Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/30

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Digital cropping
From: "Rodgers, David" <david.rodgers@xo.com>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 10:36:36 -0500

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

Replies: Reply from "Eric" <ericm@pobox.com> ([Leica] Re: Digital cropping)
Reply from Jim Brick <jim_brick@agilent.com> ([Leica] Re: cropping, personal opinion)
Reply from Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch> (Re: [Leica] Digital cropping)