a question about photoshop

[meowcat]

Hi everyone. I was just wondering, generally are most of your 'submitted' photos photoshopped? By that I don't mean just a simple adding of captions and cropping and framing type, but doing things such as sharpening/softening, colors etc.

I ask is because I see a lot of photos sometimes like a bit too pro for just a simple camera to do it, but if a camera can do a lot of effects, please share with me also! I only know how to tweak WB

 

[dennisc]

Of course, most would adjust their RAW exposures, colors, etc on top of that, masking, airbrushing, layering, toning, etc. But it's not a substitute for a bad photo/exposure as it can only help this much. Cam settings are important too. What effects are you looking at?

 

[meowcat]

Mostly looking at colors bah. The way you can adjust the 'overall color' of the picture to tell the picture. easy example will be a bluish tint for 'cold photos', that one is doing the WB on camera enough? say setting the color temperature to 4000K or below

also i'm interested to know if sharpening of the image using photoshop is very important, that there is also so much a DSLR with its internal image sharpening can do, unless you have a very very good lens?

 

[blazer_workz]

Mostly looking at colors bah. The way you can adjust the 'overall color' of the picture to tell the picture. easy example will be a bluish tint for 'cold photos', that one is doing the WB on camera enough? say setting the color temperature to 4000K or below

also i'm interested to know if sharpening of the image using photoshop is very important, that there is also so much a DSLR with its internal image sharpening can do, unless you have a very very good lens?

There's a lot of good Photoshop books at the library..or alternatively the internet also have lots of good tutorial sites..it's up to individual preference and creativity to tweak photos.

You may want to start from here: http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42007

All contributed by fellow CSers.

 

[night86mare]

I ask is because I see a lot of photos sometimes like a bit too pro for just a simple camera to do it, but if a camera can do a lot of effects, please share with me also! I only know how to tweak WB

can you explain more?

there are so many tools, not everything can be photoshopped; if sky details are lost, nothing is going to replace the use of Graduated Neutral Density filters... you can layer it using different exposures but there is only so much you can do.

if the water is not smoothed out with a long exposure, you can pass it to a "pro photoshopper", i wager he take 8000 years also cannot smoothen out the water, he probably would just do a digital scene from scratch.

in any case, there is nothing wrong with photoshopping, especially since:

1) dslrs have been designed to produce images which are more malleable for photoshoppery, mainly because it allows for more expression and creativity - the output is more "raw", less cooked, compared to consumer cameras. most people will complain at first that dslr output is so desautrated, blah blah blah.

2) think of photograph as meat, some people like it raw (like sashimi), then no need to photoshop, because some photos work well without any adjustments sometimes. sometimes you have to cook it, to express what you feel, to convey the message. if you overcook it, then it will not taste nice no matter what , just as overphotoshopped images are never appreciated as good.

anyways, every image of mine has minimal unsharp mask applied, and sharpening for web, and curves.