Surfing through various internet forums recently, I have noticed an argument that has resurfaced. This argument revolves around what people consider a manipulated image. We have all seen bad manipulations done for magazine covers, news articles, and even the odd internet article. Yet, this debate goes even further than simply removing a stray hair or masking out an unwanted building.
If we look at two of the extreme ends of this debate, there is the camp that wants photos right out of the camera with no post processing what so ever. The other end are those folks who don’t mind using tools like Photoshop, Nik Software, Photomatix, or even Picasa to modify their images in some form or another. Regardless where you fall in this spectrum, I would argue that we are all manipulating the image the moment we click the shutter button.
Why do I believe this? The simple fact is that no camera, no matter how technologically advanced, have the capabilities to capture what our eyes see and our minds interpret. We may try our hardest to reproduce what we are seeing with out eyes, but the fact is we are merely creating an interpretation. So where does the manipulation come in with the shutter click? It comes from the settings, extra lighting, and even filters we use to manipulate what the camera catches.
Here’s a simple example. You are shooting a beautiful tree at sunset. Your eyes are quickly adjusting between the lights and darks of the scene. You must carefully choose how you will expose this scene for your camera. So you dial in a specific shutter speed, aperture setting, and ISO level. You may add a graduated neutral density filter to help keep the sky in correct exposure with the ground. There might even be a polarizer filter added to help bring out more colors. All of these items may help you get the desired end result of a gorgeous image, but it is all stuff you are using to manipulate what appears on the memory card/film. Even specific films can be used to modify how a scene turns out. Read More→
This is where you would expect me to tell you about my life, how awesome I am, or why I am so superior to other people in this line of business. I would enjoy telling you how I have wrestled grizzly bears 10 feet tall. Maybe you would like hearing how I have taken on Velociraptors in my days as a young man. Even better is the story how I have traveled to the furthest reaches of space to stop catastrophic alien invasions. The problem will be that you might not believe my awesome stories.
I will keep these awesome stories for the campfire though. I’m just a man, taking pictures, trying to make a living. I ditched my education in computers in favor of pursuing my passion for photography. I enjoy a good cold beer on a warm day. I have a fondness of the outdoors.. I have enjoyed years capturing life’s unscripted moments. Hopefully, I can enjoy many more years of slacking off without fear of those grizzlies taking me out before my time.
My Philosophy is to capture those non-scripted moments. To capture the little details that this world really has to offer. From weddings to insects, I enjoy capturing the life, the details, and the moments that come and go in a flash.