Why do people photoshop their pics?

Great thread....

We should ONLY see what you see in your final efforts....I dont agree with enhancements........Polarizing is one thing, that has long been considered acceptable (from what I understand) in the photography industry as non enhancing, and only "junk" filtering.....
 
I think it is fine to photochop. Photographers argue this issue constantly, and many points of view exist. I think an individual should identify major photochops and fakes. But in the end, the picture is telling you what the photographer wants.



I belong to a photo club which has judged contests. A catagory was created called "photoshop enhancements not possible in the darkroom." Most of the time, someone in the audience will explain how some complicated photoshop creation could have been created in a darkroom. The tools in photoshop mimic darkroom techniques, but are much easier to accomplish.



None of this was an issue before photoshop, but manipulation in the darkroom was and is common - and very few cared.



So, in my opinion, a photo represents what the photographer wants you to see. Manipulation in the viewfinder -- the act of picture taking, and manipulation by darkroom or by photochop are all the same thing.



Lou
 
I see no problem with it as long as people are representing their pictures correctly. It is when people start removing defects in their paint and enhancing reflections passing it off as authentic when I have a problem.
 
Interesting thread. I've been kinda wondering what's okay and what's not recently. So do you guys think less "invasive" touch-ups like gamma/brightness correction and colour balance are fair game? :nixweiss



I agree that some enhancements cause misrepresentation, but where's the limit....
 
I only enhanced the background (didn't want people to see the dead grass) and my license plate.



taurus4sale.jpg




As has been mentioned earlier, I think as long as people don't misrepresent, then there should be no problem.
 
I have no problem with people taking stuff out of the background of a pic or blacking out their liscence plate, but if you start messing with the subject (in this case, a car and its finish) and misrepresenting it when I get angered... I look at the pics on this site to help me decide what methods/equipment/products/methods may work better/best for detailing tasks. If what I'm seeing isnt accurate to the "real results" then the stuff posted here is of no use to me whatsoever.
 
I know not everyone has a great 4Meg pixel digital camera, but what I don't like is to see those before and after pics where the background looks detailed and shiny aswell on the after pics ;)
 
I had fun photochopping my pic , it just started as an experiment so that I could check out a new grill, and just took off.



Are there any specific photos that are bothering you? Are they posted on Autopia?
 
Great re-touch.



It's not this kind of pics that brings me down. What brings me down are those that makes me think those kind of results are only possible on pics, not on real life.
 
What kind of feeling is it when you enhance a picture for reflections and get praised?



The praise is not for your detailing, its for your photoshop skills. If you post enhanced pics here, you should find another form for that.



Just my 2 cents. :nixweiss
 
By the way, only now I realized this thread was moved to this forum. I didn't intend to post it here, as it was related to false pics that usually show in the big forums.



My intention was never to discuss technics to improve pics, but, to complain against the less realistic detailers that lead the honest ones to believe they'll never be able to acomplish the results shown in those touched pics.



As this thread is of no interest for the detail, I'll shut myself from it, I don't want to discuss photography, for now, I just wanted to make my point.
 
I have to admit, Im suspicious of "certain" pics within this arena. And I keep my opinions to myself regarding it. Im here to learn and not to judge, but like an earlier reply stated, if your misrepresenting your picture, your misrepresenting a product, that im sure youve recommended. Your not doing any members on here, any favors, but probably setting us a back a few bucks, as well as discouraging our efforts. What we get in our garage, and what you get on your desktop, or file away as a "favorite" are not one in the same. And Im strictly speaking of color and depth, and anything to enhance shine.....
 
The only thing I use it for other than fun is to clean up stuff that I can't fix on the car. Stuff like curbed up hubcaps or the occasional gouge on the front end from hitting a curb or something. I'm not changing what I took a picture of. I'm just fixing things that detract from what I was trying to focus on and that's the overall car.



There are actually some incredibly talented people who can take a car and chop it to make it look like whatever they want. The skill of some people make me distrust a lot of what I see in magazines and online. I know that if they wanted a picture of their car on a beach somewhere then they could do it. If they wanted to see a body kit or a new paint scheme on their car then they could do it. Its pretty amazing what some people can do. Its pure art.
 
I think image correction (levels, gamma, exposure) etc is fine. As far as people faking reflections; it ain't gonna happen!! I and most of you can spot fake reflections a mile away.



Although it isn't impossible to fake convincing reflections, it is extremely difficult and not something the average Photoshoper can do it.



Anyone that can pull it off, could make a lot more money as a graphic designer than as a detailer.



I used to teach multimedia and graphic design and I doubt that I could pull off a "Convincing" reflection fake job. Besides the camera is very forgiving on paint finishes anyway. Using the proper angles and lighting, you can get Zaino-like reflections with Turtle Wax on a Yugo.



Here's the perfect example; My 5 year old Dodge, just washed that hasn't been waxed in weeks. No Photoshoping at all, just cropping. Taking the picture with the truck in the shade with bright daylight reflecting on it produced great reflections and hid the flaws (except for the orange peel) :(
 

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Nagchampa said:
I see no problem with it as long as people are representing their pictures correctly. It is when people start removing defects in their paint and enhancing reflections passing it off as authentic when I have a problem.
Click to expand...



Ditto. After spending half my life in photo labs printing, and then criticising using PS and digital photography I realized the final touchups done with photoshop aren't any different than doing dodging and burning in the photolab. I've played around with backgrounds a bit (on another site) but hardly anything to change what the cars look like.
 
I think Intel did a thread a while back about pictures and photoshop...posted pictures , magazines and tv have little comparison to reality ..they are all 2 dimensional and seeing is believing...look at all those infomercials with gimmics , scratching with a key , lighting on fire , laser beams...

Don't get me wrong, I like looking at these beautiful detail jobs, but only the person standing there can really tell you what they see....



and Biff...it's a typical Ford paint job...but the orange peel does vary from panel to panel on all the ones I've seen...
 
Nagchampa said:
I see no problem with it as long as people are representing their pictures correctly. It is when people start removing defects in their paint and enhancing reflections passing it off as authentic when I have a problem.
Click to expand...



7.jpg




you can clearly see my 2 huge dents in the rear pass. side door. I haven't had them dentless removed yet, cuz there are like 7-9 small dents that I wanna get popped. Is it even worth it, since I had 0 dents when I got this car used 18 months ago? F-ing people . . .
 
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