Processing (some people call it editing but I reserve that word for the editorial process of selecting) is probably the last surviving craft of photography. Digital has done away with the many skill sets that were often needed for shooting film, yet processing has become MORE important than ever it was. Because now we do it for ourselves. Also, the processing tools get better and better. Or rather, more and more, which may not necessarily be the same thing!
However, despite the importance of processing, it's so often done poorly, even badly. Just my opinion, of course, but strongly held. There are two classes of poor processing. One is simply not knowing how to make the most of what is in the Raw file. The other, more dramatically bad, is over-processing, typically through over-saturation and the double-edged invention of tonemapping.
I deal with all of this and more in this new mentoring series, which is based on one-to-one online sessions via Zoom/Skype/Webex. Despite all the books I've planned and made on photography, processing is not one I will do, for two reasons. One is that the printed page can neither reproduce the subtleties involved, nor handle the speed of clicking between before and after. The other is that processing is a craft, and the only way to really learn any craft is side by side with a teacher.
If you're interested, please write to me at photography@michaelhfreeman.com
