No no no, I didn't think you were accusing me of something or anything like that. The subjects of the photos do look fake or extraterrestrial. I've been thinking of doing some before/after shots of some of my photos, but I don't think it would make for an interesting post. Your comment gave me a good excuse to post an unprocessed photo.
I do sometimes wonder if I'm overprocessing my photos though. I tend to go heavy on the contrast and darken things up. I wonder if I'll regret my post-processing procedures if I ever get a good monitor.
I'm with ya when it comes to people without cameras. I find that I enjoy photography a lot more when I'm alone. Even if my companions aren't actually bothered by me stopping for photos, I usually feel like I'm being an inconvenience.
I do process my photos too. Not to a huge degree, but if you are going to put them out, they should look at least pretty decent. I hope to use mine in other applications/publications, etc some day. So there's no reason to put out images that are mediocre, at least in my book. That's one reason I don't put out a bunch of posts a day, and the same with writing. I don't want to just put out 'stuff' and not put any effort into it. May not pay as well, but that's OK, I still strive for at least a modicum of quality in most efforts.
I went on a trip with a friend last year, and being Joe Photog of everything that comes along, I was concerned a lot that I was slowing everything/where down and being a pain. He said not, but it's always in your mind. So I agree, just going it alone is much better. You can do whatever you want for as long as you want. I never GET anywhere, but then, most times, where is the 'there' we really need to BE. Just enjoy the trip.