Hey,

What do you think about editing photos? Sometimes during exploration I am too excited with lighting and colors and I do not notice some annoying details (like trash). Do you believe editing photos makes them a fraud? Should photographers achieve the perfect photo just by placement and camera adjustments? If you edit your photos what kind of edits are the most usual for you?

1)Removed plastic bottles from the floor


2)Removed bottles and faded the graffiti in the background

This is super cool! I’ve not really experimented with these techniques, and ironically I usually mask the graffiti to make it MORE prominent, as I feel that it can add to the “apocalyptic” feel if you will. But I can see how removing small details like this can make it feel more more desolate.

Posted by Roro Hey, What do you think about editing photos? Sometimes during exploration I am too excited with lighting and colors and I do not notice some annoying details (like trash). Do you believe editing photos makes them a fraud? Should photographers achieve the perfect photo just by placement and camera adjustments? If you edit your photos what kind of edits are the most usual for you?

Purists might complain about editing photos. I personally believe that each one of us is an artist and have the right to use all the tools at our disposal to create our vision of the image. Whether modifying the physical location, in-camera techniques, or post-camera editing, they are all creative tools.

Certainly it helps to learn to slow down and shoot with purpose and focus when composing an image. After the button is pushed, then the image is yours to do as you wish.

Stay creative!

Abby Normal

I think pretty much everyone who takes their photography half-way seriously edits their photos to least some extent. I can't think of any reason as all someone would be opposed to bracketing, straightening, cropping, etc. And if you're shooting raw (as you should be) you'll probably need to adjust HSL / Vibrance in post to get it to look close to what the eye sees.

So no. Edit away. Go ham.

Like AbbyNormal said, I see most explorers as artists more so than documentarians. Editing to clean up or improve a photo isn't dishonest so long as you aren't doing something like photoshopping an entire morgue where none exists or deleting all the graffiti so you can say "I was the first to explore this, here's pristine photos as proof."

Most explorers I know edit almost all their photos to some extent, some very heavily to get the artistic qualities they desire. No harm in that as long as you're honest about it.

Ultimately it doesn't matter,

The images are for you to appreciate before anyone else, whether you move to trash or do some photo editing. As long as you're not trying to actively deceive people do whatever makes you happy. I for one love editing pictures or adding some music to videos, but that's just me.

editing photos doesn't make a fraud. for instance, you can dodge and burn in film, which is manipulation, that's not a fraud. I shoot in RAW and "develop" them all in Adobe Camera RAW and then I personally add a border through regular Photoshop. I try and correct vs change but sometimes those color shifts are just brutal.

Who cares what someone else thinks? I have had people be highly critical of my photos and then also praise it. In the end, I like looking at my photos. I am happy with what I produce and glad some people here have liked it over the years. Content.

Your photos are good. keep shooting, keep editing, keep posting, keep exploring.

I like seeing other peoples work, the good and the bad. that has literally crafted me into the particular style of my stuff in the last 9 or 10 years. I am a psychopath with straight lines. I will take the time to set the shot up as good as I can, sometimes even with a tape measure. I will also adjust it to near perfection in post.

Posted by Aran Like AbbyNormal said, I see most explorers as artists more so than documentarians. Editing to clean up or improve a photo isn't dishonest so long as you aren't doing something like photoshopping an entire morgue where none exists or deleting all the graffiti so you can say "I was the first to explore this, here's pristine photos as proof." Most explorers I know edit almost all their photos to some extent, some very heavily to get the artistic qualities they desire. No harm in that as long as you're honest about it.

I wish I read this entire thread first. You are much more eloquent than I!

Posted by Abby Normal Purists might complain about editing photos. I personally believe that each one of us is an artist and have the right to use all the tools at our disposal to create our vision of the image. Whether modifying the physical location, in-camera techniques, or post-camera editing, they are all creative tools. Certainly it helps to learn to slow down and shoot with purpose and focus when composing an image. After the button is pushed, then the image is yours to do as you wish. Stay creative! Abby Normal

You mentioned "in-camera techniques" what kind? Do you have or know any cameras that have extensive RAW or JPEG Conversions?