Just a question

[Nikkie]

Defriend x 3

[tcdev]

I'm relatively new to photography, and I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum in many threads on many forums, but I'm purposely resisting learning anything more than the basic PP skills (crop, levels) to force me to become a better photographer OOC.

I've got nothing at all against PP, and once I feel I have achieved some level of competance with my camera I will delve into the world of more advanced PP. One only needs to look at the work of the likes of Dylan to see what can be done - if one is that way inclined - with an already good photograph. It opens up the possibilities of HDR, focus stacking, etc etc that enable more artistic creations than traditional OOC photography.

But for now, I've got plenty to, err, focus on, with just my camera.

[I @ M]

tcdev, I reckon that is a good approach but I wouldn't totally ignore some slightly more advanced processing steps as you progress. A balanced strategy of processing experimentation with a photo that you got right in the first place will make things a lot clearer a lot quicker.

[ytf]

Boy.. Would I like to know how to do that.

Practice. (This one was about 60 layers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ytf/2918067710 )


As a professional commercial video editor and VFX artist, I've spent my entire adult life tweeking television commercials long into the night using the most powerful software and computers available outside the military. In 2003, with the introduction of the Nikon D100, I returned to photography after a long absence and vowed that in my personal work I was going to remain "pure" and "true to the art." Yes, those were the most pompous three weeks of my life.

[opi2kenopi]

Practice. (This one was about 60 layers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ytf/2918067710 )

That is one hell of an image.

[geoffsta]

@ ytf.
You are a tease

[Ruski]

Thanks everyone for your replies to my question there were some interesting comments.

I personally don't have a problem with editing photos and am in the process of learning how to do that using elements 9. Hopefully in time i can become not only a better photographer but also good at the editing side of photography.

[Bennymiata]

Thanks everyone for your replies to my question there were some interesting comments.

I personally don't have a problem with editing photos and am in the process of learning how to do that using elements 9. Hopefully in time i can become not only a better photographer but also good at the editing side of photography.

Editing does not mean that you are changing the picture, just making it more attractive to you and hence, should not be looked at as cheating.

You can't make a bad picture gorgeous just by editing, but you can make a good picture just that little bit better or more interesting with more punch.
Editing is just as much fun as going out and taking the picture. As you start to learn about editing, you wil find that it is a lot of fun and is a good excercise for your brain too and allows you to put your artistic skills to the test.

[Erin]

You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear. If it's not right to begin with, no amount of tweaking/editing will fix it.

There's a certain well-known photographer who's work I can't stand but has been quoted saying he can spend up to three months editing a single photograph. That should be enough of a hint that it's not a good photo to begin with. If I can't make something sing within three hours, let alone three months, I move on.

I'd rather be better at getting it right in camera. As it stands, my skills in both photoshoppery and photography are about equal.... still learning and improving my skill in both.

[kiwi]

Not necessarily, I've seen some great photos that I think would've taken weeks in processing

Me, myself, I have a 3 minute rule :-)

[swifty]

Whilst I always try and get things right in-camera, some images are just not possible without some editing.
Some techniques also requires you to not get it right in camera eg. ETTR. Actually you are getting it right in camera when shooting ETTR, its just not what the final picture will look like.
Shooting RAW i also use the most neutral in-camera settings for exposure purposes but those setting are not often what I intend the final images to appear so some editing is inevitable.
Another example is HDR. Its inherently an editing technique and results are difficult to achieve in camera with any great degree of control.

I also wonder how Lytro will affect ppl's attitude in photography - selecting focus after the fact. Now that's opening a can of worms.