before and after - AV of images

I havent posted anything to my before and after series for a while now - there's no excuse other than just time.  So thought I would put a shot AV (Audio Visual) together of some recent and some old shots to demonstrate the changes.

The AV shows the original shot straight out of the camera followed by the published version.  I shoot all my images as RAW so shots are never sexy straight from the camera but you will see that in majority of shots the changes are mainly tonality, contrast, sharpening and the compositions are normally as shot with just minor tweaks sometimes.  Those that know me will understand my mantra about correct exposure and making sure you get as much right in camera as possible - hopefully this AV demonstrates the virtues of doing this and minimising the post processing to just a few minutes in most cases.

daily photo tips - 12 Extremely Helpful Photo Editing App Cheat Sheets

List of short cuts, cheat sheets for photo editing

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daily photo tips - lens back focus test

You may have heard of the terms and complaints from many photographers that their lenses are "back focusing" or even "forward focusing". This simply means that the auto focus points are not actually focusing precisely (in NASA terms) on the spot you are pointing at. This is actually a more common problem than people think but in most cases the differences are so small and within "manufacturers tolerance levels" that you probably don't need to send your camera or lens back to be re-calibrated. Fortunately there are a number of good articles and tools available for free on the web for you to perform your own tests and and on higher end modern DSLR's there is also a custom adjustment that can be set for each lens you own right in the camera's configuration accessed through the camera menu system.

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before and after - vintage Ian

I took this shot last Summer when visiting an old engine tool shed in the Lake District. The tool shed was a chaotic collection of bits of machinery and engineering history probably stemming back half a century or more. I was busy taking some macro shots of rusty old chains and things trying to capture something abstract when I looked up and saw Ian working at his bench. Without time to change my lens from macro to portrait I quickly captured the moment, knowing that the combination of harsh light above, the lens and hand held camera at low shutter speed and wide aperture may prove to be a futile attempt. When I reviewed the image on the PC my fears were confirmed, however not deterred I still felt the image had merit and decided to spend some time making the best of what I had.

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before and after - desole'

I am often asked how I process an image or how much post processing has been applied to an image. The more "cynical" and less informed may even use terms like "air brushed" and "manipulated" as if it were some form of cheating to take a photograph and then use computer software to enhance or even transform it into something more creative or different from the original. This post isn't about that topic however I do want to say that post processing is an essential part of photography workflow and always has been, even back in the "old" film days. The camera still isn't and cannot be sophisticated enough to apply what the artist visualises inside the camera at the time of capture but without the raw data captured correctly in the camera the artist doesn't have a canvass on which to paint. One particular shot I want to use to show how the post processing can transform an image is "Desole" of more frequently known as my Autumnal Tree Shot.

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