General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Russian Mother Takes Magical Pictures of Her Two Kids With Animals On Her Farm [View all]Ms. Toad
(33,992 posts)and often I can tell from looking at the photos whether the effects came from post post-processing v. excellent camera skills. I started in the film era, as well - no degree, but plenty of darkroom work for the college yearbook.
I find it a bit odd that people believe that post-processing somehos makes the photographer less skilled, when virtually all of the digital post-processing has its parallel in old-style darkroom work. But somehow photoshop is evil.
I do distinguish between post-processing wtih the image actually recorded (which I still view as skilled photography), and equally skilled manipulation to alter the image (which is art but uses photoshop and the raw image as the medium). I do both (restoration of old photographs & minimizing the impact of death in post-mortem photographs) - and people with a skilled eye can identify when I've crossed the line.
I just wasn't sure wheher you were seeing tells in the finished images, or just guessing based on the current technological capabilities.