Digital BW, The Print

Richard,

I have rarely been able to significantly improve an image by 
"tweaking a few sliders" in Photoshop. I can make the image look 
different, yes, but not much better. On the other hand, years 
ago when I used to print color myself, it was not hard to completely 
alter an image by playing with various filters in the darkroom 
-- about the equivalent of tweaking a few sliders. I don't really 
see the point of confessing to having used layers, or hue adjustments, 
or sharpening, or whatever, any more than to having used a particular 
flash, backdrop, filter, or darkroom processing technique. Having 
been a "manipulator" in both realms, it doesn't feel that different 
to me. It is easier to do some things with a digital image, and 
it is possible to do some manipulations with a digital image 
that could not be done at all in a darkroom, but doing really 
good digital manipulation takes, I think, the same sort of mind 
set and skill development as doing really good darkroom or lighting/filter 
manipulation using wet chemistry and film.

Just my two cents.

- David

= = = Original message = = =

Monday, September 16, 2002, 10:25:46 AM, Bill Agee wrote:

BA> This argument has been going on long before I got seriously 

BA> interested in photography over 30 years ago...the "purists" 
vs the 
BA> "manipulators".  Most people don't realize that some of the 
most 
BA> venerated photographers were heavy manipulators of the silver 
gelatin 
BA> media.  Ansel Adams and W. Eugene Smith are just a couple 
that 
BA> immediately come to mind. 


I think this argument is less about the actual act of "manipulation"
than about the art and talent inherent to the manipulation or
enhancing process that was used.

I belive now that many people are actually quite aware that photographers
like Adams and Smith were manipulators. However, their techniques
required an artistry and talent on a completely different plane 
than
many are now doing by simply tweaking a few sliders in PS.

I have no problem with manipulating or enhancing an image in 
PS. I
just think photographers should be EXPLICITLY up front about 
what, if
any, PS tools and techniques may have been used. The biggest 
problem I
see, and the most dishonorable trend I see, is where photographers 
are
using PS to create tonal ranges and/or hue adjustments, then 
say
nothing in their image description. This "silence" tends to
purposefully create an "aura" and tends to completely imply that 
the
photographer, through talented field techniques and camera skill,
captured that once in a lifetime light when in reality, while 
they may
have captured a very good image, they absolutely needed PS to 
make it
over the top.

Some say we should all use our "artistic license" to make our 
images
the best they can be. Artistic license is one thing, but the 
more
one's artistic license depends on mouse movements in a computer 
the
less merit there is to the art.

Best regards,
 Richard  

mailto:richard@...



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