# Am I over processing my pictures?



## JMBriggs (Jul 28, 2011)

These are some of my favorite pictures I've taken. But even though I like them do you guys think I am over processing them?


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## oldmacman (Jul 28, 2011)

If you are asking if they look cheesy, then no, they don't. I quite like the leaf shot btw.


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## D-B-J (Jul 28, 2011)

The only one that is blatantly cheesy is the selective color in the last shot.  Other than that, not too bad.  I also like the leaf shot.


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## JMBriggs (Jul 29, 2011)

So the one with the selective color was moat of my Fam/friends favorite... Can you tell me why its too. Cheesy? About the leaf shot, thanks, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time... Which happened to be right before sunset.


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## Peano (Jul 29, 2011)

JMBriggs said:


> Can you tell me why its too. Cheesy?



As a retouching technique, selective color is overdone. Like playing "Lady of Spain" on the accordion, it's been done to death.


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## SteffJay (Oct 9, 2011)

I like these quite a bit. You created some very nice effects, I wonder what the originals looked like? I love comparison.

As far as selective coloring goes, I am a fan of it if it's appropriate. I find the effect is better if say, there was only ONE flower in the photo, and the rest was just grass or shrubbery. Makes more of an impact. But that's just IMO.

Nice work


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## shootermcgavin (Oct 9, 2011)

I like them too, I don't really get the selective color shot.  It would make more sense to me if it wasn't next to a bunch of other flowers...  I think I like the white flower the most.


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## ann (Oct 10, 2011)

except for the bottle at the top i find them too soft, a bit off with focus or did you diffuse them?


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## JMBriggs (Oct 10, 2011)

Here are the originals, except for the leaves which I actually didnt edit... That one just kinda came out that way. As for the fuzziness it might be the post... Besides the selective color one which could be camera shake.


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## andrewleephoto (Oct 14, 2011)

They're fine I wouldn't worry about it... Sometimes, looking fake is a good thing actually


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## ghache (Oct 14, 2011)

i think they look good, except the last one with the selective coloring. i hate that **** :lmao:


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## KortneyMoore (Oct 16, 2011)

I think they look great. Selective color doesn't make it look "cheesy," it's just an opinion thing, there is no right or wrong. I love them.


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## philsphoto (Oct 16, 2011)

These are really good.  They are artistic artistic, interesting, well composed.   Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and these are nice to behold.


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## JMBriggs (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I have been studying photography pretty much nonstop for the last year. So it's good to hear that I'm doing ok ( =


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## Tee (Oct 17, 2011)

1 and 2 look fine.  The remaining three look too over processed.  You family likes the selective coloring because Facebook photographers say so.


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## JMBriggs (Oct 18, 2011)

My fam isn't on Facebook... I think they just liked it because they did. Everyone is different, and everyone likes different things. Thanks for the feedback ( = 
(You shouldn't assume you know things that you really don't (especially about people you have never met). It makes you come across as an ass... No offense.)


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## Tee (Oct 20, 2011)

JMBriggs said:


> My fam isn't on Facebook... I think they just liked it because they did. Everyone is different, and everyone likes different things. Thanks for the feedback ( =
> (You shouldn't assume you know things that you really don't (especially about people you have never met). It makes you come across as an ass... No offense.)



No offense taken. The Facebook saying is just a social reference in which tilts, desaturation, selective coloring and other flash in the pan processing has skewed peoples idea of what a good image is.  I'm not implying your photos are bad just that a lot of people get their ideas of "kewl" photos from 18 year olds posting on social media.


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## Leftyplayer (Oct 28, 2011)

The way I know if I'm over-processing is to put the original and the processed shot side-by-side.  If I like the original better, then I over-processed.  If the photo is for someone else and they like x better than y, then that's the shot.  

I love selective coloring, but it's been overdone, and often it's done for the sake of doing it rather than for the enhancement of the photo.  It's also overdone on the same types of subjects (i.e., flowers).  I never do it or try to find a unique way to apply it or apply it on a unique subject.  I like yours, but like I said, we've all seen that shot too many times.  However, the original looks absolutely lovely!


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