Wedding Favors
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Is using Photoshop Cheating?
   
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Is Photoshop really cheating
when it comes to photography ethics?
I keep coming across people accusing and being accused of
"cheating" an image by using the wonders of Adobe Photoshop, and
that their work isn't really photography at all, but
another form of art altogether.
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First of all, my opinion is "so what"? What does it
really matter how the artist or photographer got
to the finished image? As long as it is thought provoking and
pleasing to the eye, and as long as it can be used in any
necessary context for publication if so desired, do we really
need to know how and/or why it was done?
Sure, a hard-core, original style photographer would say that
the true image should be made at the time of capture, as the
event happens and that any later enhancements are misleading to
the end viewer. To that I say "poppycock"!
For me, the only true and real photography is that of
photojournalism, and as I am sure you will agree,
photojournalism should not and must not be tampered with for
monetary gain or to purposely mislead the viewer.
Some of the most awesome and thought provoking photojournalistic
images have stayed in my mind since I was at primary school. One
image that springs to mind is that of a young, naked Vietnamese
girl having just been napalmed during the war, running down a
road.
There would be no reason and no point to further enhance this
image, it tells its own horrific story as it is.
When it comes to photographs as an art form, I guess
photographers have been "misleading" people since the first
"Daguerreotypes" were being made. The famous photo of the
Cottingley Fairies held true for years until being finally
exposed as a fake. Does it matter that it was a fake? The
authors have created one of the most famous images and talked
about legends for nearly a century that will be discussed for
centuries more no doubt!
What about when an interior photographer like myself moves items
of furniture in a house, or adds a bowl of fruit to a room to
enhance the image? What about when we add make up to a model
before a shoot or re-arrange a wedding dress? None of these
images tell the story of a scene as it was when we arrived at
it. All the alterations were made manually to make the image
more pleasing.
So what is the difference between doing it before the
shoot at the scene, or after the shoot in Photoshop? What
is the difference between pulling an obtrusive branch out of
your way for that perfect landscape or simply removing it later
on your PC. Why do wedding photographers carry clothes pegs to
pin back the dress for some formal shots? Is that
cheating?
I am sure also, that when Turner or Constable made their
beautiful paintings, that maybe another ship was added here, or
an annoying, unwanted bush was removed there. In fact it has
been suggested that the "Masters" used optics to project the
models images onto their canvasses when painting "The
Renaissance". This was highlighted when someone pointed out that
everyone including the animals, were left-handed! Is this
cheating?
My whole point to this discussion is that each person who picks
up and uses a camera, digital or film, has their own individual
interpretation of what makes a good photograph, "Photoshopped"
or not! In the same regard, each individual viewer that sees
these images, has their own interpretation of why they
like or dislike the finished product.
For me, this is what makes photography so unique and exciting,
especially in this new digital era. There are so many
combinations, techniques and tools we have at our disposal, that
the bountiful supply of different and beautiful images is
endless. If it weren't for the phrase "beauty is in the eye of
the beholder", and if we all saw things in the same way, the
world would be a very dull and boring place.
When it comes to photography, or any other art form come to
that, do what makes you happy and proud of what you have
achieved, however you got there!
Nick Stubbs www.all-things-photo
graphy.com
About the author:
Nick Stubbs is a professional photographer with over 20 years
experience. He has a site dedicated to helping beginners to
digital photography at www.all-things-photo
graphy.com