> But I hope that something evolves so people don't have to post process every > image. Otherwise, well, might as well take all digital images to a lab -- or > spend hours and hours doing it one's self, which sort of negates some of the > gain of a DSLR.
As I said elsewhere, in Photo-J we used to "post process" every image after scanning--unsharp, auto levels, etc. On the other hand, this can be automated with software if you don't want a tailored-to-the picture solution. We've got PS7 set up at work so it's two or three clicks to done for a good image (optional rotate, auto toning in curves, action that sizes and does other things for newspaper use) because I'm handling 100 images a week. Doing your own post-processing also means you are making "custom" prints every time, which is not cheaply done by a lab because you are paying for THEIR time. It's just like doing your own darkroom work, really, and many of us don't trust anyone else to do that for us. DJE
