Editing, a bad thing?

[chuasam]

I prefer the conceptual stuff. I honestly couldn't give a crap about getting it in camera...waiting hours for the perfect shot.

If I want a shot, I use every means at my disposal to create it.
If a location doesn't exist, I create it.

 

[alexis.alvarez]

Ansel Adams: "You don't take a photograph, you make it." He edited profusely -- he did in the darkroom, a lot of us now do it with Photoshop.

 

[Skiiandme]

I prefer the conceptual stuff. I honestly couldn't give a crap about getting it in camera...waiting hours for the perfect shot.

If I want a shot, I use every means at my disposal to create it.
If a location doesn't exist, I create it.

Haha, very strong opinion.

 

[Desert Rose]

"Getting it right in the camera" is as overrated as use "only manual to be a photographer."
As long as the result is what was envisioned it makes absolutely no difference how it was arrived at. There are a lot of images that can not be done in a camera and that does not make them less impressive to see. I value the skills of the editing on an equal footing with those of the photographer and those of the director.
It takes a full set of skills to produce the best possible work.

 

[DanOstergren]

I think editing is good for enhancing a photo, or for correcting mistakes that were overlooked or couldn't be fixed at the moment (for example you forget a clothing steamer, so you have to fix wrinkled clothes). Is editing essential? Not always, in my opinion. Sometimes the stars align and everything works out (by luck or by skill), and you take a photo that you discover needs no editing.

If you get your lighting right, you can avoid dodging and burning and control the mood of the image without enhancing the photo. A skilled makeup artist can also remove the need for dodging and burning and blemish removal on a person. If you keep a sharp eye out for details at the moment of exposure and take the time to groom the photo-set or model (in the case of portraits), you won't have to fix mistakes afterward. If you have your camera set to the right settings (which is something based on personal taste, not set by some standard written in stone), it will eliminate the need for white balance and exposure correction.

That being said, some clients are going to have bad skin with no access to a skilled makeup artist and will ask you to remove or lessen their blemishes (in the case of portraits), or they may have other specific editing requests. Photographers are also human, so we're not always going to notice certain details until we see them on the computer screen and our only way to fix the problem is with photo editing. In these cases, editing or a budget to pay someone else to edit is absolutely necessary.

Being a new photographer, you're going to hear the "get it right in camera" line from veterans very often, and it's great advice that will help you become a better photographer in all aspects. Some feel that it's overrated and unnecessary advice, and that's fine. Others will also tell you that learning good editing techniques is overrated and unnecessary, and that's fine too. It's all based on opinion; you decide what works for you. I personally try to achieve both.

 

[The Barbarian]

For the first one, get a free copy of AutoHDR and try it on the unedited photo of the watch. You'll get a good result on the gravel and watch without blowing out the top of the pillow.

 

[chuasam]

getting it right in camera is for people who don't know how to use photoshop
no seriously, getting it right in camera is one thing ...but that does not mean a shot doesn't need to get edited.

 

[ParkerPhoto]

I look at this way, if you get it right in camera that means less time editing. Which means you'll have more time to do the things you love (unless you really love sitting in front of the computer more than your camera).

It's easier and quicker to get the majority (if not all of it) done in camera. For me, editing starts before I take the photo - lighting is key. But so is understanding your camera settings and how to use them to achieve the look your after. Also, you don't need expensive equipment either.

There are tons of articles out there showing how to make do with home made reflectors, and free light sources - like the sun. For that first photo you could have easily placed your objects near a window for natural lighting (used a home-made reflector to bounce light into the shadows). Or another setup I like to use is shooting in my garage; place your items on a small table and open your garage door, then funnel the light with home-made gobos, reflectors (aluminum foil on cardboard), white sheets to diffuse the light, etc..

 

[photo1x1.com]

I was out taking a few images on Saturday, and found this a good opportinity to capture an image for this thread. There are situations that no photographer can capture similar to what it looks like in reality. In the image above my eyes didn´t see the object tilted, nor was the foreground as dark as in the original image (lower image of course). So editing sometimes is a necessity to represent what you actually see.
This was a lightroom only edit btw!

 

[Desert Rose]

I look at this way, if you get it right in camera that means less time editing. Which means you'll have more time to do the things you love (unless you really love sitting in front of the computer more than your camera).

It's easier and quicker to get the majority (if not all of it) done in camera. For me, editing starts before I take the photo - lighting is key. But so is understanding your camera settings and how to use them to achieve the look your after. Also, you don't need expensive equipment either.

There are tons of articles out there showing how to make do with home made reflectors, and free light sources - like the sun. For that first photo you could have easily placed your objects near a window for natural lighting (used a home-made reflector to bounce light into the shadows). Or another setup I like to use is shooting in my garage; place your items on a small table and open your garage door, then funnel the light with home-made gobos, reflectors (aluminum foil on cardboard), white sheets to diffuse the light, etc..

I actually love doing both as they are both creative endeavors and that's how I like spending my time.
I like spending time in post more than in prep because moving furniture is boring to me. When I film I have stage hands for that work.

 

[Angel301p]

The ones that say editing is bad are either newbies in photography or simply don't understand basics.
I thought myself how bad editing is, but as I progressed in photography, and was learning new things, I began to understand how important editing actually is. Ofcourse editing can make picture look bad if it is over edited, but with right dose, it can make pictures look much better.

 

[jcwphoto]

Post processing or toning can be as much of a skill as photography. I teach college photography and am creating a new set of video tutorials for my class. They are free on youtube so feel free to take a look. Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 - YouTube