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Thread: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

  1. #1

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    Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Got the Photography bug three years ago. My background is IT and being used to online learning that's the way I tackled becoming a better photographer.

    I have nearly every plugin that has been known to man. I have registered with various well know websites for tips, tricks and tutorials. I have spent a fair amount on PS Panels that help you achieve the polished workflow that takes your digital images to another level. I have dabbled with Zonal System, Luminosity Masks and numerous systems that come with step by step tutorials.

    Being a relatively intelligent person I know once I have purchased the latest "Double Digital Rainbow Magic Masking Technique" a few months down the line the "Improved Treble Multi-coloured Rainbow-Blending Masks" will flash up in my inbox at a price I would be foolish to ignore. I also know that the only way to become proficient is to practise with my camera and try and find my own post processing style and keep on fine tuning it until I find a method that works for me.

    But I still get tempted to press that "Buy Now" button. Is it just me?

  2. #2

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    No Gary it is not just you that has that "Buy Now" problem. My back ground is not 'IT" so for me it is less a problem, I seem to find that those with that kind of background have a habit of believing that "T" will solve it for them, for me it is "P", that solves most of my problems. If you are wondering what "P" is it is practice, can't play the piano then again never did practice it.

    Cheers: Allan

  3. #3

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Thankfully I never had the urge to play a Piano. But if I did there are lots of online courses for me to choose out there.

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    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Indeed, as Allan says, you are not alone. But I think to really improve your photography, you have to be able to get into a different mindset whereby having the newest and best doesn't have to happen. So, skip the Improved Treble Multi-coloured Rainbow-Blending Masks, spend the time out there practicing, practicing, practicing, and wait for the 'Even more improved Quadruple...' version to come along. By which time you'll be a much better photographer and able to use it to its full potential.

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Thank You Donald! Wise words indeed.

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Yes I too am guilty of this but unfortunately have no cash so I have had to make do with just my editing software, but that in itself has its advantages as it turn forced me to focus solely on the technique and the camera and now that I am a bit more accomplished I can start to buy a wee lens here of an upgrade there. Next on the list is a flash gun and a calibration device in that order

  7. #7
    Moderator Manfred M's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Gary - most of my work is done purely in Photoshop, but I will confess I use a few select plug-ins for some images. This is generally when my usual post-processing "tricks" are not working for me and I am after a particular look.

    I have not purchased a new plugin in the past two or three years and have stopped updating a few older ones that I never used all that often.

  8. #8
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Am I the only one here that doesn't do much if any PP on their shots?
    I'm always striving to get the best SOOC shot possible from the gear I have available.
    Guess that's why my photo's don't look as polished as most shown here.

  9. #9
    Moderator Manfred M's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlwaysOnAuto View Post
    Am I the only one here that doesn't do much if any PP on their shots?
    I'm always striving to get the best SOOC shot possible from the gear I have available.
    Guess that's why my photo's don't look as polished as most shown here.
    I find the only time that I can use 100% SOOC photos is when I shoot in studio conditions, where I can control 100% of the inputs to the process.

    Even though I often post jpegs, these do have a small amount of PP work, and that is primarily because the SOOC camera shots are simply not good enough.

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Your seeking and finding that Holy Grail where you will find all questions answered and all
    wisdom instilled exists only in the fantasies of our desires. Are no shortcuts my friend.

  11. #11

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Quote Originally Posted by chauncey View Post
    Your seeking and finding that Holy Grail where you will find all questions answered and all
    wisdom instilled exists only in the fantasies of our desires. Are no shortcuts my friend.
    I realise there are no shortcuts and am determined to now go down my own path and reach whatever level I can.

    But there will always be that temptation

  12. #12
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlwaysOnAuto View Post
    Am I the only one here that doesn't do much if any PP on their shots?
    I'm always striving to get the best SOOC shot possible from the gear I have available.
    Guess that's why my photo's don't look as polished as most shown here.
    No, you're not the only one Alan. But all I can do is state again my belief that pressing the shutter is the end of the first part of making an image. The second part is the post-processing and finishing of that image.

  13. #13
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    My holy grail is a bit different. Although I do have the "Buy Now" bug, big time (and that relates to both equipment and processing tools), my quest is to find that elusive "What makes a picture good" grail. I know I have to go with my own vision -- that which I want to capture and express -- but the final touch on that is difficult to define. It's that x factor that makes a good picture great. If it were only gear that is required to get there, well, I would go out and buy it. But I suspect it's the way a true artist can translate vision to art. The tools make it easier to accomplish, maybe allows you to do more, but it's not a balanced equation. You have to start with a proper image.

    You give me the best camera, tools, and lots of time and I still won't produce a great picture. At least not yet. It would be like handing a dog a Stradivarius and expect it to produce music.

    I do think the "Buy Now" bug for technical processing tools is much like the equipment bug. If I only had that X lens, then I could have taken the perfect picture. Maybe. But if you are Ansel Adams, you could take a brilliant picture with a first generation iPhone.

    It sure is fun to get the tools though, isn't it? I do really enjoy what I can do with some of them. I'm learning what I can do with Lightroom, and that's been a ton of fun, as limited as it is.

  14. #14
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Can't say I have this problem. The only plugin I use is NIK (I use Aperture as my processing program). Even then the presets always bother me. Never seem to be where I want to go with the image. Feels like someone with a far different vision than mine has taken control of the computer. Probably a personality quirk of mine, rather than a reflection on presets or people who use them.

  15. #15
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    I must getting old quick...I have had the equipment Buy Me Now bug for many years and did not become a good photographer that I thought I was...so I stopped aiming for a good camera, good lenses, good anything except that what I have now is what I need and think I've have it all. But I do the P everyday at least once a day and same as Trevor, the only thing I have now is Photoshop and Nik, most of the time I only use Photoshop. It provides me to just make do with what I have...somehow I lost that interest in the Buy Me Now pitch. It is/was now replaced with the "this is my last lens, promise..." pitch...

  16. #16
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    My buy-me bug, which I work hard to stifle, is for equipment rather than software, but that's a different issue.

    Re software: more often than I like to admit, I have bought software that I ended up rarely if ever using. I now try to limit myself to things that will solve a real problem, and I buy very little. Here's how I think about it. Which is likely to get me better images: practicing more with the software I own or spreading my limited time over yet more software packages? For me, the answer is almost always the former: more practice with what I have.

    Three packages now account for almost all of my editing: Lightroom, Zerene, and Photoshop, in that order. I am an occasional user of Nik, in particular, Silver Efex, which I find much quicker and more flexible for B&W edits. Other than that, I use a small number of plugins--in particular, Jeffry Friedl's plugins for publishing from LR and Lightroom Enfuse for exposure fusion (instead of HDR). At this point, my main goals for study and practice are to gain more skill in Photoshop and Nik.

  17. #17

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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Ah...Photoshop...much to the chagrin of most amateur photographers, IMHO, it's the most
    enjoyable part of photography for it enables me to convert reality, whatever that means, into
    something that exists only in my mind. How else can this ole man take windswept snow and
    convert it into a desert landscape.

    There is a downside...the learning curve is measured in years.

  18. #18
    victor's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Yep! !!!! At my age 63, too much to remember but much interest how do you do that . Looking at macro, reverse lens, flash, etc... Learning 365 days .. Yes buy now ouch ! Flash brackets , new flashes ..

    Must confess I love this site the knowledge shared and the expenses saved on buy now... A BIG Thanks to you all !!!!! From the heart !!

  19. #19
    victor's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    just looked at dank web site on smug mug. Wow macros to aim for!

  20. #20
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for the Holy Grail... Am I the only one who has/does this?

    Quote Originally Posted by victor View Post
    just looked at dank web site on smug mug. Wow macros to aim for!
    I agree. Amazing stuff.

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