To edit or not to Edit

[Wazza]

So as I get further into photography I’m starting to get to grips with editing.

Now for me editing is just correcting any mistakes I’ve made in taking the picture eg over/under exposure or lighting, as for me a photo is a record of what you’ve seen.

But I know others prefer to add in different skies, change colours etc

There’s no right or wrong way but was just interested in others views, preferences and reasons.

[duchy]

It’s your artistic creation so it’s whatever feels right to you.

[cartoonp]

Me personally I normally do 2 picture what I mean is I have my original which I all ways keep then with the copy I edit I play with different setting and if I mess it up I still got the original.

[YorkshireT]

Modern photography is all about editing which I think requires more skill often than taking the photo. Most photos require tweaks to make them pop to the best of their ability. If you shoot RAW then it’s inevitable.

[Wazza]

Originally Posted by duchy

It’s your artistic creation so it’s whatever feels right to you.

See more...

Completely agree. Just wondered what people’s preferences were. As I get better my preferences may change

[Orlandobelle]

Not against post processing as a concept but it becomes digital art then.
Frustrates me when you get super-saturated composites created in photoshop and everyone oohs & aahs over the "brilliant photography" and commends them on capturing such a "wonderful shot". But what makes me angry is when the creator doesn't then say that it's several images stacked or they've layered or taken the sky overlay from x and put it with y to create something new.
I personally have neither the skill, inclination or the creativity to do it and have no issue with artists who do, but please don't pass it off as something it isn't.
Guess I'm a bit old fashioned but my photos rarely get more than a crop or the occasional lighten/brighten but they are an accurate reflection of what I am shooting.
Where do you draw the line... ?

[caj]

Modern photography is partly the editing siee. But irs still way more the creative picture taker ... the eye!

[tspill]

I think it depends on what you want to achieve. In some instances preservation of reality is important. In others you can use the editing to create amazing results. Editing in itself is an art in itself.

[cornishfrogboy]

I tend to ‘crop’ and leave it at that as regards editing. I am increasingly playing with the settings on my DSLR... zone focussing etc.

On very rare occasions I try having a play with the editing suite in my MacBook,which by all accounts is quite simple and good.. but usually end up ‘reverting’ to the original.

I have two descent Cameras (EOS77D and Olympus waterproof Tg-4), but feel I am cheating myself by not exploring functions on both camera and MacBook. I guess the problem is that I do not know what I am doing, although there is some improvement with the 77D

[BevS97]

These are not the same photo, but the top one started out similar to the bottom one. It’s very stylised and not a documentary style of picture, but I’d prefer it on my wall.

I can’t find the original of this one, but it was quite a dull boring ‘snap’. After quite a lot of editing I ended up with a shot I love. (Edited to add original after I found it)

I think it’s a part of the process, and a photo isn’t finished until it’s edited. I crop nearly everything, but only heavily edit like this if I really like an image.