I would like to take another brief interlude from the rock images to mention an issue that I have been thinking about lately.
Using this process, I pick out images that I want to continue working on in order to ‘perfect’ them. I might work on a chosen image for quite some time. Some of the work is general to the image. By that I mean that it would be needed no matter how else the image was processed. I am referring to spotting the photo as well as cloning out errant objects as well as objects that I noticed ahead of time but could do nothing about, such as small signs and the like. Getting the crop right would also fall into this category.
But then I start working on the aspects of the image that are changeable and dependent on the ‘feel’ I want to give the photograph. This includes things like local contrast, saturation, fine tuning the exposure etc. The funny thing is that while sometimes the result looks far, far better than the starting point after the quick Lightroom adjustments, there are other times (and though they are not the majority, they are still not at all infrequent) when I look back at the quick starting point that I had generated only to find that, even after all the manipulations and effort, I like the starting version of the image better.
I wonder if there is something in those first quick adjustments that allows one’s intent or pre-visualization of the image to come out. Frequently, I wonder if I am doing too much to an image, or if the many minor adjustments that I might spend time making are even noticeable. I think knowing when to stop is a big hurdle to overcome, at least for me.
Anyone have thoughts about this?
4 comments:
I understand what you are feeling. If it is am image that really, really interests me, I will go ahead and make a print of it just to look at and think about. I'll go back to the RAW file and look at it some more. Like you, it isn't all of the time but still I do sometimes go back to the RAW file and start over. You are not alone, my friend.
There are so many options these days in post processing, I can relate to the feeling of uncertainty in knowing where to stop. You definitely are not alone Howard.
I suppose the nice thing about digital is that it is a very fluid format. It may be 'done' in one way, and then years later, can be done a completely different way with some newly discovered technique or idea.
I think we are always growing and expanding our vision. If the uncertainty of a piece being done consumes us too much, we will never move on.
Glad to see I am not totally alone. Sometimes I have to force myself to say I am done with a piece because even though I want to tweak further I know it is for more diminishing effects.
I can't ever leave well enough alone, usually my wife has to step in and tell me to stop !!
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