A Lot of Befores and Afters

A Lot of Befores and Afters

Photography is all about capturing that decisive moment, yet there are a bunch of things to be dealt with before or after to make the most of it. Indeed, the process and history of photograph are filled with befores and afters.

Things change, and the advances of technology propel the pace of that change ever faster each year. Along the way, it has given us new options for how we deal with some of the choices and challenges we face as photographers. Throughout it all, there are still pictures to be made of course, but surrounding that core thread, time and technology continue to open up new possibilities for us to respond to those challenges.

Before digital, we loaded our cameras with film of a specific ISO sensitivity, Yes, push processing was available to modify things somewhat after that, but the basic parameters for each roll had been set before the first frame had been shot. Today, we can change the ISO at will before every shot. Indeed, ISO has been a third variable open to us as we optimize exposure, depth of field and other aspects of each shot. And the range over which we can alter it now far exceeds even the most optimistic projections of years gone by.

In a similar fashion, shooting black and white used to require a commitment beforehand with the loading of B&W instead of color film, Even once the film were loaded, it was necessary to use various colored filters to alter the tonality of how colors were rendered to make full use of the available bandwidth of blacks, whites and grays. Now, we can capture in full color and convert to gray-scale after the fact, allowing us to visually optimize the appearance for maximum impact. Want to try another look for the same image? Mix the RGB channels and see if you like it better. You can always undo it if not.

These are but two examples that illustrate a trend. Color balance and exposure (within reason) can now be changed easily while looking at the actual image being adjusted. To an extent, the increased megapixel density of modern cameras allows for images to be cropped and reframed after the fact too. Composition through onsite trial and error can help make your final image that much stronger because you've already seen how successive earlier attempts turned out.

Many of the decisions necessary as photographers get made either before or after pressing the shutter release, but precisely when during the overall process we make each has itself changed over time. Cameras and post-processing are more capable today, and this gives us the opportunity to change the way we've always done things. Things we were once forced to decide before shooting can now be deferred until after. Rather than having to decide based on how we expect things to turn out before we shoot, we can often base our decisions on how things actually turn out after the fact.

Heck, if you fancy yourself somewhat of a Norman Rockwell rather than just an Ansel Adams, you can freely repaint your images to "fix" most anything you want later. The limits are bounded more by your personal feelings and ethics on such matters than on any limits of the tools available. What once was of necessity purely within the realm of choices made before firing the shutter can now be deferred to great advantage until after. I see the digital darkroom simply as opening up even more opportunities and view it as prudent to get the best I can in the field. Every decision counts, both before and after the shutter release gets pressed.

History is made up of a lot of befores and afters, and the history of photography as an evolving pursuit is no different. Over time, the tools of the trade have been honed and improved, and we can be the beneficiaries. When it makes sense, take advantage of what those new tools make possible. Sometimes, people are reluctant to embrace change, sticking with the tried and true rather than attempting new things. Yet digital photography makes experimenting and learning easier than ever before. You can gauge your results in near real time and delete what you'd rather no one else ever see. Go for it. Before you take the leap, it can seem a tad daunting to shoot HDR or to play with long exposure motion blur or shoot the Milky Way in the middle of the night. After you get the hang of something though, you'll find a new world of possibilities suddenly within reach.

We can view the act of photography as a series of decisions that together serve to create each successive image. Each of those decisions will get made, with or without your involvement. Even if you don't focus a lens it is nonetheless focused at some indeterminant distance. Every lens, even the most amazing, is always at some aperture no matter what you do or don't do. Press the release to open the shutter and it will close again, just like clockwork, as determined by settings in effect at the time, wherever the shutter speed in use came from. Whether you change the white balance after the fact or not, every image will render colors in some fashion, favorably or otherwise. The choices made both before and after recording each frame reflect forward and back on the final images they are used in creating.

This weekend, we celebrated winter solstice for 2019, the shortest day of the year. Before yesterday the 21st, the days had been growing increasingly shorter. After December 21, they begin getting longer again. Whether you celebrate it on the solstice or save it for New Years Eve, this season presents us with an occasion for looking back and for looking to the year ahead. We may not always know what new opportunities await us, but it's up to us to face each decision as best we can.

Here's to wishing you and yours the best in the coming new year.

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Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
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