Digital BW, The Print

I'm sorry but this feels more like a reactionary stance on a new
methodology for which you have no experience. I see Photoshop as a tool
no different than controlling the exposure and the timing and
temperature of my developer in order to control contrast. I have over 30
years of experience with "analog" and around 10 with digital if I only
consider it when applying to photography (it goes further back for film
work).

When I first posted my comment, this is exactly the kind of reaction I
was sensing. I accepted the notion of taste. That cannot be argued and I
will defend your right to disagree with my taste to the end. However
this is not what this is turning out to be.

People invest great amounts of time perfecting a methodology and feel
threatened by new methods (as if that made them obsolete). Instead of
trying to understand it, the reaction typically involves attacking it as
to make it less than what they know and are comfortable with. This is by
no means isolated to this subject. It happens whenever a new methodology
is presented to replace or augment an older one. Pick any field and you
will find exact copies of these sentiments. Heck, how many people feel
that digital printing isn't "real" photography?

All in all, it all boils down to fear. Fear to admit the ignorance of
something new and laziness to try to understand it. Photography is, and
has always been a highly technical procedure. Capturing light,
especially monochromatic light is inherently "artificial" and
manipulative. Controlling the aperture to define depth of field,
choosing a lens in order to define perspective compression, choosing a
film in order to control contrast, grain, etc. These are all
"manipulations" of reality. To try to determine what is "good"
manipulation and what is "bad" manipulation is just simple censorship.
As any other kind of censorship, it comes out of fear.

The solace is that this tends to "die out".

Rest in peace.

g

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Sintchak [mailto:richard@...] 
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 1:28 PM
To: Bill Agee
Subject: Re[2]: [Digital BW] Very cool B&W Lightjet prints

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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