PS or no PS

brncr6

Just wondering in the digital age do all people out there use photo shop. I entered a photo in the fair and it was turned down because the judge thought it needed to have work done to in photoshop. I think if I photoshop the image then it's not how I saw it.
What do you think?

digismile

Possibly the judge was really meaning that the photo could have used some additional "post processing". This doesn't mean that the photo needed to be extensively manipulated, but maybe could have benefited from improved contrast, sharpening, color balancing, cropping, etc.

These are all steps that are really part of a well finished photo, where the end result shouldn't say "I've been photoshopped", but simply improve the quality of the photo.

I'm thinking the judge didn't really give you very good feedback ... But this is the place to come if you want to improve your skills .

How about showing us your photo?

cmason

It really depends on what the judge was suggesting needed to be improved. There is a difference between processing the image and changing the image. Both can be done in Photoshop.

Processing to me is similar to what one did in the darkroom, working on brightness, contrast, levels, sharpening etc.

With changing the image, it can go from cloning or removing annoying distractions to changing colors to removing backgrounds and further. I may have 'seen' a trash can in the image along with my subject, but there is no reason the trash can needs to be in the final image as it was not the subject and is distracting. However, often one hears the word 'photoshopped' to mean drastically changed, especially online.

So did the judge think you had composition or framing issues that would require changing the image, or was he referring to processing the image? If you took the image straight out of the camera, basically printing it as you shot it, it is likely he was referring to processing. Almost every image you see here on Dgrin and in commercial photography has been processed to some degree.

brncr6

Here's the photo
This is the photo that I submitted, They wanted to see more fog in between the tree and the tower of the bridge. The print from smugmug is a little tighter crop.

pyrtek

brncr6 wrote:

I think if I photoshop the image then it's not how I saw it.

That's curious, because many people use Photoshop to make what the camera
saw, into what the photographer saw.

Pupator

pyrtek wrote:

That's curious, because many people use Photoshop to make what the camera
saw, into what the photographer saw.

Yep. My eyes see wonderful, vibrant colors - sharp clean lines - and are always drawn to the central item of focus. Sometimes my pictures, straight out of the camera, need a little help allowing others to see what I saw.

darkdragon

brncr6 wrote:

This is the photo that I submitted, They wanted to see more fog in between the tree and the tower of the bridge. The print from smugmug is a little tighter crop.

That is a very strange request to me. For a judge to say "hey, change the truth of this picture or we won't let you enter the contest."

Sam

brncr6 wrote:

Just wondering in the digital age do all people out there use photo shop. I entered a photo in the fair and it was turned down because the judge thought it needed to have work done to in photoshop. I think if I photoshop the image then it's not how I saw it.
What do you think?

What do you mean turned down? Wouldn't let you enter the photo, or your photo didn't win?

As to processing..........ALL photos are processed! The difference is if the processing was done in a wet lab, in the digital camera, or by the photographer using all the tools available via powerful software.

By processing on your computer versus letting a small chip in your camera do it, you have the ability to have the final image look anyway YOU want it to. From just the way you remember it to a total fantasy interpretation.

Sam

pathfinder

pyrtek wrote:

That's curious, because many people use Photoshop to make what the camera
saw, into what the photographer saw.

photodoug

brncr6 wrote:

Just wondering in the digital age do all people out there use photo shop. I entered a photo in the fair and it was turned down because the judge thought it needed to have work done to in photoshop. I think if I photoshop the image then it's not how I saw it.
What do you think?

keyword: fair

what's the professional or artistic background of the judge? he sounds bogus. I would not consider his opinion with any merit. consider that some of the greatest photos you/I have seen were extensively modified in the darkroom or on the print, so don't worry about "ruining" your shots w/post processing.

ansel adams didn't do straight prints

in my opinion I'd like to have seen the branches NOT touch the bridge, both above and below....giving a clearer shot of the towers. Other than that, I think your exposure and framing are right on...with just the right amount of fog.

glennchan

It sounds like arbitrary judging to me.

Pupator

Lots of folks seem to be criticizing the judge, which is strange to me. A picture was entered in a contest and he didn't select it as the winner and gave the photographer a reason why (good image that lacked good post-processing). Is that so wrong?

brncr6

I guess I need to learn how to use photoshop now. Just used it for cropping and resizing. Start looking back over the forums here and learn some new tricks.
http://www.briandanielsphotography.com

jfriend

Pupator wrote:

Lots of folks seem to be criticizing the judge, which is strange to me. A picture was entered in a contest and he didn't select it as the winner and gave the photographer a reason why (good image that lacked good post-processing). Is that so wrong?

Perhaps there's a communication gap here, but the original poster said that his image was "turned down". Most of us assumed that means that it wasn't even accepted for the contest rather than it just didn't win.

Unless there were published rules about acceptance into the contest, it is unusual to be turned away from the contest for a lack of post processing.

If it merely didn't win and the judge gave feedback on why it didn't win, that's fine. But, if it wasn't even accepted into the contest for the reasons stated (for the judges to even look at) that's odd.