is it better to edit or not

is editing necessary if a shot is quite decent?


not if your looking for a quite decent shot no... but if editing can turn it into a great shot then yes why not.. but that would be by choice.. not neccesaty as asked :)
 
Depends on what effect you are trying to create. If you've framed it to your satisfaction when shooting ....
 
A lot depends on what you like. If your happy with Mr Canon or Mr Nikon idea of what your photo should look like then don't edit it any further, if on the other hand you dislike any aspect of it then ajust what you dislike.
Many would argue that all digital images should be edited (most actually need some sharpening) but at the end of the day it's your picture, if you like it thats all that matters.
 
The editing process starts with a critical examination of the image. Quite often it can end there as well. This is still 'editing' (you may want to think of it as 'quality control') as you have produced an end result of the photographic process that pleases you. A very high proportion of images will tend to benefit from some post-production tweaks, and these will vary depend on what you plan to do with the shot. A picture you plan to print as a big, framed image to go on a wall will quite likely need more work than a low-res image that will only be seen on the web, as any faults will be magnified - sensor marks for instance. Digital photos mostly benefit from some sharpening as well, and this is generally best done in post where you can see the shot at a decent size and apply the sharpening each picture needs. Or not.
 
Sorry to be a bit thick, what are sensor marks? A mark on the sensor which shows up on the image? How does this occur?
 
Sorry to be a bit thick, what are sensor marks? A mark on the sensor which shows up on the image? How does this occur?

Sometimes bits of oil or grit or a hair might get into the camera body and sit on the sensor, these will appear in some pictures more obviously than others, they could be on the lens too.
 
Sometimes bits of oil or grit or a hair might get into the camera body and sit on the sensor, these will appear in some pictures more obviously than others, they could be on the lens too.

Dust etc does not show up if it's on the lens or mirror but only on the sensor (actually the piece of ultra thin glass which is in front of the sensor).

Anything on the sensor will show up at small apertures and a clear background (like a sky) more, and even more on macro shots.
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I'm having fun editing but not sure if I'm getting anywhere with it! Got to practice
 
If you shoot RAW almost certainly YES your image will lack contrast
Even shooting JPG it will be rare that your contrast or exposure will be exactly "correct" but really at the end of the day it's your vision that matters whether others see it as good or bad.
 
i try to get it right in camrea like lighting put one there put one here but if im a little out i will ajust in post
 
Editing is useful to remove unwanted objects in a picture such as a dustbin in a scenic view.
 
I'm having fun editing but not sure if I'm getting anywhere with it! Got to practice
When I started editing I thought that if a little was good then a bit more must be better!! :banghead:
 
Less is quite often more
 
Even if the photo is nigh-perfect out of camera, I'd argue that a small amount of processing is nearly always necessary in order to output it at its best (even if you're not making any kind of creative adjustments).

e.g. you may want to sharpen an image differently depending on whether you're making a low-res web version, printing, etc., or make sure that colours will be reproduced correctly
 
I love the editing bit. I shoot raw, so there's rarely a time when I don't have an adjustment to make, even if it's just white balance. But if you're getting what you want straight from camera, why would you waste time editing? I suppose it's all down to what you want to achieve.
 
Surely editing (or lack of) should be dependent on the purpose of the picture.
Wedding albums and landscape prints require more editing than casual holiday snaps for passing to friends or photos of your cat so you can look at your cat on your phone whenever you feel the need. Insert rollseyes smiley.
 
It also depends on whether you like to edit it not. Some love it. Some hate it. It sounds like the OP is keen.
 
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