Every day I am amazed at the incredible photography I'm seeing here. So much so, in fact, that I find myself second-guessing my amateur ability. I don't know how many times I've said to my husband, "I don't stand a chance. I just don't compare to these people." And then I look closer or read more about some of the photos, and I'm disappointed that some of the most incredible shots have been extremely edited to the point that the original photo is most likely unrecognizable. That leads me to the question, "Is there such a thing as too much editing?" Don't get me wrong here...I'm all about making my photos better. But as I tell my photography students, editing should be done to enhance the photo, not change it completely. Shouldn't photography be more about the subject and less about the technology used to change it? Tell me what you think about this? IS there such a thing as too much editing?
Depends on the intent. Sometimes I take a shot KNOWING I am going to completely alter it because I think it would look awesome with XX effect. But for the most part, I try to stick to what is naturally there and just change the lighting/exposure a little if I got it wrong in camera-although lately I have been playing with lightroom a lot because I have a free trial :P
I too have looked through some of the more popular shots on here via the popular page and some of them really are clearly so edited and I dont like how unnatural a lot of shots are. But it is about their project right, if that is their "thing" then that is what they shoot for I guess.
I think the line is different for everyone, though. At some point I believe the photograph becomes a piece of digital art rather than a photograph. I think the amount of photoshopping that should go on when it's considered "photography" should only be the same that could be achieved with a camera, no matter how high-end.
Photography, to me, is not sharks with laser beams dangling from a christmas tree in full spectra, rippling water effects and wow way too much editing. Less is more!
In my opinion it really depends on what you want to do. If you just want to take photo perhaps there is no need for editing and a bit too much editing itself may alter then "simple photo" that you want to keep.
If you are a purist photographer (if there is such a word), I think just enough minimal editing is great. Let the simple photos be pure art it itself.
If you want to create art, and kind of "freestyle-ish" you can be very creative and do lots and lots of editing using all kinds of software. The result will be different from purist..sure, but the pic can be very artistic!
I have some pictures that are altered by XX effect and I believe it is all about your own style. I can say I dont have good cameras. Sometimes it is bad enough to have a bad camera while wanting to take a good picture and turned out to be a bad one. We are creative and we want to show everyone what we can do. This site is more about commitment: a project that might even last more than 365 days. It doesn't matter what we post as long as the pictures are interesting and hopefully inspiring. Yes some people like "what you shot is what you get" but why limit yourself to just that.
With old cameras, effect such as double exposure, fisheye len were used. I don't think there is any problem with different technique. We are just using digital ways and I believe it is more economical. I am poor enough. LOL
I see both sides of the fence here. I am still fairly new at photography, and I like the challenge of depending on my skills alone to make a great (and in some cases, not so great!) photo. My project is probably 95% edit free at this point. Part of my thought is that I need to be able to shoot what I want, the right way and by no means want to use any editing to correct what I didn't get done. That said, I see photos on here that are edited, and I love them. Learning and knowing that program can be just as much art as the photogrphy itself. At the end of the day, each person's project is their own and subject only to their artistic impression, where ever that may come from.
I agree. There is definitely a line that you can cross and I have been guilty of it myself a few times. But what you said is so important....to ENHANCE a photo, not manipulate it to change it completely. However, you can take a mediocre picture and make it a good/great pictures with a few adjustments. Let me give an example:
I don't have the original uploaded but to the right of the bench was an ugly picnic table sticking into the frame. In addition, there was a white post/pole positioned right behind the bench. I knew the picture had potential to be nice, but those elements were distracting. I simply removed them, boosted the contrast of the trees close up to really make them pop and dodged the trees in the far distance to lighten them a bit. I also got rid of the little sticks and branches that were sticking out of the snow between me and the bench.
A lot of people would say that is too much editing, but if it enhances the photo, I'm all for it!! I wish I had better skills with photoshop but what I did was about the extent of my skills with. However, I have never met any photographer (professional or not) that doesn't do some type of editing.
What I did would have been impossible to do with my camera. No matter where I moved and what angle I approached this shot at, there was no getting away from the picnic bench or the pole. I
Deborah, whatever you do, do not become discouraged! I've gotten a lot of compliments about my photography since I joined the 365 Project, and I can tell you this about my photos: I spend less than 15 minutes editing any of my photos.
I believe in getting the photo right in the camera, which is the true heart of photography. Photoshop is like a bandaid to fix a poorly shot photo.
The only things I ever do with Photoshop is correct exposure, correct white balance, dodge and burn minimally, and crop. That's all that is really ever needed.
I agree people can go completely overboard with editing to the point that a photography is no longer a photo, but rather digital art. But don't become discouraged, thinking you are only an amateur that can't match these levels. You can!
like @amorton1437 said, I believe it depends on the intent...
Personally I LOVE editing, I'm no expert, I only use Picnik. My editing usually includes vibrancy or cross-processing, textures, just to give it a different feel, I like to make them arty... I like photo's that have a little twist of fantasy in them :)
@dejongdd
Just as overdone make-up does little to enhance a naturally attractive female face, and is capable of producing results that even her best friends are afraid to mention, excessive editing can produce uncomfortably unnatural photographs. Digital enhancement applied thoughtfully and in moderation will improve most pictures, but is important to think of the purpose of the picture and how it is to be viewed or displayed. We have come a long way since the days of hand retouching with pencil, knife, paintbrush and airbrush, and now have such an extensive range of easy-to-use tools that the temptation to gild the lily - and kill it! - is something some people find difficult to resist.
On a more basic level, straightening tilting buildings and sloping horizons and cropping or painting out any distracting parts, are necessities often overlooked, while sharpening, which can save a slightly blurred image is often taken to excess, producing noticeable edges which are an instant giveaway prompting the question "Why?"
But we must never forget that photography, like any other form of art (if such it be) is highly subjective and will be interpreted differently by different people.
@mattyb See, to me that is different. I've hated a few power lines ruining shots and have removed those in some shots, but left them in others. But then that kinda conflicts with having said "should only be within the limits of what any camera can do" cause obviously a camera can't remove power lines... Hmmm. I guess it's a gray area for that kind of editing.
I find it interesting that the things we notice and want to edit out, well at least for me, I've never had anyone else spot my own flaws I see in personal photos and be criticized for. Strange, the details we see in our own things we want out that others don't even notice, or maybe I can be too self-critical at times?
I am neither an expert in photography or in editing so my project, so far, is fairly simply. Every now and then I capture a pretty decent photo. Other times, I have to make what I can out of what I took - so I edit it. To me that means playing with making it lighter, darker, softer, etc. I crop when I need to. What I don't do and most likely won't do because it's just not my style is add things that weren't there in the first place or erase something that was (if I can't crop it out). But this is MY project, for me, and if I wanted to do those things, I would. Not sure how there can be too much of anything in your own project if you're happy with it. There are a few people here who have beautiful work - their photos are always edited - but they are really artists creating artwork. Just my two cents.
I hear you and, for the most part, agree. Some of the most memorable images ever made were "altered" in the Darkroom, so there is some artisitic effort made in editing. I personally strive to create my images entirely in camera.
@billcanada had to give you a special nod cause you definitely said it right: "This site is more about commitment: a project that might even last more than 365 days."
So to the original poster, @dejongdd as well, don't worry about the opinions of others (even if I shared mine already) do what you feel - do what keeps you doing it to finish it. I've only been at it a day or two over a month now and I've met some awesome people I look up to.
Not to mention, I've shown a lot of raw emotion in the last week or so in my photos, I love that I get to look back at how honest I was with myself and anyone looking in. Proud of that, even if it was ugly sometimes. LOL
Deborah, I kinda feel the way you do too, almost to the point of being self-conscious, as I am just not good enough to be here. But I did this to chronicle my year and to learn from it, that being said, im just enjoying it for what it is even though I feel that im not all that good. I don't edit my photo's much, In fact most are SOOC, sometime's I will play with the color a bit to make it a bit better, and fix exposure etc, crop like most have talked about already. I am a graphic designer, and I know how to do all kinds of things in photoshop, but I seldom do it, just because im to busy in real life to play around. I don't mind that people do it however, its fun to see some of the creativity that comes out of it. There is some amazing art out there because of this kind of editing.
Photography is art, and computer editing is now an extension of that, so I'm up for it, although I think original pics or less editing sometimes look better than super-edited photos.
But it's so much more satisfying (and time-saving) to get a great SOOC shot rather than to edit the heck out of it.
I can't really add anything to what the others have said, it does depend on what you want to get out of your shots for me its when I like an image, sometimes an image needs nothing done to it at all sometimes it is an image that I look at and say "you know what would be cool" and other times I have a picture in my head and set about finding a way of creating that image through photographs My work is about blending the purist view with the digital artist view, they can work hand in hand. however I would say that yes there is a line to be drawn in editing some manipulations can make a photo look dreadful and some photos are going to be awful right from the start, it is no good trying to edit a bad photo or to over egg the pudding, if something does not look good I tend to leave it out.
@thuitt "But it's so much more satisfying (and time-saving) to get a great SOOC shot rather than to edit the heck out of it." This is so true! I feel more of a sense of accomplishment for my SOOCs than I do for the ones that are edited a ton.
@dejongdd - first thing you need to ask yourself is this, why do you need to "stand a chance?" Don't compare yourself to others. Just focus on what you do, and you will get better. Develop your own style. And like anything else, the answer is different depending on the individual.
Is there such a thing as too much editing. I guess it depends.
I think that all is good in editing a photo. To me it becomes a graphic the minute you add something to the photo that wasn't there. Say when people add a bird that wasn't there, or take a great photo of the moon and add a tree silhouette that wasn't really there. To me, that's creating a graphic and totally different than editing and enhancing a photo. Not that there is anything wrong with graphics, I just think they are in a different category. I've seen a lot of great graphics on this site too.
Thanks to everyone for your input on this subject. I love hearing your views. I want people to understand that I, in no way, am opposed to photo editing, I'm guilty of it myself. I was just curious to see what others think about the subject. Keep on posting! This is a great discussion.
I work with some amazing photographers who work for world wide companies ...and nothing...i mean NOTHING is ever straight out of camera. I was really surprised to learn that when I first started working but its all a part of the digital photography world. Even when traditional photography was still prevalent, techniques were used in the dark room to bring out color or special effects so I just consider Photoshop my digital darkroom! All in all, I don't believe one is better over the other... I celebrate everything creative and I think the whole spectrum of photography is wonderful and brings so much variety! Just my two centavos! (:
@dejongdd I'm glad to hear someone voice the things I've been thinking. I probably would have been too intimidated to even begin this project, if I had seen some of the pictures on here beforehand. I have a point and shoot and some very inexpensive photo software. That said, I have decided I have to make up what I lack in equipment with creativity.:0) I looked at your project after reading this discussion and you have beautiful photos!
I love to draw and paint but have discovered that the photography is instant gratification (which I love!), bottom line to me it is all art and as such open to interpretation, what I like someone else might not and vice versa, I love to see how people change and create with the editing, although I might not go as far sometimes I can still appreciate it for the work that it is. I always have a look at editing with my little pictures to see how they can be improved, sometimes I like them as they are....
All down to personal preference, so too much editing?? I don't think we can say...
My thoughts are that my 365 project is for me. While it's available for others to view, whether or not I alter the picture is my decision. I have 14 pics so far and all have had some post processing, although mostly contrast, saturation & sharpening. To me, that's developing the film. Only one or two are altered almost beyond recognition. In photo competitions, there are rules regarding editing; for example, in nature, travel and photo journalism competitions, only global adjustments can be made that do not alter the reality of the image (e.g. sharpening). As this is your project, the only rules are the ones you set. I guess you can quibble about terminology, as far as whether or not a highly photoshopped pic is still a photo or whether SOOC shoot is art.
I was trained to shoot straight photos using only in-camera exposure techniques or darkroom techniques for effect. Having learned these rules and making some wonderful pictures with them, I now find great joy in harnessing every ability to edit digitally and even shoot with 'substandard' photographic equipment, hoping to capture something that the 'rules' demand I overlook. It becomes much less photography and much more artistic choice, and that is where I am in my own process. I sometimes cringe at how far I am willing to take post-processing and 'artificial' effects, but I cringe at my mixed media paintings, too, so ... ! Whatever gets you there!
I should also add, I rarely shoot to capture what i see before me - rather, I am shooting with the intent to take the vision and potential in my mind of what I see before me and create the work I imagine. In that sense, I am never content with a SOOC shot - because what comes SOOC is only the equivalent of an underpainting for me: the base upon which the image I have already conceptualized will be layered and built.
i was also taught to compose in camera & tend to stick to post picture taking editing that I was able to do in the darkroom & yes even prior to digital there was editing in the dark room but there are so many more things one can do with digital editing than you could do in the darkroom. Everyone has their own vision for their project & that is great but I think that when editing goes crazy it is more so digital art than photography. But that doesn't make it wrong just different. Art is subjective after all.
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I too have looked through some of the more popular shots on here via the popular page and some of them really are clearly so edited and I dont like how unnatural a lot of shots are. But it is about their project right, if that is their "thing" then that is what they shoot for I guess.
I think the line is different for everyone, though. At some point I believe the photograph becomes a piece of digital art rather than a photograph. I think the amount of photoshopping that should go on when it's considered "photography" should only be the same that could be achieved with a camera, no matter how high-end.
Photography, to me, is not sharks with laser beams dangling from a christmas tree in full spectra, rippling water effects and wow way too much editing. Less is more!
If you are a purist photographer (if there is such a word), I think just enough minimal editing is great. Let the simple photos be pure art it itself.
If you want to create art, and kind of "freestyle-ish" you can be very creative and do lots and lots of editing using all kinds of software. The result will be different from purist..sure, but the pic can be very artistic!
I like them all ha ha :-)
With old cameras, effect such as double exposure, fisheye len were used. I don't think there is any problem with different technique. We are just using digital ways and I believe it is more economical. I am poor enough. LOL
I don't have the original uploaded but to the right of the bench was an ugly picnic table sticking into the frame. In addition, there was a white post/pole positioned right behind the bench. I knew the picture had potential to be nice, but those elements were distracting. I simply removed them, boosted the contrast of the trees close up to really make them pop and dodged the trees in the far distance to lighten them a bit. I also got rid of the little sticks and branches that were sticking out of the snow between me and the bench.
A lot of people would say that is too much editing, but if it enhances the photo, I'm all for it!! I wish I had better skills with photoshop but what I did was about the extent of my skills with. However, I have never met any photographer (professional or not) that doesn't do some type of editing.
I have seen so many great works coming off from iphone4 with lot and lots of editing. They are extra cool!!
I believe in getting the photo right in the camera, which is the true heart of photography. Photoshop is like a bandaid to fix a poorly shot photo.
The only things I ever do with Photoshop is correct exposure, correct white balance, dodge and burn minimally, and crop. That's all that is really ever needed.
I agree people can go completely overboard with editing to the point that a photography is no longer a photo, but rather digital art. But don't become discouraged, thinking you are only an amateur that can't match these levels. You can!
Personally I LOVE editing, I'm no expert, I only use Picnik. My editing usually includes vibrancy or cross-processing, textures, just to give it a different feel, I like to make them arty... I like photo's that have a little twist of fantasy in them :)
Just as overdone make-up does little to enhance a naturally attractive female face, and is capable of producing results that even her best friends are afraid to mention, excessive editing can produce uncomfortably unnatural photographs. Digital enhancement applied thoughtfully and in moderation will improve most pictures, but is important to think of the purpose of the picture and how it is to be viewed or displayed. We have come a long way since the days of hand retouching with pencil, knife, paintbrush and airbrush, and now have such an extensive range of easy-to-use tools that the temptation to gild the lily - and kill it! - is something some people find difficult to resist.
On a more basic level, straightening tilting buildings and sloping horizons and cropping or painting out any distracting parts, are necessities often overlooked, while sharpening, which can save a slightly blurred image is often taken to excess, producing noticeable edges which are an instant giveaway prompting the question "Why?"
But we must never forget that photography, like any other form of art (if such it be) is highly subjective and will be interpreted differently by different people.
I find it interesting that the things we notice and want to edit out, well at least for me, I've never had anyone else spot my own flaws I see in personal photos and be criticized for. Strange, the details we see in our own things we want out that others don't even notice, or maybe I can be too self-critical at times?
So to the original poster, @dejongdd as well, don't worry about the opinions of others (even if I shared mine already) do what you feel - do what keeps you doing it to finish it. I've only been at it a day or two over a month now and I've met some awesome people I look up to.
Not to mention, I've shown a lot of raw emotion in the last week or so in my photos, I love that I get to look back at how honest I was with myself and anyone looking in. Proud of that, even if it was ugly sometimes. LOL
But it's so much more satisfying (and time-saving) to get a great SOOC shot rather than to edit the heck out of it.
Is there such a thing as too much editing. I guess it depends.
All down to personal preference, so too much editing?? I don't think we can say...