Get It Right
(In Camera?)
Originally written in 2014.While meandering through some work on Photo.net, I came across this study by Lex Jenkins. He has some interesting thoughts on the idea of "get it right in the camera." Here, he turns the idea into an exercise and takes the creed to it's full conclusion, producing a JPEG out of the camera using nothing but controls available in the camera. For him, the process was less than pleasing.
This got me thinking about how I present the argument to my own students, because I do try to stress the importance of "getting it right in camera." It's important to note, however, what exactly is going on behind that phrase. It will naturally be interpreted in different ways by different people; they will contribute their own experiences and biases to their interpretation. Allow me to explain how my experiences and biases contribute to my interpretation of "getting it right in camera."
Get the photo as close as you can in camera so you can finish the work as painlessly as possible. This extended version of the aphorism takes many cues from Thom Hogan's admonition to capture optimal data.
Use all of the tricks you know, and keep looking for more, to capture optimal data. The usual tips apply: tripod, handling technique, appropriate aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity, focal length, white balance, focus…
Pre-visualize the result, as much as you can. What do you want the end of this thing to be? What can you do now, in the field, to accomplish that end?
Part of Jenkins's exercise included an in-camera JPEG as the result. Naturally, this gets in the way of optimal data, because of the limited adjustments available to an in-camera JPEG. The toning and color adjustments he made in the camera are better made during post-processing.
As an exercise, trying to produce a finished JPEG from the camera, and only the camera, is useful. It helps you focus on what kind of adjustments you want to make in post, and to what degree.
The file that comes out of the camera is only half-finished. It may not need much post-processing, or it may need dozens of hours. But it's only part of the story.
