Hi Dave
I’m with you I guess. At the moment, a fair chunk of my photography is opportunistic. That is, I have an idea that I’ll shoot some macro insects and toddle off down the back garden and concentrate on getting the basics right; exposure, composition, focus, depth of focus, etc. and wait for the critters to land on a shrub.
The more creative side of having a strong vision of a single shot, and then actualizing that shot, is not yet my primary style and perhaps may never be a dominant part of my approach, but I’m content with that for the time being.
Where I find the plug-ins useful is that I can run several “what if” scenarios and from the output, find something that pleases me for the subject matter in hand. What I also like about the plug-ins is that they are repeatable, so I can apply the same parameters to similar photo’s to get the results that I want.
It is unlikely that I would spend the time in PS trying to implement the many detailed steps that would be required to achieve a similar outcome as the plug-ins; but again, that is my style, my current level of engagement in the hobby and it serves me well.
Cheers
Dennis