Then there are people who want to take better photos. It is this subset of photographers who discuss the SOOC and processing that I am writing for. No place in here am I going to compare a processed photo to a SOOC. Both can be very good. In this article I am not even going to discuss the final result.
This is about how to take better photos by processing even if you do SOOC photos. When my I get asked how someone can take better photos, my answer is LOOK. This breaks down into 3 parts. This is about the third part.
When many people take a photo and post SOOC, they are done with photo and looking for the next one. When you process a photo, you look at it. You consider cropping and see what is really in it. Often you will find 2 or 3 good photos in one. Once you start seeing these you can look for them while shooting. This in itself will change the way you see and lead to better SOOC photos.
When processing you have to think about what you are doing. This means you study the photo. Before anything else, this leads to culling out the ones you do not think are worthy of your time to process. This is a more severe culling than posting a few photos online. When you study the photos to process them, you see more. That distraction you never noticed shows up quickly when you are processing the photo. Once you start seeing them in your processing you will see them quicker when you are out taking the photo.
Another thing you notice is colors. Many people put their camera in one color profile and take photos. When you are processing you notice that the Vivid look that gave you that wonderful sunset does not look near as good for that portrait of your friend. Or even that landscape does not look natural a with a Vivid profile. This as well as the cropping can easily be done in Workspace while processing. And once you are aware of it, it can be done in camera for better SOOC photos. I could go on about highlights and shadows, contrast, sharpness, lighting and many other things.
The point I am heading towards is that as you do them in post, you see the effects and differences instantly in front of you. They can then all be applied in camera for better SOOC photos. This is the first way processing at no cost can improve your SOOC photos. When I said no cost I meant financial. It does take time. Becoming a better photographer takes time. Processing a photo, you are looking at it. You are studying it. At the start I said LOOK. When you are processing a photo, you are looking at it and really seeing it. You see the different parts of it. You see the balance and the things you like about it as well at the things you do not like. As you become more aware of what you like and do not like about your photos, you will begin addressing those things as you are taking photos. Unless you have taken the perfect photo and then you better get it in a contest and win something.
The first part of LOOK is look at art and photos you like. The second part of LOOK is look at what you are photographing. Move around study the background different focal lengths, etc. The third part is look at your photos. What you see when out taking photos is based on what you have trained to see your brain to see. The looking before taking photos and the looking at your photos trains your brain unconsciously to see differently when taking photos. By processing you are learning to take better photos. It is rare enough that I have not met or known of a person who picked up a camera and started taking great SOOC photos. There are all types of how to videos on you tube. They have the their place and can help. The fact is no matter what you do you will not be them. You are you with your own tastes, your own eye, your own emotions, your own heart... And to take better photos for you, it helps to look at your photos and develop your photographic skills they way you want for you. I suppose someone could spend time studying each photo they take and do the same thing. I doubt anyone who does not process takes the time over each photo seeing what would make it just right or even better. And by processing you have some results that look better to you so you get a reward for doing it as well as learning to take better SOOC photos.