A Bowl of Fruit
In which I compare automated processing (pretty) to a RAW image processed by hand
The above shot was taken with my iPhone 12 mini. The exposure and the processing of the image were all decided by the iPhone. It looks good: colors are rich, details look good, and the exposure is excellent.
This second shot was taken at the same time, but it was saved in RAW format. I then processed the image myself for color, exposure and tone. The colors are everyday, that is true, colors. The iPhone image processing was…sunnier. This is the real bowl of fruit.
I would say that the automatic photo is Instagram ready, and that the human-processed photo is more real. I like both images for what they are. The automatic image is pretty. The processed image is much more nuanced, and carries more meaning for me: the fruit we pick at home is often flawed, but has flavor that is unbelievably good.