The neverending photoshopping debate...

13 years 3 months ago #8636 by FMVPhotography
I posted this question recently on my Facepoop page - I don't have a definitive answer but it does seem to evoke a good debate!

I'll post some photoshopped before/after images. Now im the past people seem to agree with the clutter/sign removals, but when it comes to people they seem to feel like it's being untrue. Thoughts people?

btw - these images have been overly photoshopped for effect!!!


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13 years 3 months ago #8637 by Karl Wertanen
i dont know why, but every photo i click on to enlarge, i only get 1/4 the pic and cant view the rest. It's like this on all forum topics that have attached pictures that are not inserted into the actual body of the post
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13 years 3 months ago #8638 by FMVPhotography
Karl I had the same problem - I have sent Alex a message regarding this tonight. I was using Google Chrome and having this problem - just logged in in IE and can see them - which browser are you using?


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13 years 3 months ago #8640 by Karl Wertanen
yea, it was a google chrome issue. i went to the regular internet explorer and it worked just fine. lol, go figure :S
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13 years 3 months ago #8642 by FMVPhotography
BUT! Group pics I posted last week I can't see at all now in IE, just a red cross and black box when enlarged.... yep - go figure!!!!


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13 years 3 months ago #8654 by bhowdy
I don't mind clean retouching of people .... don't mind some clutter removal in an image .... But I am not a fan of images that are photoshopped to beyond reality and then try to be passed off as "real"

Photography is art and today's advancements allow for more creativity than ever before but I personally feel that feel that if an image is dramatically altered that work is subjective to the eye of the viewer. If I don't care for an image I usually will not comment on it .... If it is of wildlife or landscapes (areas that I have a comfort level in) and the image is PS'ed to heck and back I may question the poster in a private method, but not publicly.

Just my 2 cents worth

Bob Howdeshell

"If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera" ~ Lewis Hine

The following user(s) said Thank You: FMVPhotography
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13 years 3 months ago #8695 by Solstar
I think it really may come down to the audience and the purpose of the photo. I do some light touching up when I shoot people (weddings/portraits) because the idea is to have people looking their best. I often wish I could cut out the power lines-signs etc in a landscape but I kind of consider it dishonest (I was in real estate for a time so it might be part of the issue).
I am seeing a lot of heavy handed HDR shots that get to the point that they look silly and I feel people are relying on the software to create "dramatic images" instead of taking them.
I have a thread where we are talking about when an image stops being a photograph and becomes digital art...no clear answers I think. Maybe we just need to disclose.
www.photographytalk.com/category-38/t-6708.php


The following user(s) said Thank You: FMVPhotography
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13 years 3 months ago #8710 by Clark Elliott Photography
just to post my 2cents worth too, I use photoshop alot, but mainly to bring out details and highlights that are already there. There is a place for artistic interpatation, for sur-realistic images though and it can be fun. Advertising and dramatic posters... But for most of my landscapes, I try to watch that I don't go overboard. I try to use the prints that Ansel Adams did as a benchmark, he did with film in a dark room what many are trying to do with the layering ect...in photoshop. But he never printed anything that was "beyond real" that I saw anyway... As I do more and more HDR and get better at what works the less I find myself using Photoshot except to just to "stack the layers". Ouch, on the file size though.


The following user(s) said Thank You: FMVPhotography
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13 years 3 months ago #8720 by Scotty
You've photoshopped too much when it looks bad.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

Photo Comments
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13 years 3 months ago #8912 by Stealthy Ninja

Scotty wrote: You've photoshopped too much when it looks bad.


Which is pretty darn subjective. I mean a lot of people love (crappy) HDR and a lot of people hate it.
The following user(s) said Thank You: FMVPhotography
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13 years 3 months ago #8972 by FMVPhotography
I never expected to get any sort of definitive answer - just love a good debate!!


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13 years 3 months ago #9079 by Scotty

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Scotty wrote: You've photoshopped too much when it looks bad.


Which is pretty darn subjective. I mean a lot of people love (crappy) HDR and a lot of people hate it.


Extending range through HDR is good. Using cheap plugins like photomatix, topaz, and lucis pro to do tone mapping isn't. Luminosity masking, dodge/burning and hybrid methods i've talked to you before yield incredible results. The rest just muddy up the picture and destroy IQ.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

Photo Comments
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13 years 3 months ago #9120 by Stealthy Ninja

Scotty wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Scotty wrote: You've photoshopped too much when it looks bad.


Which is pretty darn subjective. I mean a lot of people love (crappy) HDR and a lot of people hate it.


Extending range through HDR is good. Using cheap plugins like photomatix, topaz, and lucis pro to do tone mapping isn't. Luminosity masking, dodge/burning and hybrid methods i've talked to you before yield incredible results. The rest just muddy up the picture and destroy IQ.


I did say "crappy" HDR. ;) :p

I agree though. HDR used right is a good tool. Too often noobs destroy images by overcooking.
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13 years 3 months ago #9305 by Scotty

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Scotty wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Scotty wrote: You've photoshopped too much when it looks bad.


Which is pretty darn subjective. I mean a lot of people love (crappy) HDR and a lot of people hate it.


Extending range through HDR is good. Using cheap plugins like photomatix, topaz, and lucis pro to do tone mapping isn't. Luminosity masking, dodge/burning and hybrid methods i've talked to you before yield incredible results. The rest just muddy up the picture and destroy IQ.


I did say "crappy" HDR. ;) :p

I agree though. HDR used right is a good tool. Too often noobs destroy images by overcooking.


Good HDR is really hard to do. Layer blending is fun.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

Photo Comments
,
13 years 3 months ago - 13 years 3 months ago #9434 by Yasko

Scotty wrote: Extending range through HDR is good. Using cheap plugins like photomatix, topaz, and lucis pro to do tone mapping isn't. Luminosity masking, dodge/burning and hybrid methods i've talked to you before yield incredible results. The rest just muddy up the picture and destroy IQ.


Agree, Topaz and Photomatix definitely have the capability of destroying IQ, and people routinely do just that. But on the other hand, if used gently and judiciously, it can do just as well as the traditional methods in a fraction of the time. I think this is truly what the software developers had in mind with these plugins. I prefer photoshop methods usually, but I do use Photomatix and Topaz adjust/denoise too. Great plugins IMO.


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