On 12 Sep 2018 11:15:24 GMT, Sandman wrote:

In article , Tony Cooper wrote:

This is intended as just a question, and not a position taken on
either side.

Adobe has provided a short video on the later-to-be released
improvements on Content Aware Fill in Photoshop.

It's available to watch at:
https://petapixel.com/2018/09/10/pho...ll-to-get-its-
own-powerful-workspace/?mc_cid=6ddb1e16cf&mc_eid=b307a66a15

or http://tinyurl.com/ybv32cks

The question is "Do improvements like this take away the skill
aspect and enjoyment of Photoshop for you?"

In other words, is it going to less rewarding to you to improve your
skills in using Photoshop if the improvements mean no skill, or
considerably less skill, is required to do what now takes skill?

Oh, the final product will be done faster and better with the
improvements, but the challenge of learning how to use the present
available tools is lessened.

What's more important to you? The final result, or the
accomplishment of having to hone your skills to get to that final
result?

Skills can be become outdated, and no longer needed. Sometimes a skill can be
used in different ways and still serve a purpose even when something replaces
the major usage of the skill.

Lots of skills have fallen away from photography, developing film, light
metering, manual focusing just to name a few. With new tools that replace or
do these things for you and with a better end result, the skill is obsolete.

That - developing film - is getting close to the heart of my question.
There are film shooters around who develop their own film. That means
of producing a photograph is obsolete when you use the "outmoded"
definition of "obsolete".

Then why do they do it? The finished product is not going to
available quicker, it's not going to be a better finished product, and
it requires chemicals and equipment.

The answer has to be "pride of accomplishment" or something of that
nature. The quick and easy route of digital photography doesn't
appeal to them. They like working with the skills they've developed
(!) over the years.

So the question is - if the end result is better and more importantly; faster
and more efficient, is there any value to the skill in itself, or was it just
needed because there was no better way to do it before?

Yeah, I'd say there is a "value" to some obsolete skills. Personal
satisfaction counts as a value in my mind.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida