Photoshop or not Photoshop!


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siamak

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Nov 10, 2009
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society50.com
Hello,

It is obvious that Photoshop does magic sometimes. I have had useless photos (underexposured, etc.) which became acceptable after processing with Photoshop (level, contrast ... adjustment).

- In this image processing course in CS postgraduate they would say: "Any type of image processing will remove information from the image". This has caused me to be extremely cautious on using Photoshop on my photos. I look at it as a sin or cheating :)

- However in some circumstances, using Photoshop and similar software is inevitable because some photos need improvement otherwise they are useless.

The question: "What is the red line in using Photoshop? When it is considered professional to use it and when it might be considered as unprofessional??"

I appreciate your opinions.

Mac
 

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School paper time?
 

siamak: Rashkae only has PhD in CS (Clubsnap), i think you win.
 

Let's look at it this way.. If you don't "cheat" for some photos, these photos might be totally unusable.
 

It really depends on what you want to achieve in the end for ur images. Removing or adding elements to your photographs are fine, but your photographs may not be eligible for competition (or qualify as photojournalist works). But are you going to shoot for competition, or are you a PJ?

Contrast, dodge and burn are all stuff that people do alter in film days in the darkroom, so take photoshop as just a digital darkroom.

Some people may prefer out of the camera shots, while some says photoshop makes people lazy. For me, i think it merely expand our ability for expression and I :heart: photoshop.
 

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- In this image processing course in CS postgraduate they would say: "Any type of image processing will remove information from the image". This has caused me to be extremely cautious on using Photoshop on my photos. I look at it as a sin or cheating :)
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I think it depends on context, it's intend and the resulting perception. Journalism or advertising a product? And I disagree on the information removal statement. Say, texture processing in a game. Is bilinear or trilinear filtering cheating or should one always use ugly point sampling all the time. Perhaps rephrase to "Any type of image processing will alter information from the image" should be more accurate but sounds very redundant.
 

photography is about using a camera to shoot. The moment you set something on the camera it is consider cheating, let alone using photoshop.
 

I appreciate your opinions.
it totally depends on what your purposes, end goals are.

Are you creating poster or advertisement art? then crop and mask various picture elements from multiple photos and edit and manipulate to your heart's content - there is no creative limit.

Processing the image on film has been done since the days of old to make the final picture more presentable. Photoshop and other software exists to perform these similar techniques, so colour correction, bightness, contrast, etc even cross-processing aren't exactly new-age activities.

HDR is an extreme form of processing that is always hotly debated whether it is more photography or photo editing. again i guess it stems from what your end goal is. Is it the picture elements themselves or the way the picture is coloured and toned that you wish to present?

"photography" means "painting with light". so it boils down to how much you wish to "paint" your image with the light captured by the cam/lens versus manipulated/altered on the computer.

i believe the rule of thumb you should not manipulate the photo to the point that it alters the essence/truth of what the picture is communicating.
 

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I guess there are certain rules specifically given by the organizers of certain photographic competitions on what / what not are allowed in Post Processing. Most of these modern DSLR's built in Image Processing algorithms do some sort of processing too. So a purist would take only a picture shot in RAW for skills?

PS: I couldn't have said better than Icelava..
i believe the rule of thumb you should not manipulate the photo to the point that is alters the essence/truth of what the picture is communicating.
 

- In this image processing course in CS postgraduate they would say: "Any type of image processing will remove information from the image". This has caused me to be extremely cautious on using Photoshop on my photos. I look at it as a sin or cheating :)

This concept or idea is already flawed. The main question is: what do you want to show? Use the tools to reach your target. Only of you can convey your message without an essay of explanation next to it then you have used the right tools - whatever that was.

- However in some circumstances, using Photoshop and similar software is inevitable because some photos need improvement otherwise they are useless.
The question: "What is the red line in using Photoshop? When it is considered professional to use it and when it might be considered as unprofessional??"
Q.E.D. - certain images need image editing procedures and tools in order to achieve the target. There is no red line. Some people start with an innocent image (or more) and come out with impressive results, others use a bit of Photoshop, some third ones don't even use any image to begin with. Nothing wrong with it.

The red line is the context and intention, not the tool itself. If images are altered to purposely mislead people then there is the red line crossed. Examples are pictures where persons have been removed (e.g. "damnatio memoriae") or other facts altered to change message, impression, facts ... Again, it depends on context where the red line is.

Professional is when you fill your rice bowl with it. Nothing more.
 

I believe that so long that a person don't lie and insist that his photo has not been photoshoped but in actual fact it was, then it is not a sin and not cheating. I personally use photoshop a lot. I see myself as a creator of images rather than as a photographer. A camera and photoshop are just tools to help me create images and express myself.
 

photoshop or not is up to one self expression
u dun need a super chim mathematical algorithms to make art works
 

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truth photographer use pinhole camera...... ;)

Goodness, so many jokes here tonight! But TS, do not worry. All are in good humour.
Anyway, I used to be a purist. "Cannot photoshop.". "Pictures must be right out of camera.".
That was a great way of training oneself - ensured that one paid attention to all factors before snapping.

But after some time, I found that PS gives me an added dimension.
Something which pure and untouched photographs can't attain.
There is no right or wrong in PS-ing.
Just like one of the new members pointed out a few postings ago - as long as you don't lie, saying that you never PP when you actually did. It is fine, in my humble opinion.
 

I look at it as a sin or cheating :)

why do you see it this way?

do you know the reasons and can list them out fluently here? if not, you haven't thought it through properly, so go back and think it through before making such conclusions. :)
 

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