photo shop?

jolee1990 · 10-12-2009, 08:15 AM

i was just wondering if people photo shop their pictures after they take em?

Marc Sabatella · 10-12-2009, 08:18 AM

I don't have that particular program (way more complex and expensive than I need), but I use ACDSee Pro. Not on all or even most of my pictures, but almost all pictures I care enough about to post get some processing.

Wheatfield · 10-12-2009, 08:51 AM

Yes.

more characters

clmonk · 10-12-2009, 12:43 PM

The smart-aleck response would be: "Of course! Because it is too difficult to do BEFORE I take em."

But far be it for me to be a smart-aleck!!! But seriously, one thing I have noticed is that my images almost always benefit from a bit of sharpening even if they need nothiing else. So, yes, I post process, but I do so in ACR and Elements rather than in CS#.

Jester_rm · 10-12-2009, 01:38 PM

Depends on what you mean by "photo shop". If you mean just touching up in post processing, I think pretty much everyone that does digital does that to some extent.

Typically I don't do any more than slight sharpening (sometimes), color balance, removing dust spots (if any), and maybe contrast/brightness (if my exposure was really bad). Yes, I do use Photoshop rather than another program.

If by "photo shop" you mean manipulating photos in post processing to add elements, take out elements, make it look "artsy" or stuff like that, than no, not really. At least not with any regularity. Occasionally I'll make a B&W version of a shot, or maybe a sepiatone or something like that. Once I had to remove a stake out of a picture of a lawn, but I don't recall ever adding anything that wasn't there to begin with. Anything more complex than that I stay away from, I'm just not that experienced with it to make it look right.

**Ash** · 10-12-2009, 01:46 PM

Post-processing - yes, for all the images that I keep I optimise with colours, contrast, curves, levels, dodging and burning and sharpening if necessary.

And yes, I use Photoshop to do this, but it doesn't matter too much what program is used - most software packages are very capable in performing these kinds of manipulations.

**ROBEFFY** · 10-14-2009, 06:17 PM

I took a course in digital photography from a local community college, and part of the course included Photoshop Elements, student price was about $69.
I use it on shots I intend to display, sometimes for cropping, brightness levels, back ground darkening of shadows, that sort of thing.
I find it useful, to make the shot POP a bit more.
Most of features just don't seem to make sense to use??

res3567 · 10-14-2009, 11:53 PM

Yes and no. Yes, if I feel the need to post process my pics, usually for professional work which requires enlaregements, then I use Photoshop to accomplish the task. The term "photo shopped" refers to post processing with an image editing program. Adobe Photoshop is the standard for all others to be compared to, however, the full blown version is expensive. And then there is Photoshop Elements which is a stripped down version that cost a fraction of the original, but still very capable.
If I have a prefect exposure and it is for small prints or the web, I will usually not post process.

You don't neccesarily need Photoshop as there are many programs that may suit your needs without the cost.

libbyh · 10-15-2009, 06:33 PM

I usually run through all the photos and rank them prior to deciding how much time i'll spend in post process with them. I have a 'standard' number of quick actions to increase contrast and sharpen and decide from there how much I want to work the photo and if I plan on printing large for display.

**dadipentak** · 10-15-2009, 07:15 PM

Of course! Obviously I'd like 'em to be perfect straight out of the camera but the objective is to produce nice images. If I can make them nicer with a bit of pp, I have absolutely no qualms about doing that.

Damn Brit · 10-15-2009, 07:45 PM

Not so much since I've been shooting manually, usually just subtle Levels adjustment.

mysticcowboy · 10-15-2009, 09:32 PM

I imagine that the majority of published photos have some editing done to them. It may be a quick tonal tweak or crop, or it may entail hours of editing, but anybody who claims to get consistently perfect results direct from camera to print is either delusional or misrepresenting their work. I know a lot of excellent photographers, several of them pros, and none of them are that good.

Study the work of any top photographers and you'll find that they spent a lot of time processing their images. Thank goodness that I don't have to spend hours dodging, burning, double exposing and applying special processing in the darkroom anymore.

If you're looking to start with photo editing, I think Photoshop Elements is a great program that will take you a long ways.

michael
My Port Townsend – A City in Photographs

GerryL · 10-16-2009, 08:58 AM

Almost always photoshop.
No matter how good the photo might look, a bit of photoshop post processing to adjust levels, brightness, contrast, sharpening and even combining 2 of duplicated photos with different contrast or tones to bring out the best highlights or shadows...some kind of HDR but more of direct manipulation (kinda' hard to explain)..sorry.

**ramseybuckeye** · 10-16-2009, 12:25 PM

First, I look to shoot raw, and photoshop has avery easy and efficient raw processor and converter. With photshop you can do all kinds of corrections, fixes, and effects. IIt's also a nice tool to make collages, posters, and create advertising. I've to add or subtract people from group photos, which is not always easy, but you can do it with Photoshop. It's very easy to do minor corrections and raw coversions, but there is a lot more you can do when you learn how. Some good tips appear in PopPhoto magazine every month. And if you can ever get to a one day Photoshop seminar, they are well worth the cost.

Personally I haven't seen any other software that comes close, I haven't seen Lightroom, but I hear that it is very good.

Michael Barker · 10-16-2009, 01:59 PM

Quite often. I do it if I am going for a different look than what the camera gives me. For me, the final picture is what matters, not the process of creating it. (Although I do enjoy the process).

In Photoshop itself, other than Layers, I find the three most powerful features are:

Curves
Clone
Bezier Select

Other features may be quicker, but these features are very precise and flexible. With them alone you can completely transform an image or images.

For a very educational Photoshop book, I highly recommend Amazon.com: Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques (9780321321893): Ben Willmore: Books

10-12-2009, 08:15 AM	#1
jolee1990 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cincinnati Posts: 88	photo shop? i was just wondering if people photo shop their pictures after they take em?

10-15-2009, 09:32 PM	#12
mysticcowboy Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: port townsend, wa Photos: Albums Posts: 968	Absolutely "Photo Shop" I imagine that the majority of published photos have some editing done to them. It may be a quick tonal tweak or crop, or it may entail hours of editing, but anybody who claims to get consistently perfect results direct from camera to print is either delusional or misrepresenting their work. I know a lot of excellent photographers, several of them pros, and none of them are that good. Study the work of any top photographers and you'll find that they spent a lot of time processing their images. Thank goodness that I don't have to spend hours dodging, burning, double exposing and applying special processing in the darkroom anymore. If you're looking to start with photo editing, I think Photoshop Elements is a great program that will take you a long ways. michael My Port Townsend – A City in Photographs

10-16-2009, 12:25 PM	#14
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,296	Almost always First, I look to shoot raw, and photoshop has avery easy and efficient raw processor and converter. With photshop you can do all kinds of corrections, fixes, and effects. IIt's also a nice tool to make collages, posters, and create advertising. I've to add or subtract people from group photos, which is not always easy, but you can do it with Photoshop. It's very easy to do minor corrections and raw coversions, but there is a lot more you can do when you learn how. Some good tips appear in PopPhoto magazine every month. And if you can ever get to a one day Photoshop seminar, they are well worth the cost. Personally I haven't seen any other software that comes close, I haven't seen Lightroom, but I hear that it is very good.

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10-12-2009, 08:18 AM	#2
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	I don't have that particular program (way more complex and expensive than I need), but I use ACDSee Pro. Not on all or even most of my pictures, but almost all pictures I care enough about to post get some processing.

10-12-2009, 08:51 AM	#3
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,987	Yes. more characters

10-12-2009, 12:43 PM	#4
clmonk Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Eastern TN Posts: 269	The smart-aleck response would be: "Of course! Because it is too difficult to do BEFORE I take em." But far be it for me to be a smart-aleck!!! But seriously, one thing I have noticed is that my images almost always benefit from a bit of sharpening even if they need nothiing else. So, yes, I post process, but I do so in ACR and Elements rather than in CS#.

10-12-2009, 01:38 PM	#5
Jester_rm Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Redmond, Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 228	Depends on what you mean by "photo shop". If you mean just touching up in post processing, I think pretty much everyone that does digital does that to some extent. Typically I don't do any more than slight sharpening (sometimes), color balance, removing dust spots (if any), and maybe contrast/brightness (if my exposure was really bad). Yes, I do use Photoshop rather than another program. If by "photo shop" you mean manipulating photos in post processing to add elements, take out elements, make it look "artsy" or stuff like that, than no, not really. At least not with any regularity. Occasionally I'll make a B&W version of a shot, or maybe a sepiatone or something like that. Once I had to remove a stake out of a picture of a lawn, but I don't recall ever adding anything that wasn't there to begin with. Anything more complex than that I stay away from, I'm just not that experienced with it to make it look right.

10-12-2009, 01:46 PM	#6
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Post-processing - yes, for all the images that I keep I optimise with colours, contrast, curves, levels, dodging and burning and sharpening if necessary. And yes, I use Photoshop to do this, but it doesn't matter too much what program is used - most software packages are very capable in performing these kinds of manipulations.

10-14-2009, 06:17 PM	#7
ROBEFFY Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 248	I took a course in digital photography from a local community college, and part of the course included Photoshop Elements, student price was about $69. I use it on shots I intend to display, sometimes for cropping, brightness levels, back ground darkening of shadows, that sort of thing. I find it useful, to make the shot POP a bit more. Most of features just don't seem to make sense to use??

10-14-2009, 11:53 PM	#8
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876	Yes and no. Yes, if I feel the need to post process my pics, usually for professional work which requires enlaregements, then I use Photoshop to accomplish the task. The term "photo shopped" refers to post processing with an image editing program. Adobe Photoshop is the standard for all others to be compared to, however, the full blown version is expensive. And then there is Photoshop Elements which is a stripped down version that cost a fraction of the original, but still very capable. If I have a prefect exposure and it is for small prints or the web, I will usually not post process. You don't neccesarily need Photoshop as there are many programs that may suit your needs without the cost.

10-15-2009, 06:33 PM	#9
libbyh Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 119	I usually run through all the photos and rank them prior to deciding how much time i'll spend in post process with them. I have a 'standard' number of quick actions to increase contrast and sharpen and decide from there how much I want to work the photo and if I plan on printing large for display.

10-15-2009, 07:15 PM	#10
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Of course! Obviously I'd like 'em to be perfect straight out of the camera but the objective is to produce nice images. If I can make them nicer with a bit of pp, I have absolutely no qualms about doing that.

10-15-2009, 07:45 PM	#11
Damn Brit Guest	Not so much since I've been shooting manually, usually just subtle Levels adjustment.

10-16-2009, 08:58 AM	#13
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Almost always photoshop. No matter how good the photo might look, a bit of photoshop post processing to adjust levels, brightness, contrast, sharpening and even combining 2 of duplicated photos with different contrast or tones to bring out the best highlights or shadows...some kind of HDR but more of direct manipulation (kinda' hard to explain)..sorry.

10-16-2009, 01:59 PM	#15
Michael Barker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Markham, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 185	Quite often. I do it if I am going for a different look than what the camera gives me. For me, the final picture is what matters, not the process of creating it. (Although I do enjoy the process). In Photoshop itself, other than Layers, I find the three most powerful features are: Curves Clone Bezier Select Other features may be quicker, but these features are very precise and flexible. With them alone you can completely transform an image or images. For a very educational Photoshop book, I highly recommend Amazon.com: Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques (9780321321893): Ben Willmore: Books