PP - What makes you tick?

[Ahh!]

It never ceases to amaze me what comes out of my camera with a minimum of PP.

[SHIFTcanadian]

Well originally I bought Totally Rad action pak. Love it to death, however with some portraits im becoming more conservative with editing. Mostly just WB fix, curves, and skin fixes.

Ive also shifted from very cold pictures to very warm. It might have something to do with my move from Canada to Texas, im not quite sure. Maybe its due to migration?

[toverman]

I think if we're talking about art, "processing" sounds like a way to make American cheese more than something unique. When we were developing and printing our own film, we got our hands dirty with each image that was worth printing. Now we try to salvage something that doesn't quite work using digital magic or apply all kinds of "actions" (which sounds awfully repetitive) that can make a good photo better, an awful photo better, or a great photo awful.

Time is money and all that, I never seem to have enough of either. But each image is worthy of its own treatment, IMHO, and I'm going to take some time (even fleeting seconds) with each one.

If we are to keep our passions alive, it's only natural that our "processing" reinvent itself on a regular basis. Otherwise, we might as well be computers.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by SHIFTcanadian

Ive also shifted from very cold pictures to very warm. It might have something to do with my move from Canada to Texas, im not quite sure. Maybe its due to migration?

I love warm images, but only if they have the drama. I dont remember what I liked when I lived in NY. I just remember Mike always complaining he was cold. :o)

Todd, you're funny. Processing cheese. That's a good analogy for what PS should NOT be used for. Mucking crap into something that's 1/2 passable for stinky food.

My 1st time with PS - I wanted to see what all it could do. I guess its like only driving a Corvette at 100 mph. It goes slow too. But who cares about that when you can go super fast! Then I did a 180 and used PS for correction - WB (or to warm it up) and sharpening and that sort of thing. Then I did a little segue into glower land. What cant you put a glower on? And now Im back to naked images are hotter with minor tweaks. Unless your Tracy Hicks. But thats another topic.

[toverman]

I read somewhere on here that Tracy Hicks doesn't do naked images.

[Ahh!]

Sorry about my cheeky post earlier (pun intended). It was my visual bookmark to get back to this post when I had more time to compose my thoughts...

I am very minimal in tweaking event shoots. That shot would be in the bit bucket, but the audience (of pro photogs) may appreciate it, so I cropped in on just the interloper. I have been known to throw a few wierd things at a bad image if an important message is still there rather than lose the moment forever.

To cut back to serious, I find myself spending more time in PP when I did not execute well in the camera. If I get what I wanted then I only tweak. Of course, all bets are off if there are blemishes needing some lovin'.

I have dribbles and dabs in a sepia or b/w of my better stuff for each client in order to "see" alternative finishings. I have a whole library of actions, and once in a great while something about an image makes me pull one of those rabbits out of my hat. Guess that makes me boring.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by phorn45

Guess that makes me boring.

Nope, just plain. Hooray for plain PP and the lack of cheese!

[brad]

Heh.. same for mine.

I do know, though, that too much PP gives me a tick....

Oh, wait.. that wasn't the question either.


I go through spells... sometimes its high contrast B&W.. sometimes its popart colors.. sometimes its more straightforward... but I always like images with punch.

[ShutteredEye]

Originally Posted by brad

but I always like images with punch.

(with credit to the website url listed in the picture...)

[brad]

[Ahh!]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Nope, just plain. Hooray for plain PP and the lack of cheese!

I dunno. I can be pretty cheezie!

[The Philos]

For silhouettes and b&w images I love high contrast and a softer look. Sometimes I'll use cross processing effects to add extra saturation. It's about trying to take and create fewer shots, but at the same time have the shots that pack a punch with more impact than having a thousand of essentially the same headshot of the same model. I try not to get into a creative rut and do the same thing over and over again. Some will say I have no "set" style of my own, but eh.