Do you do Post Processing? If so-what and why?

[PQpine413]

Do you guys use photoshop to adjust your photos?
Of course, if you take care in taking each shot, then the post processing becomes less and much easier.
I personally don't mind fiddling with photoshop to a certain extent to get the constrast and brightness i like. but i know some that say you're alterring the picture and it's no longer the picture you took.
I dont think there's anything wrong with post processing because it is the end result image that matters, and the process to get that image is just for yourself to enjoy

I find that there are two types of photographers (speaking in a very very general sense).

Ones that are very traditional who refuse to use programs to post process their shots. These are usually people who made the transition from film to digital and take very good care in each of their shots since it's a habbit that was imposed onto them during pre-digital times where everything has to be printed. Having to spend a lot to get photos printed made photographers select their shots more carefully with both composition and getting lighting just right.

The other type started after dSLRs have developped. These are photographers that generally prefer zooms over primes and will use photoshop to correct mistakes.

again, this is very much my opinion and speaking in a very stereotypical sense.

EDIT: changed the title, i can't add a poll though

[TenzoR]

I usually just do lens correction (mainly for wideangle lens), auto level/color, smart sharpening and rotating the picture. if i had to spend more than 1-2 min with the picture it's bad to me and I just keep the original then move to the next picture.

[nahim.a.a]

I'm lazy so I don't shoot raw. I also dislike digitally post-processed photos - with film it was a different issue.

minor post-processing is very useful but one should not depend on it.

[3weddings]

I shouldn't, but it's become my crutch. I think I am better at photoshop than at actually taking the time to set my photos up right.

[PQpine413]

i guess that's the luxury of digital that i take for granted, shoot till i die and then shoot the best shot instead of taking more time to compose one.

[Suresh]

very little...I try to get the look out of the camera.
If PP, it's usually colour - contrast - sharpness.

[CSAgent]

I only post-process the best photos, to enhance it further. If it's a commercial shoot, then I'll post-process all of them through my set up Actions in PS CS2. Stuff like, white balance, color correction, and reduction of noise through Noise Ninja.

[goofball]

I always PP. I find that most camera's do not get the scene the same as I saw it.

[ShadowVlican]

noise reduction and auto balance for my crappy SD700IS

[ryan_lau100]

i will adjust for contrast and colour mostly. for me i dont have the money for "L" so i dont get the contrast i want out of my lenses. i dont see it as cheating since i know its not something i can control. people still did post processing using film... so i dont see what the difference is. before it was sweating over film in a darkroom now its sweating in front of a monitor....

[UrbanPoet]

i always wondered if it was considered "cheating" to use photoshop.....

[bubble.tea]

where's the poll?


no for me.

[lifeflayer]

started to use my k790a as my main camera so post processing is a must for me.

[ShadowVlican]

i always wondered if it was considered "cheating" to use photoshop.....
nah.. photoshop helps a good pic look better..... but will never make a lousy pic look good!

[Talamasca]

I always do at least a histogram adjustment, which for a properly taken photograph will take just a second. Sometimes I´ll play with a photo that is nice but kinda boring to see what I can do with it.

[bubble.tea]

I think a more helpful thread subj, would be:
Do you do Post Processing? If so-what and why?

For those of us who don't do it, perhaps learning first hand (and hopefully in laymans terms) will educate us on the values, and ultimately make us appreciate the necessity of doing it more regularly?

For example: What does histogram do?

[tienm23]

I do some minor PP because in-camera metering is often wrong so I use PS to adjust the levels and make the blacks black and the whites whites. Also on a couple of my lenses, vignetting and barrel distortion are visible, which I think is fair to fix as it is a limitation of the equipment.

Thats about it though...although sometimes people will request I fix things in their portraits, i.e. blemishes, scars

[bubble.tea]

.... sometimes people will request I fix things in their portraits, i.e. blemishes, scars

...noses, eyebrows, crows feet http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gif

[tienm23]

...noses, eyebrows, crows feet http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gif

haha...sometimes a total teardown rebuild..lol

[craftsman]

It seems that most PP is done to "correct errors" that the light meter has/done.

Me - I'm a traditionalist. So, I shoot and work with my camera to understand how the system works in order to get the results I see of the scene. The idea of PP really doesn't appeal to me.

I figure if you have to PP every image due to the metering being off - maybe it's not you that is having the issue but there is something wrong with your camera. I have to admit there are times with my D200 that I know that the scene will meter "incorrect" - about 1 or 2 shots out of 100. At those times, I will either meter on something that is 18% grey (or there abouts) or use the exposure compensation to get it to where I want it.

[CSAgent]

...noses, eyebrows, crows feet http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/petawawa/smilies/laugh.gif

I fix yellow or not so white teeth...and even eye whites. :lol: