Do you process your digital images or post out of the camera?

[Your Old Dog]

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I am asking this because of a recent beautiful post by klopik104. I really enjoy images like this for all there tonality as well as the subject matter. It seems to me that many images are posted on the forum with too little or no processing and appear flat and without contrast.

 

I know some people won't crop an image. How many forum members feel it isn't proper to process an image for posting?

 

Do you feel the lack of processing is simply because the software to do so is not all that easy to learn?

 

(I am not trying to be critical. Simply trying to find out why so many flat toned images?

[pop]

Do you feel the lack of processing is simply because the software to do so is not all that easy to learn?

 

Close, but that's not my reason. I don't mind learning to use a new piece of software from time to time. I haven't yet learned the knack of exactly pinpointing what needs improving. Mostly, pictures turn out worse instead of better when I try to amend them.

[250swb]

I haven't yet learned the knack of exactly pinpointing what needs improving.

 

The first thing you can try is to gently burn the edges of the image to offset the common optical illusion of the image getting lighter along the edges when set against a lighter grey or white background. Then perhaps address highlights in the background that need burning in to reduce their prominence and stop the viewers eye being distracted from the main subject. Simple darkroom techniques that can still be done with digital photography. Then you can do the same sort of thing if bright colours are distracting attention away from the subject, slightly desaturate them, and conversely increase saturation of colours that are important to bring them forward in the picture.

 

Steve

[Bill Allsopp]

I process images, it is an essential part of getting the best out of them. Why only do half a job?

 

I thoroughly enjoy the processing part too. Learning what to do comes with practice.

[peterbengtson]

There is no such thing as no post processing in digital. You either do it yourself or let the camera do it to someone else's preconceived assumptions that are programmed into the camera jpeg settings. Posting out of the camera is equivalent to taking your film the corner drug store for 4 x 6 prints, you get a picture but hardly the quality and interpretation you could get by spending time in the darkroom. Think of post processing as darkroom work requiring a comparable investment in time and equipment to produce the best result.

[pop]

There is no such thing as no post processing in digital. .

 

Thank you. You are entirely correct. Please consider the question accordingly re-phrased so that it encompasses the knowing and/or willing deviations from the default processing.