Is post-processing considered cheating? If it is, it has
certainly been going on for longer than the existence of Photoshop.
Post-processing also occurs in the darkroom on film., you can enhance your
images using enlargers and chemicals etc… If you have a Digital camera then you
use post processing software that can also be referred to as the ‘digital
darkroom’. My preference is Lightroom.
I post-process my photographs. But what I do is tweak. I don’t change the overall look of the photo. It is certainly recognisable as the shot I took.
I’ll tweak the contrast, hues, the curves and balance. It’s why I shoot in Raw. I work on creating the shot I envisioned when I took the shot. It all goes together to make the final product.
If I take a terrible photo, no amount of post-processing can fix that, and it’s destined for the Recycle Bin.
My favourite quote that supports post-processing is by Ansel Adams. He was trained as a classical musician in his youth, but when on to become one of the greats amongst the photography community.
I post-process my photographs. But what I do is tweak. I don’t change the overall look of the photo. It is certainly recognisable as the shot I took.
I’ll tweak the contrast, hues, the curves and balance. It’s why I shoot in Raw. I work on creating the shot I envisioned when I took the shot. It all goes together to make the final product.
If I take a terrible photo, no amount of post-processing can fix that, and it’s destined for the Recycle Bin.
My favourite quote that supports post-processing is by Ansel Adams. He was trained as a classical musician in his youth, but when on to become one of the greats amongst the photography community.
“The negative is comparable to the composer's score
and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways.” –
Ansel Adams
When is Post-processing not okay?
Journalism. Apart from minor White balance tweaks, Photojournalists are prohibited from post-processing their photographs. And this is because they are shooting the raw truth. They’re not out there to create a piece of art, they’re there to create a report. If they happen to create art at the same time, then great, but the original intention of that shot comes first.
And then there's my two-cents.
I don't think post-processing should be allowed in magazines. Post-processing alone has caused untold amount of damage to young men and women who are provided with unrealistic ideals of how they should look, and how their role models look.
Journalism. Apart from minor White balance tweaks, Photojournalists are prohibited from post-processing their photographs. And this is because they are shooting the raw truth. They’re not out there to create a piece of art, they’re there to create a report. If they happen to create art at the same time, then great, but the original intention of that shot comes first.
And then there's my two-cents.
I don't think post-processing should be allowed in magazines. Post-processing alone has caused untold amount of damage to young men and women who are provided with unrealistic ideals of how they should look, and how their role models look.
These images tell us that you're not meant to get spots, you're not meant to get wrinkles, you're not meant to have an off day, or a bad haircut, because if these guys can look 'perfect' then so can we.
