Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]SonC, >>This is not golf, I don't have to "play the ball where it lies" anymore. << Just for the sake of discussion, why shouldn't a person approach photography the same way as golf? Or any other endeavor for that matter? Is "I shot an 88, but I placed the ball on every shot," any different from "Here are 18 photographs, but I manipulated every frame in Photoshop." Not saying there is or isn't a difference. Just saying that it seems to me that the trend in photography -- thanks to digital --is to make the image in post production and not at the time of exposure. Sure, this has always been the case to some degree. And in particular in some types of photography (i.e. photojournalism, glamour, commercial work). But never before has it been as easy and as prevalent as it is today. I remember when people used to belittle glamour shots because they were heavily airbrushed. What magazine today doesn't digitally manipulate a cover? What digital printer today doesn't manipulate a print? If I can do it, anybody can do it. Personally, I don't think digital manipulation is what Leica photography is all about. Especially Leica M photography -- which I feel in it's pure form is b/w full frame printing. Maybe there isn't a difference between burning or dodging in the darkroom and using a sliders to adjust levels, or cropping in Photoshop or raising and enlarger head. I think there is. Just my opinion, for better or worse. "Is that bokeh, or is that digital blur?" I have a hard time knowing these days. Dave