Getting it right out of camera: a means to an end

​You may have heard photographers talk about ‘getting it right in camera’ - often as if this is some kind of mantra, if not holy grail, to be pursued religiously. Now if this means getting the photograph right technically, then I’m all for it. But I don’t think that’s what most people mean when they bandy the phrase about. I think what they mean is they don’t like to spend too much time processing a photograph and, in some cases, they perhaps feel that doing so somehow lessens the validity of the resulting image. Similarly, you will often hear people talking rather virtuously about a photograph they've just posted online, with 'no PP'… I’m sorry but I just don’t get it; and I certainly don’t agree with it. In the old days, I used to pay a professional photo lab good money to print by hand photographs from my original transparency or negative. So, now I have control of that side of things myself, why on earth would I not take a similar amount of trouble to ensure I produce the best possible image from what is effectively a digital negative? If a photograph needs or warrants it, then I’m happy to spend the time. This doesn’t mean I’m going to create some kind of overblown, psychedelic monstrosity that bears no resemblance to the original scene - just that I want to use whatever I have at my disposal to create the best work I can.

OK, so having got that little rant off my chest, here's an example of the difference processing can make. The image above was taken last December in one of the most beautiful and special places I have ever visited. I have just worked on this image today, as I'm only now properly going through my Namibian photographs. Usually I will process a few of the images immediately after my return - partly out of impatience and partly because it creates some kind of marker; both a reference point and an immediate response to what I experienced. Below, is my original attempt from late December.

So what has changed since I last worked on this image? Have my processing skills improved since December? Well I certainly hope so. If I’m not continually improving in all aspects of my photography, then there’s something wrong. Another factor may be that my camera was still relatively new to me then and it takes time to get to know how to get the best out of the RAW files from each individual camera. I believe the biggest difference, though, is time. When you have just returned from a trip, your mind is overflowing with your experiences there - it can be hard to see beyond the more obviously spectacular, to remember what things really felt like. It can take weeks, if not months, to be able to step back a little and really understand what you experienced. Now, nearly 9 months on, the overriding sense I get when processing my Namibian photos is what a wonderful experience it was and how privileged I was to be there. In the case of this sunrise image from NamibRand, I can really remember how it felt this morning and I now feel I have successfully translated that in this image. It has a lighter touch about it, the colour temperature is a little cooler and the crop is more generous, adding to that sense of space and tranquillity. The original image is still a valid representation of the scene I witnessed. I couldn’t honestly tell you which of these two interpretations is the most accurate - after all we all see colour and light differently. All I can say is only one of them truly reminds me of just how wonderful it was to be there and that is surely what really matters.