how much photoshop is too much?

Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 60

i'm seeing people talking about doing double exposures to "correctly expose" the various elements of a tricky shot, but that doesn't really feel right to me to be honest. Is there some sort of general rules to the amount of photoshopping a person can do and still show their image as "natural"? or is it just my own personal feelings towards things?

Premium Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005 Posts: 2020

This topic, like "We need more/better critiques here", "Raw v. Jpg", "UV filters or not", comes up a lot. And plenty of passion gets stirred. The purists insist that ANYTHING other than the picture as shot is complete rubbish, and the "PS Makes My Picture" crowd, believes that a photo isn't a photo until all original pixels have been appropriately altered.

Ansel Adams spent oodles of time in the darkroom, modifying his works. When aunt Clara sends her instamatic 35mm prints to Walmart, the final prints get color corrected, and otherwise modified. So all photos get modified to one extent or another.

There is a point when photoshopping moves an image from "photograph" to "digital art piece" but that can be a long journey. That journey's length can be dictated by the purpose of the photograph. If you're doing a landscape just viewing pleasure, then the sky is the limit. If you're representing an event as a journalist, then your range of options gets very small indeed.

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:55 pm

Different (digital) Strokes for different Folks.....For me, though...Photoshop is Just as important as my camera....I am a photographer who likes to stylize his work..................but it is all about finding the balance......

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 269 Location: Santa Fe, NM

I think too much post process is when the photo does any
of the following..

1.The new image produced gets in the way of what you are
trying to express , with that said I think you got to go with the
flow sometimes , and be happy when you get a freebie :p

2.The result of processing becomes distracting for the viewer.

3.The only strength of the photo is the post processing

In the end I say go crazy if you want , Art is subjective and will not
be confined by any technology or lack there of.

jd

Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 60

I really want to get beautiful photographs and i realize that in order to do this, i may have to use photoshop, but at the same time, i fear that by doing so i'll be trivializing what talent i do have (or lack there of :P). Thank you for the replies.

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:43 pm

95whtgst wrote:

i'm seeing people talking about doing double exposures to "correctly expose" the various elements of a tricky shot, but that doesn't really feel right to me to be honest. Is there some sort of general rules to the amount of photoshopping a person can do and still show their image as "natural"? or is it just my own personal feelings towards things?

I usually think that if I notice it, and it's not pleasing, then it's too much.

If I notice it, but it's a pleasing effect to me, it's not too much.

If I don't notice it, it's perfect.

That's really all I have to contribute to this.

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 577 Location: Rochester, NY

In my opinion... A good image is still a good image...

Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 190

I think it's just another tool to add to your arsenal. I definetely think there is a threshold of how much post processing you can do to an image, though. If it becomes completely apparent that it's been processed then it's too much.

I come from a recording background, and the most common mistake that amateur sound engineers make is the over-use of all the sound effects they have available. (like reverbs and echos etc.).

So I say use everything you can to make your images as good as they can be, but learn when enough is enough. I generally edit quite a bit in PS, but I constantly check my changes against the original to verify that my edits are actually improving the image and not being done just for the sake of doing it.

Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 191

Photoshop etc are great tools, but imo if a photo looks "chopped", then its too much.

Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Posts: 288

How much Photoshop is too much? You've hit that point when less photoshop makes a better image.