Post-Processing Workshop
Post-Processing
Post-processing has been a hot topic of discussion in recent weeks! We had the opportunity to look at some of Dianne Owen's pictures, which many members commented on as works of art and not 'photography'. Later on in the season we will have a talk by renowned wildlife photographer, Gordon Rae. Wildlife photography limits photographers to fairly stringent rules as to what post processing is allowed.
There is no doubt that the various styles and genres of photography allow for and embrace vastly different approaches to post-processing, but it is worth noting that almost all of us do some post-processing.
If we shoot in jpeg on our cameras, the camera is applying pre-set processing to the captured image. If we shoot in RAW, then the images we see from the camera are flat and lifeless, and need some basic tweaks to bring the colour and contrast from them. Whatever mode we shoot in, the image that appears on the screen on the back of the camera is a jpeg image with post-processing applied by the camera's computer brain. Even in the days of film photography, post-processing was done in the darkroom. It really isn't a dark art though!
Our programme has traditionally had a 'post-processing workshop' at the start of the season, but rather than simply project examples onto the screen, we will try to work in a number of smaller groups. We will have laptops to demonstrate and answer questions related to Lightroom, Photoshop and On1 - probably the three most commonly used PC/Mac editing programmes, and also an ipad to demonstrate editing software for that platform.
We hope this will prove to be a useful arrangement, and spark questions and ideas from members that will lea to constructive discussion. As with earlier in the season, if you have any RAW files that you would like to bring along, please feel free to do so. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions and we will endeavour to explain or demonstrate answers.
Competitions
The following week sees the exciting return of competitions, with a new judge, John MacGregor coming to deliver his verdict on the Open Competition. The competitions will start to come thick and fast from now on, with entries for 'Architecture' the week after that (16th) and the Mini Panel one week later (23rd).
