Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/23

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photoshop playing
From: Pablo Kolodny <pablokolodny@mac.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 21:33:25 -0800

(SonC) Sonny Carter wrote:

> Pablo, it amazes me that you seem to almost be angry at Photoshop.  I posted
> the dog paintings as a curiosity, and  at the same time, I posted the
> original again so people could see the difference.
I'm not angry, just said what I think on those filters. That's it.
> 
> I use Photoshop every day in my work.  I primarily use it to restore
> contrast to very old photographs, in our efforts to preserve the images.
> You see, the University I work at owns several thousand early 20th Century
> photographs of the local area, and it is my job to scan them and save them
> from the ultimate loss.
I use it almost everyday too. I scan my negs, prints and so on for more than
a reason. 
> 
> I also use Photoshop in my personal work. In fact, I don't think I have even
> been inside a darkroom since I learned to use the program five years ago.
You'll be really amazed when you have the chance to go back to the
traditional darkroom. I find working in the traditional darkroom as a nice
experience, a sort of therapy ? I listen music, think about many things...
> 
> I use the crop functions, the dodge and burn and levels, and I spot my
> pictures, and oh yeah, when there's a big surveyor's stake with  flourescent
> ribbon flying from it, I replace it with grass.

> 
> Am I being intellectually dishonest?  I don't think so.  I'm using the
> imaging tools that I have at hand.  I think of  my skills with Photoshop as
> an extension of my skills with my Leicas.
In some way we use the program to do almost same.
> 
> Some people think that about their matting ability.  Some about their
> darkroom work.  I could got to extremes with PhotoShop, I really could.
> It's easy to put a third eye in someone's forehead, but I don't go that far.
> 
> When I was a young news photographer, I had the opportunity to spend some
> time with one of the older guys, a photographer whose name was Charlie
> Bennett.  He was a long time shooter for the New Orleans Picayune.
> 
> He told me about a guy who died, and they could not find a picture of him to
> run with the \oObituary. They checked everywhere, but no pix.  So Charlie
> went to the morgue, and bribed the attendent to prop the guy up at the
> coroner's desk, while Charlie took a picture.
That sounds as weird as funny.
> 
> They took it back to the paper and the staff artist painted the guy's eyes
> open, and they had their shot.
well, it seems they've far away. A sort of Machiavelo action in order to get
their goal. 
> 
> Whew, and you criticize a little photoshop painting?  I call it tradition.
No, no ... you're wrong or maybe it's me since I can't manage English as
much as I'd like to. In some sense I'm a traditional photographer/person but
on the other side I'd say I'm a very progressive person, then a progressive
photographer. You just go to see my works and then we'll go on talking.
Many of the images in my web site are photoshopped if not all of them.

And again, I dislike simulations. Those type of photographs that evoke only
cheap posters, trivial images like stupid orange sunsets, landscapes full of
strong greens with yellowish leaves, and so on...
And when you get a photo of that stuff is not so bad but to get into those
filters to reach some of those results is a waste of time.
Personally nothing against of Photoshop neither you nor Mark, nor any other
in or out the list that uses computers, digital backs and/or cameras and so
on.
I think you missed my point.

saludos

> 
> Regards,
> 
> Sonny
> 
> 
> 
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- -- 
Pablo Kolodny
www.pablokolodny.com

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