To edit or not to edit?

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Animal

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Do you really need to edit photos before they go on the internet or for sale?

Is it the case of 'natural' photos are no longer good enough...

ie - when you take a good photo... should you edit it to make it possibly better or sell it as a natural? what do people think and do people get put off looking at photos that have been edited?
ta
 
i pp a few of my images, but most of them are straight off the camera (albeit with a border and a watermark).

it depends what you want out of the picture really.
 
I edit nearly every shot I take if I have time. Why not get the most from a shot?
 
Editing has been around since photography started, it is human nature to fiddle, it has only now become easier to play in the comfort of a lit room and not having to spend hours in a darkroom tweaking.
 
if it was film...it would cost you dearly
its digital
make the best of it...and do it free
every shot can be...improved...or adjusted
mistakes are glaring so bin the shot
but if it needs a slight clone or adjustment in composition so be it
colours one would hope would come out as they looked
but are they not to be viewed as they could have been...
enhancement can open up a dull shot..no fault of the photographer...perhaps the lighting wasnt quite there..but now its here in you pc or laptop...and applicable without prejudice

professionals have been post processing since day one...join the merry band
 
People buying the picture don't know what it looked like when you took it. They buy it because they like the final image so it doesn't matter how much or how little you do to it. But digital cameras are not perfect - there is always something that needs to be done t the image. It's just a question of whether you let th camera convert your pictures or if you do it yourself on computer.
 
AndyB said:
People buying the picture don't know what it looked like when you took it. They buy it because they like the final image so it doesn't matter how much or how little you do to it. But digital cameras are not perfect - there is always something that needs to be done t the image. It's just a question of whether you let th camera convert your pictures or if you do it yourself on computer.
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Good point - thank you
 
Even before photography, artists would edit their pictures. Maybe to lose their client's extra few pounds or chins. Maybe smooth out that pockmarked face a little. While we're at it, why not remove a few trees so the house can be seen from the river or even add a few trees so the servants' quarters can't be seen.

Move on to B&W film. Dodging and burning has been done for many, many years. So has cropping. People have been added to and removed from photos and dramatic skies are a doddle to drop in to otherwise featureless ones.

Colour? When printing, different filtration is used to make prints look their best, often altering colour temperature a fair bit. Even film choice could be seen as editing of a sort since different slide films give very different results.

The digital age has made it all a lot easier but a hell of a lot is possible in a darkroom given the skills and time.
 
I edit all my pictures before putting online so they have more chance of selling... Its a no brainer really :)
 
Just my own site as prints and get a good steady flow of sales...
 
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