Post-processing internally and externally

Albert Pedrosa
Photo mania

I UNDERSTAND that editing your photo has been an argument even since the days of Ansel Adams when Photoshop did not even exist. Some editing comes to the point of reconstructing the image that the art of photography is exploited. Advertising images have been criticized over false advertising due to misrepresentation of their product using too much Photoshop.

While it’s sad to know all about the negative effects of photo editing, it also has its highs. Photo editing allows you to correct and enhance your image and fills in the camera’s limitations. By putting photography first and polishing it after with editing, you’re keeping the art.

Just to let you in on a little secret, most respected photographers are experts in editing photos. The objective is to edit the image without leaving a trace of evidence that it was edited. It has to look as natural as possible while trying to get the desired result.

This means that careful editing and using the right tools are essential in producing a good photo. The camera can mess up the colors easily since it has its limitation in color sensitivity and dynamic range. Camera manufacturers can only assume so much possibilities and design it in their algorithm to adjust the captured light.

It seems that the race of hardware supremacy among professional cameras is also racing against another technology, the software that processes the captured light or data by the camera hardware. One very impressive example of the power of image processing is the camera phone. Equipped with just a tiny sensor, images are surprisingly clear and sharp even in low lighting scenes.

Nope, it’s not the hardware that made it possible, because the laws of physics when it comes to light is constant. The bigger the observer or the sensor the more effective in collecting photons or light. How can a sensor maybe 10 times smaller than a DSLR camera get better results? The magic is in the internal image processing that comes after the shot is taken.

So we now race in parallel on the technology of sensitivity and precision in capturing light and processing of data after capturing the light. What many people don’t know is that photo editing is already done even before you open it in Photoshop. Camera makers already applied their adjustment internally.

Every camera brand has its own take in what’s the best algorithm that can produce better results from the complexity of different scenes that we capture or experience. The future is very much uncertain especially with the very much emerging technologies in both software and hardware.

One thing is certain though, the art of photography is not part of this race. Study and practice is still the key in understanding the art of photography. Keep on shooting, everyone!

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