Image Processing, Yes Or No?

March 19, 2011 - PRLog -- Image Processing – Yes or No
Image processing, is a phenomenon that has been developing these days. The advanced processing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Painteshop Pro of Coral's or the free software Gimp and their counterparts, offers a variety of advanced effects from smoothing backgrounds, cleaning noises, highlighting details, color correction and planting what the picture lacks.

In this case, the question is, whether to touch the original image and renovate it, or to invest it in the exposure and love the result! The answer is not so simple, not at all…
Here is a little story as an illustration;
Many years ago, lived a man, who decided after a lot of thinking to leave his house, his wife and his children, to look for The Truth. The man had been wandering for years after his search. Wherever he was, he asked passersby if they know where The Truth is, but all answers were negative ... After years of wandering, he arrived to a small village in the Himalayas. He entered a local pub and asked the people whether they know where The Truth is! One approached him and said that at the edge of the village lives a wise old man and he certainly knows where The Truth is. The man reached into a small cabin at the edge of the village, and there he found an old man, who was sitting and thinking. he asked him whether he knows where The Truth is! The old man looked at him and said: "It seems a long time you have been looking for The Truth, I'll show you where it is, and I hope you will not be disappointed when you will meet her ...". The man went by the old man's explanation, until he reached a cave at a slope of a mountain. When he came in, he found The Truth that he was desperently looking for. But, woe, The Truth did not look like he expected. Her nails were long and dirty, her hair was disheveled and full of mud , she smelled awful, her clothes were dirty and torn… In short, The Truth was really, really ugly. But, without any choice that was The Truth. The man had been sitting and studing from The Truth for a long time. After a long period, the man told The Truth: "Dear Truth, I'm very happy to stay with you here and to learn from you, but I really miss my family, it is time to get back home. Do you have something to tell me before I´ll go?".  The Truth had been thinking for a moment and then said: "At the time you will be around people, probably they will ask you whether you met The Truth, and how does she look  ... please tell  them  .....that I'm Beautiful ...".
Most of the images you can find today in various magazines, on billboards or advertisements of all kinds, likely that have been processed, reconstructed or corrected by an image editing software. Sometimes we are surprised by a model's perfect skin, peripheral narrow and her smooth hair, because it has been contrary to the reality as we know it. Nevertheless, these days, legislators around the world are trying to enact a law against processing images that appear in advertisements.
The first question is, why should we process an image, what that caught in the lens is a reality, and why do we have to change or embellish it? Many answers to this question, and here I review a few of them.
First of all - Social Pressure. The expectation from the photographer is to take a properly exposed, focused, sharp and tuned image that can lead the creator, who wants to please, directly to the "working shop". Experiments performed show that the public viewers never satisfied. Experiment that conducted in England in 2008, introduced viewers a sequence of processed images  that are technically perfect. Most viewers who are laymen in photography, gave these images low marks in the technical level and even suggested some improvements.The experimenters have improved the technical level based on viewers comments and presented the images to them again and again, about ten times. Strangely enough, even after the tenth improvement, which should lead to the perfect picture, others still gave variety of tips for improving the images. If so, it seems that it is very hard to please the audience, and always will be public comment: "Not to sharp ... not to focused… had to increase shutter speed..." And more.
Second - sometimes the photographer takes under his hand  a perfect picture but with little disruption, a bird that just chose to fly in the top corner, a distant bystander who just dared to look at the photographer´s camera, or a wayward cloud which decided to wander in the background. Instead of throwing the image to the trash in your computer, you can save it by deleting the disturbing vixen ,or at least blur the image set. Alternatively, if there is an object missing in the photo, you can add it in the incredible ease of pressing a key.
hird - Improving the Product. Variety of image processing software providing effects, such as temperature and color saturation, brightness, sharpness, cutting tools, paint and water brushes, all these provide compelling visual and vibrant images. Who does not want his picture look like it came out from the movie "Avatar" in three dimensions???
Fourth - Time. Instead of waiting hours for the correct picture that will satisfy you as a photographer, is given an opportunity to take a picture, and then work on it until you get the desired result, in place temperate without any pressure.
There are many other reasons why to process images, but on the other hand, about why not to process. Here are only few reasons which most of them Emotional.
First - The Truth. As had been shown in the story at the beginning of the article, The Truth is The truth, even if she is ugly or not exactly what we wanted. And if we really want it, we must accept it as it is, without various enhancements.
Second - the innocence of creating the image. Who among us does not like the old black and white photos from the past?! Images that reminiscent the simplicity and innocence, as reflected in our childhood. Images without human intervention, which reflected the simple reality, not complicated like today's reality, without the competition that accompanies all human beings and the world of photography in particular.
If so, to process or not to process?
At the end of the process, the result you show, is the one you wanted to get and the one you love. It is the one that you worked on so much time. You worked so much for the perfect exposuer and you waited for a long time to take the perfect  photo.
To process or not – is your choice - just do not get lost during the process.

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Noga Bondy as a professional Photographer, has a different point of view on photography. she concentrates on street photography and other issues in her website galleries. updated articles are in her site about photography , such as image processing and more.