How much post-dive processing do you do?

[Gilligan]

I must say that to one degree or another I adjust every photo I take (including land ones) as respects Auto Levels and/or Contrast and/or Brightness and/or Sharpness. Using the "mandrake process" on no-strobe pics has become somewhat of a routine. Is that process much different than using a red filter as far as respects "manipulation"?
I don't think I can recall any photo that some adjusting didn't improve.
It makes me wonder how many 35mm film prints over the years would have been better if the processing labs could have spent more time on them? To me one of the major benefits of digital is the ability to independently adjust your own photos so as to get the most out of them.
As a footnote, Photoshop is a monster of a program that I think requires training in. I use it with very limited knowledge of its capabilities. I learn from people like "mandrake" who take the time to post processes as well as some tutorial websites.

 

[SimonJ]

I completly agree with Mandrake, Gilligan, et al. My wife and I specifically chose a digital professional photographer for our wedding. Amongst the many advantages of going with him was that he was able to run all the photos through photoshop. He did not do a great deal, as he was a good photographer, with a good camera, but each one was 'tweaked' a little, so that to his highly skilled eye it looked as good as it could.

Personally I run almost all my pics through photoshop these days. Some just get a minor tweak, others have more serious manipluation of levels, colours, contrast, etc. I have used the mandrake process on occasion, but find it only really works for a limited percentage of photos...but where it does work it works well.

If all photos are really art projects (mandrake), then should we not be like any other artists and use whatever tools we have available to get the result we are looking for? After all, how often do you see a photo in a magazine or book that has not been altered in some way. It was the same with 35mm for professionals, and with digital we are all now able to continue to work on our art projects, after the shutter has gone click. It does not take away from the ability to take great photos. You only have to look at the highly skilled photographers on here, such as Dee and Gilligan to realise that the art starts with the camera in hand...it just does not end there

 

[Dee]

.....realise that the art starts with the camera in hand...it just does not end there

Well said, Simon. I'm not against manipulating photos, I do it myself. I just think that at some point you have to admit it's a bad photo and give it up.

We've all seen photos posted here that were too far away, too out of focus, too over/under exposed, and someone is wanting advice on how to fix it. Photoshop and the other programs should be used to enhance what you have captured not to save a bad photo. Now if that bad photo happens to be of a Whaleshark, Mola, or whatever that is a once in a lifetime..or very least once in a dive trip shot....then by all means do what you can and save it until the next better one comes along.

 

[Gilligan]

Amen Dee. This photo is a prime example.
I can't delete this photo because to date it was the underwater experience of my life. I was at 70 feet last February just drifting along with my kayak when I looked up and saw a whale cow and her calf almost directly above me. I got off one shot before they took off. I had a red filter on my lens port and the photo sucks. I played with it in Photoshop for hours and it still sucks. But it may have been my only time for such an experience.

 

[Scubatooth]

As little as possible. I'll remove the really bad backscatter if any, adjust the brightness and contrast, use the unsharp mask. I do not mess with the colors at all. They are what they are for a reason. Too far away, no strobe, out of focus, etc. None of that can be fixed with program tricks. They may be covered up to some degree but at what price?

The photos that have all the intensive 'work' done to them are no longer photos, they are art projects...IMHO. At some point you just have to admit it's a bad shot and vow to try to do better next time.

I've thought of this alot lately. Our local Jr. College has photoshop classes and I was considering taking them. First I would have to upgrade my PC's version of Windows, even at a student discount the Photoshop CS program would cost me $300. Why? I don't believe in a lot of manipulation of photos so I've saved myself some time and money. I'm a photographer, not a computer program expert and I wouldn't have it any other way. Some people enjoy it and that's fine, it's just not for me.

Dee

why pay the local community college when you have alot of the help on here. also i thought you had a laptop that had windows XP on it ?

as for needing CS theres only a few things that i would need for it but i havent had a project come up that needed its features.


tooth

 

[jiveturkey]

I know this is very basic but I'm using this tutorial to get more out of photoshop. Until now I had just experimented with the different tools and got what I could. This tutorial is set up for photoshop newbies like me and walks you through the entire thing in a bunch of lessons. I found it while trying to figure out how to use the unsharpen mask feature. I still don't know how to use it properly but i'm hoping by the end of the tutorial I'll have some more direction.

 

[d33ps1x]

That's open ended. Usually a lot. Photoshop has always provided endess creative posibilities for me.

For lazy days about +20 saturation since I find the EOS 10D a little dull.

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

After reading Dee's reservations about overdoing it in the digital darkroom, I got curious as to just how much can be done. So I got fiddling last night on PSP with a photo of a turtle that has backscatter, poor contrast and is slightly blurred. I am astounded by the result. Judging from what I got right with very little photographic knowledge, there certainly should be a limit to post-processing in a competition environment.

For myself and my home use, I am thinking of putting a small mark on the corner of my "heavily" edited photos to remind me that I need more practice!

The before and after pics are attached.

Have a blessed Christmas. May Santa fill your stockings with digital delights and may the laughter of loved ones fill your day.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[ssra30]

Judging from what I got right with very little photographic knowledge, there certainly should be a limit to post-processing in a competition environment.

Andrew

I think many people still have a bit of misconception about processing pictures. When I switched to RAW file format and import the picture into photoshop without any of the camera's adjustment, I was amazed at how different the picture looks. When you shoot in JPEG, you see what the camera has already processed which can be quite different from what the camera actually sees. A picture that came out very nice straight from the camera does not always mean that you took a perfect picture, often it just means that the camera automatic correction guessed right which is not always the case. Since there is no factory preset for underwater photography, sometimes picture that came out looking pretty bad could be just that the camera automatic photo correction did not do a good job and frequently you have to use photoshop to correct the camera's mistake. Of course I am strictly talking about level, contrast, brightness, saturation etc here, not the bandaid, clone stamp tool etc.
I think for competition, all those adjustment should be ok, just not the cut and paste, clone tool, etc. In professional competition, I am sure all of those pictures have been touched in many subtle ways, I doubt any of those photographers would take their slide to a local supermarket to have their pictures printed out by automatic machines for competition.

Technically, using a strobe is not natural either as you are adding artificial light to the subject to create more vibrant color and the picture is quite different from what you see with your eyes underwater. Photoshop manipulation is just a more flexible way of enhancing the color than using a strobe.

Well, this is my thought on this subject anyway.....

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

Of course I am strictly talking about level, contrast, brightness, saturation etc here, not the bandaid, clone stamp tool etc.
I think for competition, all those adjustment should be ok, just not the cut and paste, clone tool, etc.

Yup,

That's exactly what I meant. Adjusting for the camera's particular shortcomings or algorithms would be fine, but the airbrushing jobs should best be left to Cosmo mag editors .

Cheers,

Andrew