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Is a photo put through Photoshop fake ?
I took a photo at a concert last month, and someone wanted to use it on his site (not a photographic site but one dedicated to the subject matter). I was asked for details about the photo. I relayed the EXIF data and explained the processing I had done in Photoshop. Photo on site & had some nice comments.
However, one comment reads " So in effect... the photo is computer fakery. Nice job anyway."
Now, if I'd put little stars & wispy clouds all over the picture....yes that would be fake However, that which I did in Photoshop to cut a long story short was : cropped it; removed some noise; adjusted the colour saturation & tone (by using an action, & then combining the result of that with the original image, using HDR). I'm certainly no expert, but I do like to experiment to see how I can optimise an image, but yet keep it true to what was conveyed emotionally when taken.
I suppose processing is something that can be argued about till doomsday and there will be no agreement. Sure I read a quote once from Ansel Adams saying something developing the image as being part of the creative process, and did he not foresee the World of digital ?
If I hadn't compensated for exposure in camera & had to correct this in processing, would that also be fakery ?
If one shoots film the result still depends on type of film; paper; and processing. To my mind getting the optimum tonality & colour in Photoshop is no different. It's just that have more control.

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quote:

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Originally posted by azulejo
I suppose processing is something that can be argued about till doomsday and there will be no agreement.

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I second Rick's comment.

In a sense, all photography is fakery. No photographic image, whether digital or film, is "real". The sensor or film doesn't capture exactly what exists in life. The camera engineers made decisions on how to process the digital data, even in RAW files. Film engineers decided how to adjust the spectral response of the emulsion. Photo printers (digital or photographic) further process the image. Then you have darkroom and/or Photoshop manipulations. it goes on and on.

As a photographer it is your choice what your final image looks like. If you like it, no other opinion matters (unless you're trying to sell your work).

That's my 2 cents worth.

Bob

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