Post processing

[muzza4ever]

So I'm interested in what level of post-processing you guys/gals partake in.

Most of my stuff tends to be RAW manipulation of exposure and saturation levels in Rawshooter Premium, with perhaps further curves adjustments in Photoshop and cropping. Other than that the images of motorsport I take don't get anything like the treatment non-motorsport images I take can get (blended overlays etc)

Anyone else?

[BertMk2]

I do abit of curve adjustment every now and again as well as the obligatory cropping. Other than that I leave them as they are (mainly because my photos are average at best to start with and if I fiddle with them too much I end up making them worse ). Very occasionally I'll take a copy of an image and greyscale it - some photos look soooooo much better like that.

[bella]

i try and take my pictures so i don't need to do anything at all to the picture. one picture in 25 or 30 will need adjusting because i used the wrong setting for the weather conditions, but mainly i don't even need to crop.

i do mess about a lot with photos, but only for my own amusement really. my favourite current trick is taking a picture, putting a black layer on the colour blend mode and erasing bits of it to show the colour. i don't show anyone the results, but it keeps me amused for a couple of minutes.

[zac510]

I'd be interested to see some before and after processing examples, particularly of racing cars as it seems they're often shot with crummy weather or excessive sun glare.

[muzza4ever]

Originally Posted by bella

i try and take my pictures so i don't need to do anything at all to the picture. one picture in 25 or 30 will need adjusting because i used the wrong setting for the weather conditions, but mainly i don't even need to crop.

Indeed Bella - that's the ideal goal for all of us I'm sure - but I particular find that even the slightest amount of sun can cause highlights - so often underexpose so that I can "rescue" the image in RAW processing.

Cropping on the other hand is often another necessary evil unless you manage to get close enough to the action to frame nicely or have enough focal length at your disposal. Well it is for me at least

[bella]

i find that i (now, following a discovery on my compact) know all my cameras to a suitable degree to be able to cover up anything that it/i can't do. for example if i don't have the focal length for the weather and light conditions, well, don't take the picture. try something else. that goes for cropping too. i check every picture when i take it to check everythings ok in terms of light, and if it isn't, i'll correct it or not show the picture to anyone.

my personal style involves underexposing on most pictures (in the summer at least) by one stop, because that's the contrast and colour levels that suit my particular style of photography. plus it really annoys me when too many people take pictures on auto modes without understanding what happens when you change it. if you know how to use your camera, in my opinion and experience, there's relatively little processing to be done at the other end unless you're aiming for a piece of artwork/graphics rather than a plain photograph.

or you're just bored and fancy seeing what that function you've never used on photoshop does

[muzza4ever]

I'd be interested in seeing some of your work Bella - personally I can only tell if the exposure and framing were OK on my D70s - the LCD screen isn't good enough to tell you whether the sponsor decals are truly in focus or not as it only zooms in one level.

I know what you mean about knowing your camera - I'm getting there, although have just purchased a D200 so will have to learn it all over again - but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I'm intrigued by your response about cropping. Cropping is allowed imho - even outside of motorsport I often visualise an image in my head that I simply can't achieve with the kit I have with me. To that end I have no compunction about taking a virtual stanley knife to the resultant image to crop it to what I envisaged.

[bella]

i don't have too much of a problem with others cropping pictures, but the pictures i tend to take aren't really in need of it.

i use a d100 and an ixus 500, so neither have particularly good lcd screens which is admittedly a pain in the backside. then again, i don't really need a good quality one because i tend to focus on the lighting. i don't bother with taking pictures of racing cars nowadays unless they're sat still. going fast is all very well but it's someone elses problem now

[alfacors]

I very rarely crop any pics. I do do some post for the web, bit of sharpening and saturation for the web-sized images. Big prints I do the usual touch up here and there, but nothing outrageously time-intensive. I figure if the pic isn't up to scratch, no amount of post will help

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by bella

i don't bother with taking pictures of racing cars nowadays unless they're sat still.

That makes life a bit easier - the damn things keep moving when I try and take pictures of them Can't remember the last time I took a picture of a car sitting still - I'm not a fan of 'dead' cars. Racing cars should be moving (and preferably quickly whilst doing interesting stuff - hopping over kerbs, getting a bit sideways, locking a wheel, hunting in packs etc). If they're sitting still you have to be a bit 'arty' to get a photo that looks half sensible (and I'm not even slightly arty so all my shots would look rubbish). I'm not saying all photos of static cars are rubbish - far from it, some of the photos people have shown on here have been quite superb - it's just my general lack of talent that prevents me taking static shots.

I seem to have wandered off topic somewhat

[bella]

received loud and clear - and one reason why i really don't bother taking pictures of cars at all nowadays. and they're not dead, they're sleeping

again, from a purely personal point of view, i'm a perfectionist, and won't be doing with taking pictures with fences and so forth in the way, and not being able to take the best picture without standing on someone's shoulder...

[James North]

I tend to do gentle brightness/contrast adjustment, As I usually aim to under expose my shots by half a stop.

Other than that ocassional noise reduction, little bit of sharpening for web images. Sometimes the ocassional arty adjustment of angle.

But nothing too major. As has been said, on amount of photoshopping will save an image that isn't already upto it.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by bella

..they're not dead, they're sleeping

Good point.

(I suppose places like the Donington collection are the old peoples homes of motorsport )

Originally Posted by bella

...won't be doing with taking pictures with fences and so forth in the way...

Fences? The scourge of the amatuer! I really hate that new bit of fencing on the outside of Druids at Brands. That's killed a good angle I could shoot 'over the top' before that was there