Confessions of a Photographer, Hilarious Truths We All Face

The guys over at Digital Rev just put together a hilarious video of photographers confessing their embarrassing habits. Do you occasionally use P mode? Have you ever used a selfie stick? We all have our own secrets. 

My confession is even more ridiculous than the ones covered in this video. I've only mentioned this a few times and it always shocks everyone I tell. I've been a professional wedding photographer for 10 years now and every single image on my website was shot in JPEG. I also haven't updated my website in about six years... I should probably do something about that. 

What's your confession as a photographer? 

Lee Morris's picture

Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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30 Comments

The funny thing is, I prefer the color from a "vivid" nikon jpg to that of an edited raw from the same camera. I can't get the colors right in lightroom

I also recently realized the same about shooting JPG (for Canon). I can not replicate the colors when shoot raw. To be safe I shoot RAW+ JPEG

I own a Fujifilm so I know what are you talking about. But regarding the Nikon, is the "vivd" profile, in the Camera Calibration section of Lightroom, really that different than the camera one?

I used to shoot both RAW+jpeg and i loved Nikon's vivid profile, until they introduced "flat" profile

Even after being taught over and over again, I still cannot use the pen tool in Photoshop

I found the pen tool easier to use in Illustrator rather than Photoshop. I haven't used the pen tool in a decade. I know the feeling, Patrick

The struggle is real.

Talking about photoshop. I've been using it for almost 20 years and I'm still not able to predict how the blending mode will affect a layer. I just know that dissolve is the ugliest of all.

lol truth

Pen tool gives me a nervous tick, it's like trying to wrangle a cobra having a tantrum.

Why is that? Because you don't understand layers or you don't like using them? The best way to think of another layer is imagine it like a double exposure in the film days where you don't let the film advance and you get two images on top of each other. If you use adjustment layers, those are more like the raw sliders you see in Lightroom.

Layers in Photoshop are required for serious manipulation of an image i.e. commercial/advertising retouching. There is no alternative to manipulate an image to that degree without the use of layers.

If we are talking about simply correcting colour tone and contrast etc then there is no need to go into Photoshop at all as Lightroom has that completely covered.

Sounds like you just don't like editing photos....film shooter?

I agree that Photoshop is not intuitive for editing photos. I can do it, but its just more tedious than Lightroom.

"Why?"

Because you cannot composite in LR. Not to mention the myriad other functions that PS can perform i.e. Paths, layer blending, layer masks, complex selections, shapes, brush manipulation, patterns, textures, text and many more.

Simply (but not limited to); Photoshop is for Retouchers, Lightroom is for Photographers.

Having worked professionally as a retoucher for many years, there is no substitute app to perform the tasks I would need it to in order to complete a commercial retouching job.

Also all of the aforementioned tools in PS are always performed on a new layer for non-destructive retouching and localised blending and editing.

"In fact, most photographs from serious amateurs and professionals are not composites."

That is true for photographers per se but Photoshop is not limited to photographers alone. Your definition of serious manipulation is from a photographer's standpoint, whereas mine is forom the standpoint which includes professional retouchers and digital artists.

Do you really think the tools mentioned in my previous reply could all be added to LR? I highly doubt it and actually I believe that would be a mistake by Adobe to consider.

Clearly you don't have a lot of professional retouching experience but I do and I'm also a photographer.

As a photographer, I like to keep things simple hence why we have LR presets. Photographers like to have the most efficient workflow possible to apply treatments simply and quickly. As a photographer I don't want to see all those other Photoshop tools as 99 times out of 100 I won't use them.

As a retoucher, in Photoshop I wouldn't use presets at all. I don't need them. The efficiency of applying batch corrections LR isn't necessary in PS for example.

To sum up my point and speaking from experience from both directions, Photoshop and Lightroom should be kept separate.

We will have to agree to disagree. Good discussion though, cheers!

Sorry. but you're speaking with a clear lack of experience in the real world using these products.

There's no "bouncing between" the apps whether I'm doing a retouching job or correcting my images as a photographer. Adobe knows this and hence why we have two apps!

Also, there's no need to argue the semantics of the word "professional". You know what I meant and now you're just being argumentative for the sake of it now.

I don't believe you're retouched images commercially, maybe fudged around at home a bit using the basic tools, and moreover your comments demonstrate a lack of knowledge of Photoshop itself.

Until you've actually worked on a commercial retouching job, you're not qualified to offer a real world opinion. Until you have that experience you'll have trouble convincing those of us who do.

Anyway, it's tiring arguing with a low EQ type person so this will be my last reply. Good luck with your future editing.

Another confession : The biggest reason I am shooting with a 5D MK III is because it feels good in my hands : )

Agreed!

I may be rude at people in the field of view holding up a mobile phone or worse: a tablet.

It sounds like discovering the concept of photo booth.

I've owned a wacom tablet for about a year now and never even plugged it into my computer; I still edit in lightroom with the laptop trackpad.

I also own a bunch of xbox controllers and haven't started to use them for culling despite reading many articles about how to implement it.

Hope to see your gear soon on ebay :)

No I'll get around to learning them one day :-)

I have secret sarcastic answers for those people who wander over to me and ask "are you taking lots of nice photos?". Weddings, events, vacations etc, the sight of a camera brings out this question from someone somewhere. Always.

Do you got a secret sarcastic answer also for the classic "Which camera did you use?"

How about one for the comment "your camera sure takes good pictures".

When I'm alone, with headphones on and editing, I'm sometimes this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XASNM1XEQPs

Okay, here's my confessions:
I miss Alambi!

Yes, I use Auto ISO on my 5D. However, I have to use manual ISO on my A-1 and F-1N depending on the film speed; sometimes, I forget to change the ISO when changing film.

I also use P mode on my A-1 and 5D. But on my F-1N, I have to choose Av, Tv, or M; right now, I have the motor drive off my F-1N, so it's Av or M, but I mostly use the match needle system for manual.

With my 5D, I use Auto White Balance indoors, if I remember to change it from Daylight.

On my 5D, I frequently forget to change my exposure compensation; but all I have to do with my F-1N or A-1, is look at the top of the camera by the ISO dail.

But I don't do "that" looking at the "red dot"!