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myotisone Profile
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Do I need Photoshop?


I am only slowly retuning to photography, now as a hobby rather than a profession. Most of my experience is with medium and large format film, and I have always preferred B/W to colour.

I have looked at Ian's contrast masking plugin for Photoshop, and really like this approach, but I don't have Photoshop.

What I am finding difficult, is deciding whether I actually need Photoshop.

You get the impression that with many B/W workers Photoshop is now, more or less only providing a container for a B/W plugin. Silver Effex, Topaz B/W.

It was for example interesting reading the review of Topaz plugins by Julia Anna Gospodarou, where she seemed to do everything with topaz plugins, and then go to Photoshop for some final tweaking, which she suggested could actually be done in Topaz Remask.

As I am still floating around trying to sort out a workflow and software setup, I would be really interested in what people here think.

Many thanks,

Graham

11/Aug/14, 9:40 am Link to this post Send Email to myotisone   Send PM to myotisone Blog
 
IanBarber Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


before getting overwhelmed by all the different types of software that is available and deciding which one you may need, ask yourself this question.

Did you need a darkroom to produce a final image which matched your vision?
If the answer is No, then you probably don't need Photoshop but if the answer is Yes, then I would say you do.

I treat Photoshop as the Digital Darkroom where it allows me to push tones around to give the image the look and feel that matches my vision.

Plugins such as Topaz, Nik Software are all very good in their own right but personally, if you are serious about creating images that match your vision as an artist then I would start off with Photoshop and the Lightoom deal which Adobe are now offering to Photographers.

---
Photoshop Panels - Actions - eBooks and more..
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myotisone Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


Hello Ian,

quote:

Did you need a darkroom to produce a final image which matched your vision?



Now that "is" an easy one to answer as for me, its the time spent in the darkroom that makes the difference between "taking" a photograph and "making" a photograph. Not that I am very good at it, but that is a different problem !

But, as my post suggested the impression given is that many photographers are finding enough control without going down the Photoshop route.

However, your comment supports my "gut" feeling about it, but a lot of that is based on reading things that come from days when Photoshop was the only serious option. Unlike today when Lightroom and say, Silver Effex pro seems to be a viable alternative to many.

But, very useful to read your views.

Cheers,

Graham

 
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chris02 Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


Have to agree, I only use Lightroom and Siver Efex.

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Chris White
D90, LR 5.5 and SilverEfex
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myotisone Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


quote:

chris02 wrote:

Have to agree, I only use Lightroom and Siver Efex.



Thanks Chris

Was this a deliberate decision to give up Photoshop, and stick with LR/SE because you didn't think Photoshop was giving you any benefit?

Cheers,

Graham



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chris02 Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


Hi Graham

As a keen amateur LR and Silver Efex do what I need. I have used PS CS6 but its overkill for me and such a steep learning curve.

I am sure there are members here with a lot more experiences that will have other views.

Why not give them a try most will have 30 free trials.

---
Chris White
D90, LR 5.5 and SilverEfex
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martinimages Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


Watch mine and Ians videos on this forum and see the power of Photoshop and Light room

Martin

---
"After that shutter closes it’s all over. The physical light captured on film is all that is left, a history of light preserved in chemical form, and I have to move on to the next one."

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myotisone Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


quote:

chris02 wrote:
Why not give them a try most will have 30 free trials.



In fact I can do better than that, I own licenses for lightroom and Silver Effex, and I have PS on my University computer, but that isn't really helping me decide, hence me looking for comments from those more experienced.

It is, as you suggest a lot to do with the learning curve, and given my lack of experience, it's really difficult to come to any firm conclusions on where/how I should devote my limited time.

Thanks,

Graham
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martinimages Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


Well I also have both and Nik, Lightroom as one drawback for me and that is the inability to use layer stacks,adjustment layers without that feature I think I would pack it in and go back to the wet darkroom emoticon

---
"After that shutter closes it’s all over. The physical light captured on film is all that is left, a history of light preserved in chemical form, and I have to move on to the next one."

http://martinhensonphotography.co.uk
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myotisone Profile
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Re: Do I need Photoshop?


quote:

martinimages wrote:

Watch mine and Ians videos on this forum and see the power of Photoshop and Light room

Martin



I have watched lots of videos, and bought Ian's contrast grading and silver efex videos, and no doubting the power of photoshop, but the dilemma is that increasingly the impression given is that there seems to less need for photoshop. For example both onone perfect suite and Topaz photofxlab both give layers.

I'm certainly not in any position to argue one way or the other, but reading around it just seemed that a lot, not all, of black and white processing seems to be done by loading into photoshop and then doing everything in a plugin. But maybe that's misleading.

So I was keen to hear what people here thought.

Cheers,
Graham
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