ABSTRACT
For photography in the digital era, post-production refers to using image editing programs to adjust, alter, or create composites from digital image files and then outputting these results in digital or printed formats. Though Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom have established themselves as the industry standards, they are by no means the only options for post-production software. While post-production may seem to be focused on computer software, these processes are facilitated by hardware: the computer itself, storage devices, display monitors, printers, etc. Digital post-production for images includes five major task groups: organization, adjustment/enhancement, retouching, compositing, and outputting. This chapter focuses on managing the digital workflow, file security, and image adjustment/enhancement. It also focuses on digital post-production; chemical-based darkroom work. Digital post-production is a field that requires broad and deep technical knowledge and its execution demands high-level critical thinking. A photographic artist must integrate this tech-rich skillset with their creativity so that it supports, not burdens, the creative process.
