How much Photoshop is too much?

Drake · Jan 13, 2008

I know this is a bit of an 'apples or oranges' debate, but can you please take a look at the few sample photos and decide whether it is too much or not? I love saturated colors, but I am afraid for some viewers it might be overdone.

http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/niebo/P1070294.jpg
http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/niebo/P1080630.jpg
http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/niebo/P1030236.jpg
http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/natura/P1050663.jpg
http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/inne/P1080122.jpg
http://drake.xon.pl/galeria/natura/P1070125.jpg

bhop · Jan 13, 2008

You've obviously never seen a sunset in the South Western United States. I've seen all of those examples in reality.

Josh66 · Jan 13, 2008

I agree with LaFoto. I wouldn't have even know they were photoshopped if you didn't say so.

-edit-
Didn't LaFoto have a post in here? ...It's past my bed-time, so maybe I'm seeing things.

Drake · Jan 13, 2008

So what you mean is that there's nothing wrong with it? You're right I've never been to the US, and the sky here, in Central/Eastern Europe is usually very pale. Thanks for your opinion

To give you some idea of how the original photos look like:

www.drake.xon.pl/inne/original/P1030236.jpg
www.drake.xon.pl/inne/original/P1050663.jpg
www.drake.xon.pl/inne/original/P1070125.jpg
www.drake.xon.pl/inne/original/P1070294.jpg
www.drake.xon.pl/inne/original/P1080630.jpg

Josh66 · Jan 13, 2008

Drake said:
So what you mean is that there's nothing wrong with it?

They all look fine to me. I would have believed they were straight out of the camera.

-edit, after seeing the originals-
Wow, I didn't think you did that much PS on them. The sky really looks like that here!

JIP · Jan 13, 2008

I don't think any of the images you presented represent Photoshop taken too far. While you were not able to capture the scene as I am sure it looked it is good to be able to make your photo look more like the reality. For me thisis a great way to make up for the lack of light and color range of your image sensor. I imagine those scenes looked to you when you shot them alot more like the ps'd images than what the camera with it's limited sensitivity captured.

domromer · Jan 13, 2008

Nothing strange about those photos. Look fine to me.

skieur · Jan 13, 2008

No amount of Photoshopping is too much, if it is effective and does not visually distract the average viewer from the centre of interest.

skieur

jstuedle · Jan 13, 2008

skieur said:
No amount of Photoshopping is too much, if it is effective and does not visually distract the average viewer from the centre of interest.

skieur

That is up to each viewer or photographers taste and opinion. Such as, some old school photojournalists thing any is too much. They believe it alters the reality of the image, and as such eliminates the photo from it's documentary purpose.

Big Bully · Jan 13, 2008

Wow I agree.. I never would have known those photo's were PS'd. Especially the pictures of the sunsets, they looked just like ours over here.
I totally thought you diluted the colors on the origional photos... lol:blushing:
So your photos were awesome, and totally not over done.

monkeykoder · Jan 13, 2008

I've never seen a golden sunset that I remember they're usually bright purple here.

Drake · Jan 13, 2008

monkeykoder said:
I've never seen a golden sunset that I remember they're usually bright purple here.

Well, the sky is almost never purple here, I was pretty surprised to see it in photos in online galleries.

jstuedle said:
That is up to each viewer or photographers taste and opinion. Such as, some old school photojournalists thing any is too much. They believe it alters the reality of the image, and as such eliminates the photo from it's documentary purpose.

I hate this conservative approach. And I hate the "it is evil because you couldn't do that with photos from film camera" talk even more.

nicfargo · Jan 13, 2008

These are great. Here in the US we get sky's like that a lot.

Sideburns · Jan 13, 2008

When I saw them I was about to post that they probably weren't even photoshopped. I guess I'm just used to the sunsets here...the sun really does look similar. Usually we get red, yellow, purple and such...it's quite nice.

The other day there was a beautiful sunset I wanted to take a picture of....but by the time I would get to where I could take a decent picture of it....it'd be gone. Stupid city.

skieur · Jan 13, 2008

jstuedle said:
That is up to each viewer or photographers taste and opinion. Such as, some old school photojournalists thing any is too much. They believe it alters the reality of the image, and as such eliminates the photo from it's documentary purpose.

Well, speaking as an old school photojournalist because I have done a considerable amount of that too, it does not alter reality if it is carefully and properly done and does not in any material way effect the centre of interest.

skieur