Ok, I'm just gonna come out and say it...

[manaheim]

Isn't selling photoshop actions and presets... just a little... um... cheesy?

 

[kellylindseyphotography]

I don't think so.. but your milage may vary I think there are some good ones out there. Its weeding through the crap ones first though and first having a real fundamental knowledge of what the process is in an action, too.

Like I love sunshine in my hand (phaunt), I can't seem to replicate that myself. And I love super fun happy (totally rad actions) at a very low opacity to create highlights that I can't master yet either. So for some things, it gives what I lack.. but hopefully learn from

 

[tirediron]

I guess there's a market for them, somewhere. To me it seems like buying someone else's groceries. Sure I'll get food, but is it going to be exactly what I want?

 

[manaheim]

There's a buddy of mine who is in graphic design that was basically like "Ok, so I guess I should just grab my 'Photoshop Secrets' book, record all the examples in there, and sell them... because that's literally all this person is doing."

I mean, where there's a market, why not sell stuff I suppose... this just seems really odd.

I have an action to create a frame for TPF... anyone wanna buy it? A bargain at $25!

 

[Bifurcator]

Selling actions and scripts for Adobe products is fine. I don't buy them but I could see myself recommending them in some cases.

 

[KD5NRH]

If anyone's interested, I have a template for a blank document in Word. $3,175.99 without manual or support.

 

[Overread]

hmm I am definatly interested in that black document!
send me a pm about it - with a free sample!

As for selling actins - would this be to do with that certain ad? (which is showing right now for me ) I, personally think these are aimed at those looking for a certain effect and are wanting a quick method of achiveing it. If I were after a certain effect I would search and pester forums and chances are someone would know the information or a good starting point - that would take time.
I think also their have an air of professionalism so I can well see people buying them - not me, but I can see the attraction

 

[Mike30D]

Isn't selling photoshop actions and presets... just a little... um... cheesy?

You may think it's cheesy but for the thousands of pro wedding photogs who use them, it saves a bunch of time. Sure you can take the time to find out how to do each step in Photoshop, but if you're shooting 30-50 weddings a year you may not have time to take a class or read a book on the subject. When you're a wedding photographer, speed of workflow is very important. The nice thing about those actions is you can either use a little bit or a lot and you can combine them too. I'm not saying you should use them all the time, because I think you shouldn't depend on them 100%, but they are helpful.

 

[djrichie28]

You may think it's cheesy but for the thousands of pro wedding photogs who use them, it saves a bunch of time. Sure you can take the time to find out how to do each step in Photoshop, but if you're shooting 30-50 weddings a year you may not have time to take a class or read a book on the subject.

If there is a photographer working 30-50 weddings a year, I'm sure they have mastered photoshop by themselves to gain that reputation from their portfolio to get them that many bookings.

 

[EricBrian]

If I found one that I wanted and if it cost what I was willing to pay, then yes, I would buy it.

 

[Mike30D]

If there is a photographer working 30-50 weddings a year, I'm sure they have mastered photoshop by themselves to gain that reputation from their portfolio to get them that many bookings.

Don't bet on it...

Kevin Kubota is making a fortune on his action sets. It isn't all amateurs that are buying them.

As I said before, I'm sure they don't use all of them or all the time, but I'm sure (and I've seen proof) they use them and it's not just the lower priced (below $2500) photographers either.

On the other hand though, if you are shooting upwards of 50 weddings a year, you may have someone working for you that does strictly post-processing and that person probably has an extensive knowledge of the all mighty Photoshop. Depends on the photographer though.

 

[manaheim]

If anyone's interested, I have a template for a blank document in Word. $3,175.99 without manual or support.

Exaaaaaaaaactly.

As for selling actins - would this be to do with that certain ad? (which is showing right now for me ) I, personally think these are aimed at those looking for a certain effect and are wanting a quick method of achiveing it. If I were after a certain effect I would search and pester forums and chances are someone would know the information or a good starting point - that would take time.
I think also their have an air of professionalism so I can well see people buying them - not me, but I can see the attraction

Yup, has to do with the <cough> certain ad. I resisted posting about it because I didn't want to make fun of anyone who was supporting the board, but after a while the whole thing was just rubbing me raw.

I guess I can buy the "spending money to reduce time spent" thing. However, see my response to Mike...

You may think it's cheesy but for the thousands of pro wedding photogs who use them, it saves a bunch of time. Sure you can take the time to find out how to do each step in Photoshop, but if you're shooting 30-50 weddings a year you may not have time to take a class or read a book on the subject. When you're a wedding photographer, speed of workflow is very important. The nice thing about those actions is you can either use a little bit or a lot and you can combine them too. I'm not saying you should use them all the time, because I think you shouldn't depend on them 100%, but they are helpful.

Yeah now this is one I don't get... if you're shooting that many weddings and you need this effect, then you really need to learn it yourself. This is my opinion, but I wouldn't want my product going out with someone elses effect on it. Nor would I want every product I put out to look exactly the same.

Of course, I also don't buy greeting cards because I have a problem giving someone else a "personal note" that someone else wrote. Clearly I am in the minority on that one, however, so perhaps I am in the minority here.

 

[Bifurcator]

manaheim,

I think you're misunderstanding the software industry. When computers first became "available" there were no software vendors. Later on we got operating systems with them but for programs you either had to write your own, or pay someone to skew you up some custom code. So they (computers) remained a tool of geekdom where no one could use them except for custom jobs - usually specific database applications. There were usually just programmers and corporate users. As "software applications" became more general purpose more people became users - personal users. Today it's no different and if you want something that you don't know how to make or don't have the time to make it's wonderful to be able to buy it. Scripts and actions are only an extension of that policy. Sure someone who has spent the time and knows very well how to do it might scoff but the guy who wants black-box button level automation and has no time for anything else would be mad if scoffers caused a gap in product availability that he happened to need.

I think PhotoShop and especially PhotoShop in the hands of a professional photographer (most of whom are PS dunces in my experience), under that environment has created a demand for such add-ons. Keep in mind there are those code-savvy warriors who scoff consistently at the majority of PS plug-ins as well. You're only just one level down from them but IMO it's the same thing. Those who understand the niche/need and seise the opportunity prosper. And good on them for it too imho.

 

[Bifurcator]

BTW, I do understand your "personal note" argument and I agree if the photos are being sold and presented as "works of art". Weddings were mentioned so that's as good an example as any I guess. The customer gets what, about 50 images? And the studio spends quality time on what, about 5 of them? The other 45 are candidates for any kind of automation that can improve their general quality or artistic appeal. So even in the case of the photographer doing weddings who knows how, these scripts and actions may very well be desirable.

 

[Iron Flatline]

In the old days, there were probably photographers who scoffed at those that bought cameras, rather than built their own.

Look, it's just image creation. Nowhere in any of the manuals does it state you have to reinvent photography or image creation every time you touch a camera or a computer. It's perfectly o.k. to use off-the-shelf software. And a plug-in or an action is just a small piece of software, even if it doesn't live on it's own.

Frankly, the whole post smacks a little of superiority, manaheim.