Can't believe I'm coming here for feedback

[fstopper89]

I do agree that I also prefer the clean edit. (I just threw this together last night). The final image I presented to the clients was the top right. The SOOC was a little underexposed as it was taken in shady woods with the sun behind the trees. I did use a few actions at low opacities including some workflow actions to finalize the clean edit also, but nothing really intense. But you’re right, actions will not save a really bad image. It is about getting it right (or very close to right) in-camera. I think that is how most professionals use them. I see a lot of fauxtogs start using actions on a really bad photo, at full-blast, and end up with something that looks like instagram.

[IHF]

Ok, so the trick is to use them on under exposed photos or photos that were not quite on, dont use actions full on, and spend time fixing what they did to your image, but don’t present them to the client or present it with a “clean” edit that the client will most likely chose anyway?

yep, pre made actions are great!  I’ve been missing out 😉

[archy]

IHF, That’s exactly what i meant about actions. I can understand certain actions enhancing an already good photo, but it doesn’t resonate that you’d go through the trouble of using one and then messing with it because you didn’t bother getting it right SOOC. In fact, the underexposure could have been tweaked on camera while shooting in a matter of moments. I agree with photoshop to make a good image better, i do not agree with photoshop to handle all of the photographers mistakes (I say mistakes in the sense of simple issues that could be fixed on site while shooting. Just clarifying again, actions and photoshop/lightroom/whathaveyou can make good things better. Even then, i wouldn’t expect it to be such a process, especially when you edit in camera.)

[fstopper89]

No, IHF, that’s not what I was getting at. The clean edits I often use some actions on. The additional edits, where I maybe did something in black and white, added a hazy tone or a vintage tone, etc. are extras and I offer both to the client. The extras are extremely popular, possibly just trendy, but I make money on them too.

This clean edit had some actions applied in small doses. In addition to that, other workflow basic editing such as skin smoothing, exposure correction, color/white balance adjustments, blemish removal, teeth whitening, etc. were done.

Forgive me, if I shot a slightly underexposed photo! Gasp! Shooting in RAW allows me to easily correct it in post too.

Using and tweaking an action is not as much work as it may sound. Most of them allow for quicker editing, actually. You should really try it before you knock it. A few of the popular action companies offer some free downloads.

[IHF]

I’ve tried actions before.  I have a free copy of PSE that was given to me, so I went and downloaded some popular ones out of curiosity.  I played with them for  a few days.  I came to the same conclusion.  Way too much work to use another person’s action or preset.  They didn’t shoot where I shot, the subject and light were different, they completely shoot differently than the way I do, And are they using the same camera?  Way too many variables for anyone to say “hey! use this action!”.  I was able to make an image look exactly the way I wanted controlling the editing myself with or without using my own presets (Im an Aperture user)  in a matter of minutes, while fixing (more accurate word than using) premade actions took hours trying to get the look I wanted.  It was laughable.  If I can’t make one of my images work for me because I failed something in camera, with in 10 minutes, it gets trashed and I move on.  Besides, I don’t want my images to look like so and so’s or so and so’s, their mine.  And I don’t want to be dependent on any certain software or add on to be able to create, or fall into any fads or bad habits that Id have to struggle to get out of.  But that’s just me.  I don’t expect everyone to work the way I do.  Literally thousands upon thousands of togs, fauxs, and DIY alike chose to use premade actions.  When the masses are doing something, it doesn’t make it wrong, actions are just wrong for me and my photography.

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