<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14279056#post14279056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikeintosh
With respect to Photoshop, I am in total agreement that it is an invaluable tool in photography. Unfortunately, most people jump in to post-production before they've even understood the basics. Even Ansel Adams learned to be well-versed behind the lens before composing in the dark room.
I don't think you get it. What your wanting to do is dark room work. It is post production work. This has nothing to do with understanding the basics. Perfect colors are well beyond the basics.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14279056#post14279056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikeintosh
And, sorry, I forgot to include my comment that when white balancing, conditions change on different shoots; so batching wouldn't necessarily apply.
HELLO?! Of course they change. Five seconds of mouse clicks is time better spent than 2-5 minutes of adjustments every time this change occurs. Heck if you came shooting with with me tomorrow you'd never take a picture. The light changes faster than you could figure out what setting to use. I can't even change my exposure fast enough.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14279056#post14279056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikeintosh
I am really surprised to hear so little support for understanding how to shoot great photographs BEFORE jumping into Photoshop. Back in the dark room days, I would never advise someone (who's learning) to practice in the dark room before being able to understand how to take good shots, much less know how to use their camera. Photoshop is more of an abused tool nowadays.
You have your priorities sooo mixed up. I find it hard to believe you use Photoshop for a living as a graphic artist and can't grasp this.
Back in the dark room days you would never advise someone to practice in the dark room before being able to understand how to take good shots, much less know how to use a camera?
Sir, if you don't understand exposure, metering, composition, and all of the other bare bones basics which aren't even related to white balance, why are you so worried about color correction? White Balace may not be difficult, but it isn't basics.
People didn't piddle around dark rooms for many reasons.
A. Dangerous chemicals take married with children out of the equation.
B. You have to fully and completely dedicate a room in your house for this purpose.
C. Aside from the fact of loosing a room in your house, dark rooms are very expensive.
D. The knowledge required to edit film color photographs in a dark room is scary.
Photoshop, compared to a dark room, is VERY easy, VERY inexpensive, and it consumes VERY little time.
Now that I have told you why nobody but the most dedicated had their own color-capable dark room (black and white dark rooms don't count in this white balance thread.) I want you to look at some color pictures taken in the 60's, 70's, or early 80's. I bet they have a reddish cast to them hu? You see to correct for white balance in film, the film itself has to be tailored to the white your balancing to. Most film has a reddish cast because of the typical bluish lighting. Now those who had a dark room could correct for these discrepancies on their own, those who did not got lots of orange pictures from the lab.
As you can see, "Back in the dark room days, I would never advise someone (who's learning) to practice in the dark room before being able to understand how to take good shots" is a sill thing to say.
"In the Photoshop era, I would advise someone (who's learning) to practice after each shoot before being able to understand how to take good shots" makes a lot more sense.
