How much is too much?

[ShotByRashad]

Hey there!

So, I've only recently gotten into taking photography and (funny enough) I only learned that you could edit the RAW files a month in. Anyway, what troubles me is that whenever I'm editing a photo, sometimes I feel like I'm editing it too much and I stop. I'm not sure if it's because I feel like it's cheating in a way but I thought I would ask the community here:

How much is too much editing?

Cheers.

 

[tirediron]

The correct amount of editing is that amount which produces the image that you, the photographer envisioned at the very moment you pressed the shutter button. Any more is too much, and less is not enough.

 

[Designer]

How much is too much editing?

If it makes your GF throw up, it was too much.

 

[bc_steve]

it's not cheating, RAW files are made to be edited. When a camera produces a JPEG file it does the editing automatically for you and what it does may not be appropriate for a particular picture.

If you're not sure about the edits that you are doing, maybe try a few different things and look at them side by side and decide which you like better.