World Photography Forum - Love digital photography ~ hate computers!!

World Photography Forum (https://www.worldphotographyforum.com/index.php)

- The Photography Forum (https://www.worldphotographyforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21)

- - Love digital photography ~ hate computers!! (https://www.worldphotographyforum.com/showthread.php?t=3012)

Quote:

Originally Posted by greypoint (Post 25721)

Photoshop - when paid for in full [!]- may be the best photo editor there is but can be overkill for most amateurs. It may be the best and the 'industry standard' but there sometimes seems to be a bit of 'must have' about it rather than really needing it. Great if your hobby is centred round pc work and you enjoy all that editing and manipulation but certainly not essential for everyone. I sometimes feel the way we're all supposed to spend hours converting RAW files and improving our results is a bit of a let off for the camera makers - digital cameras should be capable of giving you what you want direct from camera if you spend a bit of time on setting up your shots. All DSLRs should be able to give you good JPEGs - if you'd rather shoot RAW fine, but you should'nt have to if you don't want to.

Spending time setting up your shots or even shooting in jpeg is ok for static objects but if you are, say, a bird photographer you very often have a second or two before the bird has come and gone and in these situations I defy anyone to get it right all the time. This is where shooting in RAW is a must. Also in Bird photography there is almost always some cropping to do as the focal length is never enough and when you start to crop you then run into other problems like a severe enhancement of noise. I think the type of photography you do plays a big part in it. I know that with my Landscapes I normally do very little in the way of editing but with my bird shots it is a different kettle of fish.

There's a difference between a bit of cropping and tweaking and full scale processing. All my pictures are cropped a bit and tweaked but that can be done with free software. Having spent time shooting almost exclusively in RAW when i had a 30D I found I did'nt actually do much other than tweak shots as I'd do with JPEGs. After a year with Olympus whose cameras can usually be relied on to produce good JPEGs then swapping to a 40D I was relieved to find the 40D can produce JPEGs that are OK for me. But this is getting perilously close to another of those boring JPEG v RAW discussions!

Quote:

Originally Posted by greypoint (Post 25721)

I couldn't agree more :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by greypoint (Post 25725)

I agree about the Jpeg v Raw, each to their own. In a way the better photographer you are then the less you would need to use RAW because you would have got it right without too much tweaking . I am a novice who is in need of all the help I can get, so for me it is RAW. Maybe when I reach the level of some of the fine Photographers on this site I will be able to shoot jpeg only :)

This thread has gone way off what Matt was wanting comment on and is also introducing some misconceptions and feel it should be stopped

I love my computer: it gives me the chance to try to make my images as attractive as I can (but generally with not much success). Some photographers believe that they do not need PS or similar. However, I think that they are not self-critical enough to get the best from from their photos - near-blown highlights, colour casts, lack of sharpness, and lack of contrast are all common faults that are easily remedied with the magic of the computer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris (Post 25730)

This thread has gone way off what Matt was wanting comment on and is also introducing some misconceptions and feel it should be stopped

Not sure that it has gone far off. It is evident that those who enjoy computers and processing are far more likely use it for things like RAW and PS whereas those who view the PC as a necessary evil are more likely to shoot in jpeg and do minimal processing.
I really enjoy processing .With some of the weather I have been trudging around in lately I have enjoyed the processing more than actually taking the shots.

I think the thread is still addressing the main point. What's important is to as much or as little pc work as you want and not feel pressed to lay out cash on the most super powerful software just because others use it. If it's your hobby then do it the way that gives you most enjoyment. I count my pictures as snapshots and don't very often take anything that's worth spending hours manipulating - sad but true!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris (Post 25730)

This thread has gone way off what Matt was wanting comment on and is also introducing some misconceptions and feel it should be stopped

What misconceptions?

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdsnapper (Post 25732)

Very nicely put Mike. Everything I believe but was incapable in putting into words. I some times feel very frusterated when I see a shot that can be made so much better with a very simple tweak ( very often as little as 20 seconds or so).