Team-BHP > Shifting gears > Et Cetera


Reply
  Search this Thread
3,615,881 views
Old 20th February 2010, 22:29   #7756
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by yzfrj View Post
Not too good with the jargon. PP means ?
If that is the case, I don't do it at all. 2 resons

2) I don't like to "process" it. Personally I feel you are distorting the reality you are capturing in the first place.
PP means Post Processing.

Many guys here say they don't like to do Post Processing because they think that by doing PP they are distorting the reality of the picture.

But what is real? Is the picture coming out of your camera real?

Do you know that the Jpeg that your camera gives you is already processed by the camera itself? Yes, it applies the settings like the creative style, (sepia, b/w, vivid, portrait, sunset or whatever), white balance correction & Jpeg compression according to the color space setting. Moreover, it does noise reduction, dynamic range processing etc depending on your settings.

And of course the image that you get from a camera is already far from the real because it is 2D photo'graph' of a real subject in 3D - so it's already deviating from reality there.

Post processing doesn't mean doctoring with the image artifacts to produce something totally different. In most of the cases it means enhancing the image to give it a better look or the desired look by doing color correction, levels, contrast etc. Sometimes a fair bit of PP can produce an image which is more closer in its appearance to the real subject than the actual camera output.

I shoot in RAW and thus prevent the camera from doing any of these by processing by itself, and later I do it myself. So am I deviating from real? What if I allowed the camera to do some part of it and call it unprocessed?

I do believe in PP and without PP, the fun of photography ends with the shutter click (IMO). Remember even film photographers used to do PP old days.

Last edited by clevermax : 20th February 2010 at 22:36.
clevermax is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 09:04   #7757
BHPian
 
Torqueguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Seattle
Posts: 277
Thanked: 165 Times

@yzfrj.
Post processing, many a time produces an image, closer to how it looks in reality. Your eyes see a larger dynamic range, which your camera does not see. Simple example would be, try and shoot a cloudy sky on a nice evening before the sun has actually gone down completely ( avoid sun in the shot ). The resultant photograph will be a shot either correctly exposed for the sky, or correctly exposed for the foreground.

But the human eye does a better job and shows you a much better exposure due to its ability to handle higher dynamic range. So you see the sky and foreground much better exposed together.

So a normal photograph "distorts" reality here, but a processed one which exhibits better shadow and high light detail is much closer to the real view you saw with your eyes, which i think is what we humans perceive as reality. ( though reality is far from it, I don't want to go into that now!)

Processing is not a one button push and pull tool sliders kind of job. It is very much a part of digital photography as much as it was and still is a part of film photography.

Regards,
TG.

Last edited by Torqueguru : 21st February 2010 at 09:05.
Torqueguru is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 10:58   #7758
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
@yzfrj.
Post processing, many a time produces an image, closer to how it looks in reality. Your eyes see a larger dynamic range, which your camera does not see.
TG, this is exactly the same example I also wanted to quote, but missed. Yes, to make an image which is very close to what human eye see in terms of dynamic range, one must do some PP.

Last edited by clevermax : 21st February 2010 at 11:00.
clevermax is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 12:00   #7759
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
So a normal photograph "distorts" reality here
Thought of giving another example to this. It is Chromatic Aberration. (CA) which all lenses have and it distorts reality.

This picture had some strong CA but I corrected this in PP.

The Official non-auto Image thread-dsc07672.jpg

This is the unprocessed one's 100% crop. You can easily notice the CA.
The Official non-auto Image thread-withca100.jpg

And this is the processed one which has very less CA.
The Official non-auto Image thread-cacorrected100.jpg

So which one is close to reality (as in what human eye sees)? You tell me.

Last edited by clevermax : 21st February 2010 at 12:09.
clevermax is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 17:19   #7760
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

This image is not too much post processed. Just some level/color corrections, that's it.

Sunlight hitting her face from 10'o clock w.r.t camera, white wall on the other side & darker background.
The Official non-auto Image thread-dsc07958.jpg

Exif: 1/160, f/4, 135mm, ISO 200, Aperture Prio

Last edited by clevermax : 21st February 2010 at 17:26.
clevermax is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 19:41   #7761
BHPian
 
yzfrj's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: who cares
Posts: 787
Thanked: 142 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
PP means Post Processing.

Sometimes a fair bit of PP can produce an image which is more closer in its appearance to the real subject than the actual camera output.

I shoot in RAW and thus prevent the camera from doing any of these by processing by itself, and later I do it myself. So am I deviating from real? What if I allowed the camera to do some part of it and call it unprocessed?

I do believe in PP and without PP, the fun of photography ends with the shutter click (IMO). Remember even film photographers used to do PP old days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
@yzfrj.
Post processing, many a time produces an image, closer to how it looks in reality. Your eyes see a larger dynamic range, which your camera does not see.

So a normal photograph "distorts" reality here, but a processed one which exhibits better shadow and high light detail is much closer to the real view you saw with your eyes, which i think is what we humans perceive as reality. ( though reality is far from it, I don't want to go into that now!)
Thanks a bunch @ clevermax and Torqueguru for explaining.
It seems my perception was indeed "distorted" .

Anyway shooting RAW, I've never done that should give it a try I guess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
Thought of giving another example to this. It is Chromatic Aberration. (CA) which all lenses have and it distorts reality.

So which one is close to reality (as in what human eye sees)? You tell me.
Great...! Now I understand it better. Thanks a lot for the example.

So guys, how to get started with PP, what tools to use and what are basic "fundas" I should know ?
yzfrj is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 23:23   #7762
BHPian
 
Torqueguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Seattle
Posts: 277
Thanked: 165 Times

@yzfrj
Well you can start by googling it. You will come across tonnes of information.

The Official non-auto Image thread-4367010917_dd15134494_b.jpg
Regards,
TG.
Torqueguru is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 23:38   #7763
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

@TG: From where did you click this? Looks like they are standing in some sort of transparent floor and you clicked from underneath. Or may be it is through window blinds partially open.

@yzfrj: You should have software like Photoshop / GIMP (free - open source). You can find lots of youtube videos on basic picture editing if you just want to sit and watch instead of digging textual info on the net.

Last edited by clevermax : 21st February 2010 at 23:41.
clevermax is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 23:38   #7764
BHPian
 
preetam_KORG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 700
Thanked: 385 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by vivekiny2k View Post
now that the snow is melting.

Attachment 291598

other views


Attachment 291600

Attachment 291586

too bad I had to take it from inside my window, and have little patience for PP.
The first shot is beautiful, just wish you could take a walk out of the door, and take the pic at closer quarters. That would have been awesome!



Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
@TG: From where did you click this? Looks like they are standing in some sort of transparent floor and you clicked from underneath. Or may be it is through window blinds partially open.
Or maybe a reflection, I see the flag or whatever it is, is inverted.

Or, as a second thought I agree with you on the partially opened blinds,the shot maybe from the other side of the flag, and thus may appear inverted.

Last edited by preetam_KORG : 21st February 2010 at 23:42.
preetam_KORG is offline  
Old 21st February 2010, 23:55   #7765
Distinguished - BHPian
 
robimahanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BLR/GAU
Posts: 832
Thanked: 6,421 Times

Enjoying a smoke!!
The Official non-auto Image thread-img_7244bw.jpg

Eggs!!
The Official non-auto Image thread-img_7496.jpg
robimahanta is offline  
Old 22nd February 2010, 00:11   #7766
BHPian
 
Torqueguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Seattle
Posts: 277
Thanked: 165 Times

@clevermax
@Preetam
Well, it is a reflection og the flag and the people, on a wet floor made of wooden planks. The lines you see are the planls' joints and the the actual picture is entirely water, on which the relections are there.

@Yrfz
I posted this for you, to twist your already twisted perception of "reality" ha ha.
Try to install Adobe Lightroom Ver 2.6 or so, its the best fast photo editing, archiving software minus the complexities of its big bro, Adobe Photoshop.
And here is something you might find interesting.
Free Lightroom Tutorials - Adobe Lightroom Tips & Tricks | PhotoshopSupport.com
Regards,
TG.

Last edited by Torqueguru : 22nd February 2010 at 00:12.
Torqueguru is offline  
Old 22nd February 2010, 00:19   #7767
BHPian
 
preetam_KORG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 700
Thanked: 385 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
@Preetam
Well, it is a reflection og the flag and the people, on a wet floor made of wooden planks. The lines you see are the planls' joints and the the actual picture is entirely water, on which the relections are there.
Well, I must say that the work is commendable, the stark contrast is what makes the image unique. Love it!
preetam_KORG is offline  
Old 22nd February 2010, 07:18   #7768
Senior - BHPian
 
chevelle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: sacto
Posts: 1,299
Thanked: 552 Times
sunrise

Clicked with sony c905a phone
Attached Thumbnails
The Official non-auto Image thread-sunrise.jpg  

The Official non-auto Image thread-bike-sunrise.jpg  


Last edited by chevelle : 22nd February 2010 at 07:20.
chevelle is offline  
Old 22nd February 2010, 10:45   #7769
BHPian
 
yzfrj's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: who cares
Posts: 787
Thanked: 142 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
@yzfrj
Well you can start by googling it. You will come across tonnes of information.
Not really sure what to key in to tell you the truth.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torqueguru View Post
@Yrfz
I posted this for you, to twist your already twisted perception of "reality" ha ha.
Try to install Adobe Lightroom Ver 2.6 or so, its the best fast photo editing, archiving software minus the complexities of its big bro, Adobe Photoshop.
And here is something you might find interesting.
Free Lightroom Tutorials - Adobe Lightroom Tips & Tricks | PhotoshopSupport.com
Regards,
TG.
Thank you. That seems to be a start for a newbie like me.
My perception is "distorted" not twisted, it gives it a meaning like I'm the villain of some sort.

Your latest creation seems twisted

Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post

@yzfrj: You should have software like Photoshop / GIMP (free - open source). You can find lots of Youtube videos on basic picture editing if you just want to sit and watch instead of digging textual info on the net.
Thanks again bro. Yup watch and learn is better for sure.
yzfrj is offline  
Old 22nd February 2010, 11:34   #7770
BHPian
 
HellwratH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 115
Thanked: 57 Times

TG,

Thanks for the tip. Will keep that in mind (about selective coloring) when I process street images again .

yzfrj: TG and clevermax have already told you about the advantages of PP and why it is required. Coming to the canon part, I kinda knew looking at the picture that it was a canon. I have done similar shots you see . The thing is, you need to dial in an EV of -1/3 to -2/3 if you are using canon as it tends to overexpose at 0EV, which is visible in the water droplets. Also, switch to the mode where the overexposed parts of an image will blink when you preview them on your camera's lcd.


Preetam and others: How did the meet go?

There was a BPC (bangalore photography club) meetup this saturday and the turnout was big. It was a strobists meetup and was good fun working with strobes etc. I am still a one light guy, don't know why I don't want to use more than one.
Meeting place was cubbon park, here are my photographs:
Attached Thumbnails
The Official non-auto Image thread-4374989496_a240f66661_o.jpg  

The Official non-auto Image thread-4374238721_f6e90f7373_o.jpg  

The Official non-auto Image thread-4374990590_f07b77c76e_o.jpg  

The Official non-auto Image thread-4374239289_b98bf05313_o.jpg  

The Official non-auto Image thread-4374989780_9d094afbab_o.jpg  

HellwratH is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks