I Edit-- So Deal with It!

[D-B-J]

Some people will agree with you. Others will disagree. In the end, you have to be comfortable with what you do. If those that disagree with you make you feel ill at ease, maybe you have to look into your heart of hearts. There might be a part of you that agrees with them. Otherwise, why would you start a new thread to air your gripes? Also, it could be a matter of degree. Maybe adjusting contrast and exposure and color to reflect what you saw is OK. But cloning things in or out may be too much. We all have to think about and come to some kind of a understanding so we can feel good about what we do. At times, I'm often in conflict as well with these things. Good luck on whatever you decide.

I'm the type of person who wants to please everyone, but am also firm in my photographic vision. It's a conflict, for sure.

Jake

 

[D-B-J]

Yeah, don't tell them. Let them think you are a genius with a camera.
Then when they buy their d3100 from BestBuy for Christmas, and go in business for themselves, then fail 6 months later, they'll wonder why you are so good.

Seems legit

 

[SpikeyJohnson]

I don't think people realized the amount of processing there was in the "Old Days" either. I just watched a photo about filters in the dark room to get better contrast. Most people don't know that many film photographers labored in the dark room "editing" to get the photo they wanted. I love looking at raw vs edited photos of photographers and it is amazing how much better the photos look afterwards. It's also always interesting to see the progression of a photographer as an artist. Fstoppers had an article a few days ago showing the progression of certain "amateurs" who have gone "pro" in the last 3 years. The differences of photos is amazing!

So in short, people do not understand that photography is an art and a profession. It is just as complex as their "complex" or "hard" jobs. They do not realized the time and talent it takes to take what they generally see (commercial photos) from idea to production and they don't understand the extremely high standards that companies, magazines, and clients have for the photos they receive. People want something for nothing and they think photography is just a shutter away.

 

[D-B-J]

I don't think people realized the amount of processing there was in the "Old Days" either. I just watched a photo about filters in the dark room to get better contrast. Most people don't know that many film photographers labored in the dark room "editing" to get the photo they wanted. I love looking at raw vs edited photos of photographers and it is amazing how much better the photos look afterwards. It's also always interesting to see the progression of a photographer as an artist. Fstoppers had an article a few days ago showing the progression of certain "amateurs" who have gone "pro" in the last 3 years. The differences of photos is amazing!

So in short, people do not understand that photography is an art and a profession. It is just as complex as their "complex" or "hard" jobs. They do not realized the time and talent it takes to take what they generally see (commercial photos) from idea to production and they don't understand the extremely high standards that companies, magazines, and clients have for the photos they receive. People want something for nothing and they think photography is just a shutter away.

Well said.

 

[jsecordphoto]

As somebody who does a lot of landscape astrophotography, you're preachin' to the choir here. Space.com just shared my photo of Pemaquid Point again, lots of people hating on there because it's not something you can get with an iphone or their t2i and kit lens in JPEG.

 

[KmH]

Quit showing SOOC shots. Lol !

 

[D-B-J]

Quit showing SOOC shots. Lol !

I only did it once, I swear!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[D-B-J]

As somebody who does a lot of landscape astrophotography, you're preachin' to the choir here. Space.com just shared my photo of Pemaquid Point again, lots of people hating on there because it's not something you can get with an iphone or their t2i and kit lens in JPEG.

Pshhhht clearly you or I could get that photo with our iPhones... Haha jkjk.

We don't just spend thousands on gear for S's an G's.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Derrel]

Stop posting the "before shots" on FB...all it does is lessen their opinion of your work.

 

[Tailgunner]

Sometimes I get really annoyed when friends and family get upset with me when I show them the SOOC and "after" shots--they feel it's a lie. A forgery. That I'm enhancing to the point of unrealistic levels. In response, I posted the below on facebook with some examples.



Photography is not just about taking a picture--in reality, that's only half the process, if even. I shoot in RAW format, which is as it sounds--a raw file, not processed in any way (the camera processes JPEG's by adding contrast, saturation, etc). I then take the image into Adobe Lightroom, edit to taste, and in this case, took it into NIK Silver Efex (a black and white conversion software) and push processed the image, brought it back into lightroom, made some minor adjustments, then exported the image as a JPEG. In my editing arsenal I have 5 different editing programs, and each has their purpose. Sometimes it takes just one program, and sometimes it takes four.

What I want to show you is that what comes out of the camera is a RAW file--unprocessed, dull, lacking creative touches. It is in editing and processing that an image truly comes to life. Editing allows each photographer to put their individual touches on an image...it allows us to make the image our own. Anyone can TAKE the same photo, but can they process it in the same way? Likely not.


And these comments ensued:





So what do you think? Do you get annoyed? Are you a SOOC shooter?
Jake

Reminds me of applying for a Certificate of Occupancy from the City for my showroom. They have no idea how modern photography works, they still believe it involves a dark room, chemicals, and large printers. I had to explain almost every step of the process involved in creating a modern day photo...and they still didn't believe me.

 

[W.Y.Photo]

People will never attempt to understand something they think they already have a good understanding of. They take a nice picture with there cellphone or Point and Shoot then wonder, why would anyone wanna use something like photoshop to edit this?!

When they think of editing photos they think of girls trying to make their chests look bigger and crappy frames/instagram filters, not what we do.

 

[Derrel]

Here's an example of why so many people disapprove of "processing". Even I call B.S. on this degree of manipulation: this is nothing at all like what was there, and crap like this cheapens the value of photography. And this from one of the web's foremost landscape "photography" sites! THis is basically a recipe article,. with step by step directions, on how to rescue crap and turn it into pretty "pitchers".

Death Valley Sunset

 

[Civchic]

I've barely touched the surface of editing.

When I first started, I would say "I want to get this right, I don't want to have to edit every single picture, that's not how a real photographer shoots". So I shot JPEG and changed the settings and kept trying and trying and never getting what I saw. I learned a lot.

I asked a photographer friend of mine (whose images are fantastic, look totally natural, and gorgeous) how much PP work was needed, and he said "Every single image needs some sort of touch. Some more, some less, but your eye can see so much more than the lens. Shoot in RAW and learn to edit."

It changed my photography. Even though I still am just scratching the surface of PP knowledge.

 

[molested_cow]

My sister bought a 5DIII + F1.4 50mm just to take jpegs. Go figure.

 

[D-B-J]

I've barely touched the surface of editing.

When I first started, I would say "I want to get this right, I don't want to have to edit every single picture, that's not how a real photographer shoots". So I shot JPEG and changed the settings and kept trying and trying and never getting what I saw. I learned a lot.

I asked a photographer friend of mine (whose images are fantastic, look totally natural, and gorgeous) how much PP work was needed, and he said "Every single image needs some sort of touch. Some more, some less, but your eye can see so much more than the lens. Shoot in RAW and learn to edit."

It changed my photography. Even though I still am just scratching the surface of PP knowledge.

That's basically how I progressed.