Get it right in camera.
If you have been around a while, you will hear this little piece of photography canon.
And it’s right.
You should absolutely do everything in your camera to get as close to the end result as you possibly can while you have the camera in your hands.
But here’s where things go a little wobbly.
Invariably in these conversations about getting it right in camera, “that guy” will wade in with the gem that “I don’t need to do post processing because I get it right in camera.”
**sigh**
Sorry, but you do need to do post-production and you absolutely do not “get it right” in camera in 99% of cases (especially if you’re photographing complex exposure scenes like landscapes or dynamic scenes like sport or wildlife).
Nobody does. Sure, you can snag the occasional unicorn, but it’s very rare. It’s probably more possible in scenarios where you control everything (studios), but it’s still rare.
And in any case, “not doing post” is simply leaving it up to your camera to do the post for you. The very act of transforming a raw file to jpg ***IS*** post production.
Do it yourself, or leave it to the German/Japanese engineers to choose your settings, but it IS post production one way or the other.
Ansel Adams did post processing and even wrote a book on it. James Natchwey spends days in the darkroom for his famous shots. Steve McCurry famously got caught out doing a little too much post production and telling fibs about it (don’t do that).
So “that guy” who claims everything they shoot is “right in camera” is better than those photographers?
Sorry, I don’t think so.
And in ALL of the cases I have checked out (because I usually look for their portfolio when they make the claim), literally 100% of them could have been improved with some skilful post—production. Some of them by a lot.
Here is a fact.
Good photography requires good shoot skills AND good post-production.
You should be trying to master them both because both require a lot of skill.
Get it right in camera. Then get it right in post too.
If you need a start, take a look at Steve Arnold’s very popular Photoshop 101 course for photographers here. (The video on this page is worth a watch, regardless).
Cheers,
Rob
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