Digital BW, The Print

Monday, September 16, 2002, 3:36:45 PM, Tim Atherton wrote:

>> 
>> Oh, for heaven's sake, if the filter radically changed the color or
>> hue, then YES, you should.
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> Richard  

TA> Why, exactly, "should" they (we)? Is there a law on the books about 
TA> this that I missed somewhere? 

TA> tim


No, no law. I should have been more explicit that this is my opinion.
If you think it's ok, then that's yours.

I'm not a purist. But let's think for a moment. What does it do to the
respect of photography in general when we produce a striking sunset
image with glowing reds, yellows, oranges, etc. and someone, who is
not a photographer, ooohs and aaahs overs it. In my experience if you
then told them that the main effect of the colors was achieved because
you used something called a color enhanced filter about 99.9% of the
time their immediate reaction is. "oh....so that's how" and their
respect for what was done and how the photographer achieved it has
dropped considerably. Tell them you did it by cranking up saturation
in PS and the reaction is the same. Don't tell them and they somehow
find out later? They feel cheated.

So where is the line drawn?  It's nebulous.  But the extent of the use
of PS, or even color enhancing filters, helps define it, I think.

Best regards,
 Richard  

mailto:richard@...