Ok, everyone has seen the Photoshop CS5 content awareness videos like below and we all agree it’s pretty awesome BUT, doesn’t this just encourage bad photography? Because well you can just move that person, and that tree and compose this over there and add that part over here. Basically I think it encourages laziness on the composition part. Just point and shoot and compose later.
Sure you could argue that you can do this nowadays already and you would be correct but nowadays it is not that easy, especially because you would have to fill the void by cloning stuff manually. The algorythms that Photoshop CS5 uses are so sophisticated that they will, apparently, even generate a missing landscape part.
The puppet master feature is cool for composing the position of a person but there as well, content awareness fills the void and the end photograph is not a photograph anymore, its a composition of elements .
I Do think this will encourage laziness and a lot more “not so keen” photographers will be able to produce stunning photos without knowing the least bit of what a photo is.
Yes you can call me a purist but I think this is already too far, what is the next thing in Photoshop CS6 then? A wizard: Select type of landscape, select amount of trees, select people or faces from your Aperture or iPhoto or Lightroom libraries and where to place them and the click generate. Oh you wanted a sunset too? No problem.
What happens to artists then and people who put a lot of thought and effort into a photo to tell a story? You can always make up a story later apparently.
I am sure Content Awareness will have its use for specific things for professional photographers but for most of the hobbyists that got their Photoshop CS5 license from a certain swedish download site it will be much easier to generate photos from crap to put on iStockphoto.
It’s called Photography, NOT PhotoSHOPaphy!
Here are the videos I was referring to.
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I don’t agree, I think it will make it more creative for photographers. So what if there are a few non-photographers that achieve better results.
Another whiner who can’t use Photoshop and is bitchy about it. Learn how to use it and you will love it. CS5 will give everyone better opportunities to make great images not just the “professionals”.
Zer0
@Zer0: lighten up, it’s an OPINION piece
@flosse_r: You might have a point but then again how much todays magazines and advertising is Photography? nearly nothing anymore, it is all airbrushed.
Well, what’s wrong with trying to make a buck? You Photographers are so elitist. So now you complain that some of us you rock in Photoshop, should not make any money off of it? HA! Traditional Photography is dead, its all Photoshop nowadays and it will stay that way.
James, Photoshop guru.
OK Guys lets not get in to a fight about this. Photography, as a skill and Photoshop, as a skill, are two completely different things.
They are worlds apart but just happen to compliment each other.
I agree with both arguments. On one side you can be much more creative with your photos but then takes away from the skill of taking a good shot in the first place.
On the other side it can promote non skilled photographers to push out stuff of a professional nature. Yes that’s ok, if that’s your bag but I don’t think it’s right for someone who has paid a fortune out for good camera kit and trained himself in the art and then finds that someone can accomplish the same thing by effectively cheating, is wrong.
Zero, I have to say, you need to lighten up big time. I know Flosse, personally and I know he is very adept at using photoshop mate. Quite advanced in fact but he is raising a point about how it affects the art of photography and not whining about CS5.
Personally, Photoshop CS5 will do wonders for me as I create DVDs and associated artwork. For that it will be awesome but I will still do what I can to ensure my photography is practiced to the point of creating a good shot in the first place and use photoshop for basic curves and light.
It’s an individual thing.
Traditional photography dead? This is what seperates the ones who knows what they are doing with a camera and the ones that have no clue and are super lazy. James, dude….this is so you! Yes is use photoshop to clean up an images…never add or “recompose” images as I am really skilled in that nature. Rethink how you feel about photography and you will get really good at it……trust me, i’ve been shooting for over 30 years, I know what I am talking about….