Digital photographic editing is the process used to make adjustments to digital negatives. Such adjustments may change the white balance, enhance or subdue highlights and shadows, modify contrast, enlarge an image or reformat it. One can also modify or remove color, edit portions of the image to change content, change sharpness or make other adjustments to image content.
These changes can be made to improve image quality, change the content or otherwise conform the image to the photographer's vision.
Essentially, when I edit a photograph, I do so to make it conform to what I or the customer want artistically. I keep the edits to a minimum and try to not overdo the edits. In my opinion, this keeps the image natural looking as opposed to fake, as can result from heavy-handed editing.
That choice is a matter of style and not an absolute. Each photographer should apply edits that allow for their talent and creativity to shine in a way consistent with their vision.
For what it is worth, there are those who think editing should be minimal — that most of the work should be done in camera. Usually, such people adhere to the notion that digital images should be modified as little as possible, consistent with analog film practice.
I am more of the opinion that my in camera work and digital editing should reflect the values and work of photographers such as Ansel Adams. If you are familiar with his work, you will realize that he performed extensive and detailed editing and processing if film and prints.
While I extensively edit, I try to make the edits "invisible" to the viewer.
Most images should need very little processing, nothing beyond enhancing details and sharpening. When I edit, I use the basic adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop only if absolutely necessary.
Take a test shot with your preferred settings and for a minute think about all the adjustments you probably would want to do for that particular image in post processing and try to get that by adjusting the basic settings like aperture, shutter speed and ISO and metering modes. Unless the scene is action packed and you are constantly firing the shutter, you may have the time to think and make changes to the settings so it would require less time during processing.
The process of making a photograph starts even before you get ready for the shot. The more images you make and the more you work on them to make the image as compelling as it is in your mind, you will eventually spend less time processing and more time making them organically right in the first place. All these tiny details and best use of the tweaking light here and there, comes from a split second decision and it will come naturally as the photographer in you grows more and more.
And once the photograph you had envisioned pops in the viewfinder, it hardly requires a major editing.ππ
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