Software for Image processing: ( Is it necessary? ).

Advancement in Camera technology means even those with Point & Shoot cameras or mobile cameras may find instant gratification by the images captured. You see a scene, press the shutter and get instant results. Some of these cameras also provide for in-camera post processing or "Filters".  Some DSLR's offer in-camera Raw processing as well. 

Now at some point, many of us would have asked ourselves the question:, Why do people spend on processing software like Photoshop or Paintshop or similiar? Its not as if our photos were going to win a Pulitzer or make for a wedding portfolio.  In short, unless consumers pay to get a copy of what we shoot, why bother with processing and why not just be content with the instant gratification we see on our little LCD screens?.

The answer may not be that simple even though there is nothing wrong in simply enjoying the benefits of digital photography without the hassle of processing.  So why then post processing software and even more bewildering, why pay for software which costs considerable amounts?

There are two types of software available for processing images:

      

1.    Free

2.       Not free

The first option is in the form of freeware, i.e., software that can be downloaded free of cost to process your pictures like GIMP for eg.  Even your normal Operating System comes pre-packaged with an image processing software like ‘Paint’.

The second option of Processing software can range anywhere from $25 to $1000 and more.  The competition is such, aside from the top two names in photo processing software, there are other coders who have established a good footing in the world of photography and sell software at reasonable prices.

While the options for processing software may comprise of two options, the category under which we photographers or hobbyists fall under is vast. To simplify, let’s assume these three categories:-

      

1.    Career photography / Professionals ( Purely DSLR high end users with dedicated lenses ).

2.       Hobbyists ( range from Point & shoot to DSLR users ).

3.       Simply because a camera or a mobile with an in-built camera is at hand.

Astro-photographers ( this is a specialized field therefore three categories as above )

While many have made photography their career, most of us are hobbyists and like to take pictures to cherish memories of our vacations, family get together,  children’s vocation, prize functions etc.,

The first category which involves shooting images for a living would definitely mean possessing multiple software and these are people who invest a handsome amount in acquiring various types of software to meet their requirements.  In fact some of them have made such a name for themselves, their photography techniques are often marketed by software brands.

We then have hobbyists who like to enhance their photographs through processing. They may find solace in freeware like Paint or Gimp or go a step further and invest in basic software like Photoshop Elements or Paintshop.

Astro-photographers definitely need at some point to invest in software even though the best astro stacking freeware continues to be Deep Sky Stacker.  For Planetary and Lunar, we have Autostakkert and Registax, perhaps the best two well known freeware brands for such types of imaging. VirtualDub is another freeware which comes handy.  But end of the day, even though DSS or Autostakkert are utilized initially, for stretching or performing delicate use of curves or levels and then try to balance the RGB output, you need software which can work with 16 bit files.  There are many plug-ins in this category alone which people buy and use and find most essential to bring out the subtle details of the fine dusty lanes of a galaxy or spiral arms or the banding on Jupiter or Saturn.

 

Here is an example which illustrates how a  "light frame" looks before and after processing:

As you can see, the details after stacking and stretching or post processing is immense.

 

Back to the topic, when does one feel the need for software?

It is difficult to say but I would safely assume, once we start acquiring images which we feel like sharing, that is when the need for enhancement kicks in. This sets a chain of events in motion.

The first obvious move would hint at Freeware.  Having utilized the Freeware to its fullest, the images simply do not resemble those you see on the internet or your friend’s.  Something is missing and perhaps the Freeware in question does not have all the bells and whistles that is needed to support your creativity?  Quite possible.  There are limitations and Freeware has limited capabilities or else why would anyone spend even $1 if the Freeware can provide for everything? 

Next step up the software chain is to make our first investment in a retail or downloadable version of Photoshop Elements or PaintshopPro or similar.  We then put our images to test against the software and find there is some truth in what the marketing hype suggests. 

The learning curve for certain software processing engines can be quite steep.  Fortunately, even the most limited of software that you pay for come in-built with ‘Presets’  or ‘Auto enhance’.  These presets or auto enhance features require just a click of the mouse button and your pictures are automatically enhanced.  If that does not suit your taste, you have sliders and adjustments which can be used manually.  To help understand further, books and tutorials can be found all over the internet and while the books aren’t free, the tutorials on the internet are.

By this time, what starts out as a simple point and click routine soon develops into a hobby of sorts, one in which your imagination gets migrated into a host of features and enhancements that complement your pictures.  You start getting creative and the next time you take pictures, your mind starts composing various scenes as much as you can allow your mind to imagine. Certain situations require quick decisions and you may not get a second chance.  Most of these hurriedly taken images may or may not come out well.  You back your software to recover or modify these image enough to gain some sort of respectability.  For instance, your image may have been underexposed or overexposed, both of which can be modified by your software.  Some freeware may allow for this but it would be limited.

Once you learn to use your software diligently and intelligently enough to achieve overall better results than what you originally set out to achieve, your investment is justified.  A step further and a bit more learning through various sites and tutorials, you soon yearn to take breathtaking shots to impress your family and friends. You want to amaze yourself with HDR rendered image as well as focus stacking, high key, low key and various other glossary associated with photography.

HDR rendering is simple enough and most of the camera's even have in-built HDR functionality. However even if they don't, you have options via your software.  Some will command that you take three different types of exposures by setting the EV compensation on your camera and then merge all three to create an HDR image.  There are a few well known plug-ins like 'Topaz Adjust' for example which even allow for a single image to be HDR rendered. This is great news for those who feel there is too much involved in taking three images of the same object and then combining them. Worse still you need to take those three images without your camera moving a millimetre.  Therefore imagine a single exposure which can culminate in a high definition render? 

An example of how a single exposure can be converted into HDR:

Masking or working with layers can get tedious for those not too processing savvy or have less time on their hands.  Again there are specialized plug-ins or standalones which can perform these tedious tasks with simple presets and by offering an extremely user friendly algorithm.    

Stitching a series of images is another area where software comes in handy. Especially for those who like to create panoramas or mosaics of the Moon.  While many camera brands provide for software to suit this purpose, you can find intuitve and easy to do freeware readily available like Microsoft's ICE.  Here is an example of the Moon by stitching together nine panels to create a mosaic. This was done with the help of virtualdub and then ICE.

There are many useful tutorials for free spread all over the internet and my favourite is cambridgeincolour.  Just search the one's you feel would compliment your style of shooting and try to follow the step by step procedure. Ensure you have adequate software to achieve what you set out to, at least try to get as close as possible and your images would not look so ordinary or reason for you to delete them often.  You will soon find a hobby which can be creatively fun let alone the accolades that will follow later on. 

I hope you find this little article useful. I by no means am affiliated to any software brands and the names mentioned are those that I own and use on a regular basis.   

Haseeb Modi.