Shoot More, Process Less

Try these simple rules, and you’ll be able to spend less time in front of your computer screen and more time in the field making photographs

By Nick Carver

Labels: How-To, Camera Technique, Computers & Periphals, Digital Darkroom

This Article Features Photo Zoom

In this age of digital cameras, super-computers and image-editing software that requires a PhD to master, it’s all too easy to spend hours under the soft glow of a computer screen endlessly fine-tuning your images. I call it the “postproduction suction.” You spend two hours behind the camera and four hours behind the keyboard editing, correcting and tweaking your shots. This phenomenon can creep into your photographic life, slowly embezzling your time away from the shutter release and into the return key until it dawns on you that you haven’t hit the trail for weeks, maybe even months. This sinking feeling is the realization that you’ve become the dreaded “desk chair photographer.”

There are many ways you can help limit your time at the computer and maximize it in the field without sacrificing image quality, and the best place to start is at the lens. Do as much to the image as you can in-camera and on location. Practice getting your exposure spot-on from the very start. Relying on postproduction software to save an over- or underexposed image not only will create more work later, but also will result in a lower-quality image. Making drastic alterations to Levels in postproduction increases digital noise and grain, which then will result in even more time spent counteracting it with noise-reduction tools. Utilize the histogram and “blinkies” on your camera’s review screen to periodically check your exposures before committing to your shots.

Applying sound shooting techniques in the field also will reduce the amount of time you spend sorting out rejects. Utilize a tripod, mirror lock-up and cable release when called for to create tack-sharp images. Pay special attention to focus when doing macro work and wide apertures. Bracket exposures as little as possible, and instead spend your time getting the exposure correct in the first frame. Be aware of lens flare, highlight burnouts and unwanted elements in your composition so you won’t have to spend time deleting or attempting to salvage these in postproduction. Frame your compositions carefully, keeping your camera level, to avoid unneeded cropping and straightening. Confidence in your shooting techniques will go a long way in minimizing editing time.

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Franco makes this comment

Thursday, 19 March 2009

hi im new to the world of photography and i want to know if you guys have any advice for me... i thought this article was very very goodo advice.
Roger makes this comment

Monday, 23 February 2009

This is a very timely article and well written. With all due respect to Kay, I agree with Tony's coment about shooting more in 'A' than 'S' because I believe he is referring to the Aperture Mode. What you were referring to as the auto mode is actually the 'P' mode. I also shoot most of the time in 'A' to control DOF rather than the 'S', unless I am dealing with motion. Otherwise combining 'A' with the exposure compensation passes it for the manual shooting mode. Roger
Tom D makes this comment

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

I needed this article to remind myself why I actually became interested in photography in the first place and it had nothing to do with the computer. Here's my advice. Take your camera with you every day and use every opportunity to shoot.
Kay makes this comment

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Very good advice; I just don't agree with Tony on shooting more in "A" than "S". I know a lot of people shoot in auto and that's ok. My opinion on that is, to get the most you can out of your work, manual is the only way to shoot. Learn your camera and it's settings; become the photographer you know you can be and understand what each setting does and what it's effect will be to the final image. Auto mode is for people who aren't really serious about photography. That's my two cents worth.
Burt Crapo makes this comment

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Digital took the need to pre-visualize the shot and craft the images and minimalized it by making everything available now on the LCD. With film you had to get the shot right. With digital the dominant attitude is 'if I don't get it right I can fix it in Photoshop'. I teach my students to visualize the shot first, then see it in the view finder and make the two match on the film/CCD. The less they have to do in Photoshop the better. I teach Photoshop as if it were a darkroom setup. Workflow is as key to successful results in using Photoshop and minimizing time at the keyboard as it is in the darkroom. Glad to see articles like this are being written. Burt Crapo
Tony makes this comment

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

1) "the best place to start is at the lens. Do as much to the image as you can in-camera and on location." That has to be the best advice here, to start improving (and time saving!) 2) "getting the exposure correct in the first frame" ... yip, and maybe relying more on "A" than "S"? Many thanks for these practical reminders. The only real post production fun is the saturation one, which you can do especially on the ones that didn't make it first time! P.S.love the Photo Zoom!
Steve makes this comment

Thursday, 22 January 2009

Very nice photos.

How-To

Shoot More, Process Less

Try these simple rules, and you’ll be able to spend less time in front of your computer screen and more time in the field making photographs

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