it right in the camera'. No altering allowed in post. Ever. Now matter how you feel about it. PhotoShop is the Devil's handmaiden.

You should have been a real photographer and changed the weather patterns so the fog would lift, then shoot the image. Anything less means you're a hack.

I guess I'm not a real photographer then ;( Honestly I did my best to change the weather patterns, and it was just starting to take affect when I left I do agree that Photoshop is the Devil's Handmaiden and that's why I prefer CNX2!

 

[480sparky]

For those that don't realize just how easy it is to get rid of fog and haze in a photograph I thought I'd include this information. It's a very difficult two-step process
............

Oh, my head hurts from all this sinning. Just keep in mind; There's a special place in Hell for those who don't put an S into their curves.

 

[table1349]

OH MY GOD!!! You have completely altered, ie fabricated that photo and distorted reality by doing anything with that photo. I have now lost my faith in photography and photographers. {as Charlie Brown would say, "Don't you know a sarcasm when you hear it?}