Episode Summary 
Today's topic: “As photographers, what do we gain by doing things the hard way?” got everyone thinking about plugins. Is it wise to use them without understanding how to process without them? Is it expected since it saves time and gets you back to shooting faster? Is it cheating? Is it more important to take a "purist" approach? Does any of it really matter? Of course there are no right answers, just thoughts and opinions… and there were a lot of them on the live blog discussion. Plus, Scott and Matt fielded a bunch of "ask us anything" questions.
Links from the show:
- NAPP Gear
- Light It magazine
- KelbyTraining LIVE
- Photoshop World
- Photoshop Elements 10 Book for Digital Photographers
- onOne
- Manfrotto
- Live Blog archive
- Scott on G+
- Matt on G+
- RC on G+
- Brad on G+
- Nancy on G+
Audio-Only version
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At a show, a man looked at all my prints, looked through all my cards, and then looked at me and said, “You use Photoshop”, I just said yes and he walked away. I’m still not sure what that meant!
Funny, I have many images shot thirty years ago on film, and yes I have embraced digital!
I started using 4×5 film, flash bulbs, et cetera. I look upon it as a dot in technological time that evolved into something superior. What happens when we start storing media on quartz or some similar material? I think using film is not going to teach a person about photography other than in an historical setting. I do think working in a print darkroom might be beneficial but film is a bygone era and even the top film manufacturer is going under. One must evolve with the technology. As for plugins, bring them on. They really do help. Evolve with the tools or become antiquated.
Matt is a fantastic photographer – he really gets the personality of who he’s shooting. Several years ago he photographed our adoption ceremony. One of his shots got Bailey’s personality to a “t” – youus talkin to mees and then Jennifer was next stop beauty shop…to this day, years later, those photos tell their personalities.
Good Show
Never won anything but regular awtcher / commentator
Good Show.
Great show as always! Yeah plug ins for sure. i do have to disagree about the Math comment and using calculators instead. Working in a school it is important that the children know the basics of math so when they go to use the calculator for the high school math they will know how and why to go a certain route to get an answer and thus be able to apply it in their work when they do graduate and get that engineering or what have you job. whew long sentence I know. But not knowing that math is a pattern or rhythm that repeats itself they can’t get the tougher stuff. But enough of that. I have developed film in the way back years and really who really wants to go back to that??? Maybe just idiotic professors lol I would love to win the new elements 10 book. I have Matt’s and Scott’s elements 9 book but somehow I lent it to someone and it hasn’t been returned. I upgraded to elements 10 so a book to help with all the new items would be fantastic! Your forever faithful fan Averil
Idon’t miss the smell of the chemicals….
How about a ticket for the Phoenix tour?
Merci!
I studied photography at Rice Media Center in the late 60s and learned how to make a B and W print with pure black, pure white and LOTS of varying gray tones which has paid off today using photoshop. I learned PS at version 4.5 by just pushing buttons and learning what they did.
I, too, stopped photography for years until digital gave me a fresh approach but all my knowledge of composition, tonal range, and the basics of image creation came back to help me.
All that said, I am more than happy to take a short cut with new technology. Get the best you can in camera and “perfect” it in software.
As a goldsmith/craftsperson, I can respect the guys that still use their hands to work in the darkroom as a hand craft. Personally, I love the computer.
Re: the good analogy of using calculators and cursive, try asking some kid at a fast food restuarant to make you change without the register. And having gone through 2 hurricanes, 2 earthquakes, and a tsunami and being without electricity for 4 weeks, I’m glad I know how to read a BOOK and write with pen and paper. Pardon the pun, but when the grid goes down, we become a helpless society. But NO, I’m not ready to open a buggy whip factory. Now where is that whiz bang D4 turbo charged pixel processor when I need one? Jock,,,,,
This one for the contest. I’d like either book. A real old fashion paper and ink book. thanks, jock #thegridlive
Wacom tablet is a few months away for me on my list of “needs”… but cant wait to get one ! I love plugins like topaz and onOne as they allow me to draw on my painting skills
Great show verry informative I like books
“What do we gain by doing things the hard way?”
For me…..an intimate understanding of how much I prefer the easy way.
Great show.
Wonder if you guys feel like commenting next week on some of the Professional Photographer Associations and their stances on some of the issues of the day:
PIPA, SOPA and ACTA as well as what do they feel about issues of Photographers and the current “police state” suppression of rights of Photographers.
I understand what you are saying about the whole
“This is how we always used to do it…”
I feel the important part is to learn the art side. The tools : PShop, Plugins, etc are all tools. I think shooters should understand the how and why to create an iconic images.
I am teaching my daughters techniques. NOT equipment. Here’s what Light does. Here’s HOW different folks frame images. Here are great uses of color, or lines or bokeh or whatever.
I think the same thing in Art. I want the girls to know WHAT the Dutch Masters did. I don’t need them to learn how to create a canvas, mix ground items with a binder etc to create color.
My post was a plug in just because it so much easier.
I love this show and look forward to it every week.
Cursive writing is useless?
Why then, even bother to learn to talk? Just type what you want to say on the computer, and let it speak for you!
Nice show!
“i light” works only on iPad now and later on Android. Why can’t I get in on iTune for my desktop computer. I worked with the iPad of my wife, and I HATE it. Please make this e-magazine available for other platforms.
scott and matt , i tell u a story , today met a person , who is a artist , and researcher , he , constantly argued with my self that , digital photography degraded the art of photography , now a days no one seriously thought of photography , only they take snap picture and post process them in ps , in his word , composition also corrected in photoshop , he also argued that a donkey voice singer can get award by using many voice application like logic .
I am looking forward to the next Digital Photography book…they all have great content
People who complain about plugins will have no problem upgrading to the newest hardware, camera, flash, etc., so why have a problem with upgraded software?
I want the best pictures I can get, if a plugin helps, then halleluja!
Great show!
Great discussion. Moose Peterson started with film…. great boxes of it. I don’t hear him complaining about the freedom he now has… he could add some real authority and “respect” to the discussion. I bet he loves the freedom that every change has brought so he can spend more time doing what he loves…. i.e. shooting critters with his D3 and 500mm rather than sitting at a desk with eyestrain!
You guys always rock. I can honestly say I have learned more from all the Kelby sites than anywhere else. I love the way you pay it forward. Keep it coming.
I started with B/W more year ago than I care to remember and loved working in the darkroom. That said, I would never teach film as a required class with the possible exception of having student shoot 1 roll and go through the process for the historical knowledge.
I haven’t shot film in years and will probably never shoot it again.
I teach computer science, we don’t make students write programs on punch cards anymore, why make photography students shoot film. I sometimes wish I could make certain students use a card punch as punishment.
As usual, great show
About the new book! Cool, gotta get it. I have the first 3 ones, and they are great. Good to clarify that is “part 4″, because it was hard for me to find out if they were complementary or new editions
Syl Arena has a training! Cool! I’m still reading his book!
On the “hard way” thing. Scott, on music you know that there were and there is a lot of discussion on the old way and ProTools way … everywhere!!
I like to know the non-plugin way, since I don’t/can’t buy all the plugins, butI also want to know how to do it with plugin, but the discussion can go on forever
BTW, never been in a darkroom 
On the web guy coding. Good coding makes future work easier!! Is like setting up your photoshop work environment
Do you think the guys using flash powder in the trays told the first guy with a disposable bulb he was cheating? “If the room isn’t filled with lung damaging smoke, it’s not a photo.”
I think it is in our nature to want our work and toil acknowledged.
The new book looks great. If I win it it will be reason to upgrade from Elements 5.0
Floof and run
Great show guys……great subject…….by your thoughts there is no point in teaching history in schools, we are where we are doesn’t matter how we got here. I think its very important to understand the theory or basics when you do almost anything. Also someone has already touched on this subject, you can make an average sounding singer sound great with computers/software etc…they still sound average but its everything else making them sound better than they are…also…..if plugs were used for every step for every picture to make life so easy, pictures would start looking the same, there would be no “artists” just button pushers….
Another great show.
Another great Grid Show!
Enjoyed the show—thanks!
Justin
Well Scott, (I) wouldn’t worry too much about what anyone else says! I like what Jay Maisal does and for him it works! There is a lot to learn there; and I never; in either of the 2 days with Jay Maisal see him be concerned that you used photoshop; a lens hood or an UV filter.
I think you have to embrace all the tools that are available… Unless you are a photojournalist, you are producing art using the camera as the medium…
Hi Folks – Just thought you should know that the Audio Only podcast at iTunes still only has 2011 episodes. None of the 2012 episodes are there. Could someone please fix this? Thanks so much.
Would love to win the DVD’s for guidance on the legal side of photography.
I also have been asking for the Audio only to continue. Even if you can just post the MP3 file to the web site, I can add it to my ipod. Is great to listen to when driving my hour commute.