On Manipulating Images

2007.01.05

There is a lot of talk about the wether images should be manipulated or not. Some people write huge articles about it, some argue it out endlessly in forums and discussion groups. Here is the simple truth:

• Photography is an art.
• Manipulating images is an art.
• An artist can do one of the two or both.

No one should be offended by manipulated images or artists who do it. Wether such images are admissible in court is another story. Art is art, no matter the technique used. You can be offended by people who lie though. If an image is appealing because it was manipulated, so be it! But the truth should not be hidden.

It is OK to be good at manipulating images but not to lie about it. I one saw an image posted in an online gallery, its caption read: this image is unmanipulated, so don't ask!. Below, under techncal details, there was the camera used, f-stop, shutter-speed and the following: USM, dodge, burn, levels, adjustements to bring out colors. Enough said!

• Digital Photography