Integrity in Photography?
Dec 9, 2017 11:10:09 #
mcveed wrote:
Part of the question is whether you consider yourself to be an artist or a recorder/reporter. There are several ways of viewing what one is doing; the answer to the Original Post is that these different views need to understand and respect each other.If I can add a footnote to my previous post. Artists do not, generally, create to please themselves. They create to express themselves. When your photography becomes art and you want to express yourself (you have something you want to say), then you have to address your audience with your message and display your work. Whether or not your message gets across will depend on how your work appeals to your audience.
Dec 9, 2017 11:14:13 #
PixelStan77 wrote:
I agree with your last comment. Did you ever see a cosmetic advertisement where the subjects skin was not perfect? To me it is balance. In the film days in Kodachrome, you had to get the exposure dead nuts. No post processing.
The predecessor to Photoshop was the airbrush. From the beginning photos have been manipulated. LOL Brady did his adjusting before he tripped the shutter.
Dec 9, 2017 11:16:56 #
mcveed wrote:
Often, I have an audience of one (me).... Whether or not your message gets across will depend on how your work appeals to your audience.
Dec 9, 2017 11:26:05 #
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
The amount of PP depends on you, not on anyone's 'integrity'. Do what you want or need to produce the result you want.
And...
Tell dissenting folks to .... on a tree.
Dec 9, 2017 11:29:26 #
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
Do what you want, why should you limit your self with some rules? In my opinion post processing is the second most important element in photography after composition. I may be wrong, actually post processing can be the most important element if you are skilled with the program you use in post. Because you can change or even create the composition in post processing if you are good at it. Of course you can also be a purist if you want and only use your camera and one shot and no external post processing for your photography. Everything is allowed, do what you want, even change your mind about how to do your photography if you want to
The most expensive photograph ever created is a lousy photograph that everyone could have taken, but it is heavily edited in post processing. Post processing is the difference between a nobody photographer and a successful photographer.
Dec 9, 2017 11:52:44 #
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
Your last line speaks volumes.
Generally speaking there are rules in photography that teach us to expose properly. Then there are rules that help us process to the best advantage, such as sharpening techniques. We are also told the best way to present the final product. These all help us to put on paper what our vision is but, when it comes to vision, any rule there is designed to keep us in line. In line with someone else’s ideas. EX.When you see something that in your mind would really look great if only the colors were more vivid. Do it! At the risk of sounding like a 1960’s hippy, reject all the rules that try to conform you. When you see a photo that all the experts are “blessing”, don’t try to duplicate it (conform) except maybe as a learning tool. Copying is not the sincerest form of flattery; it is the most direct route to mediocrity.
Dec 9, 2017 12:23:19 #
BlueMorel wrote:
Often, I have an audience of one (me).
Then you are amusing yourself, not expressing yourself.
Dec 9, 2017 12:29:26 #
mcveed wrote:
Then you are amusing yourself, not expressing yourself.
Isn't this the point?
Dec 9, 2017 12:31:16 #
I suppose it all depends on why you take and/or display photographs. If it to please yourself only then you are indeed totally free (within legal and moral boundaries) to do what pleases you the most. If you are shooting to display and/or gain appreciation of others you bind yourself to the opinions of others and the current norms of generally accepted good practice. In my opinion neither is wrong and both are acceptable. Sometimes the person free from other's expectations have produced work that has had a lasting effect on the Arts so there is a place for uninhibited creativity.
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
Dec 9, 2017 12:34:26 #
The point of what? The comment was in reference to when your photography becomes are and you want to express yourself. Self expression is pointless if you are only expressing yourself to yourself. It is doubtful that it is even self expression. Giving messages to yourself is akin to talking to yourself.
Dec 9, 2017 12:45:11 #
mcveed wrote:
The point of what? The comment was in reference to when your photography becomes are and you want to express yourself. Self expression is pointless if you are only expressing yourself to yourself. It is doubtful that it is even self expression. Giving messages to yourself is akin to talking to yourself.
I didn't know that self expression was about impressing others. Learn something new every day.
Dec 9, 2017 12:55:42 #
mcveed wrote:
The point of what? The comment was in reference to when your photography becomes are and you want to express yourself. Self expression is pointless if you are only expressing yourself to yourself. It is doubtful that it is even self expression. Giving messages to yourself is akin to talking to yourself.
So what?
What do you think 'self-discovery/expression' is about???
When you think, are you not 'talking to yourself'?
There is nothing wrong to do whatever for yourself, quite the contrary. When I see folks in difficulty my first question is 'What are you doing for yourself?' 99.99% of the answers are 'Nothing'. That is telling.
Why do you think some folks here use photography as a therapeutic tool? To conform to someone else idea that self-expression is pointless if not shared?
Are you that close minded?
Dec 9, 2017 13:00:56 #
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
Hi west... I do commercial photography, and as a result I do Photoshop all of my images. I call it "enhancing"! Correcting photos for a client, is far from " creative and artistic liberty, but just a tweak of enhancement, by correcting shadows and highlights. Most of the lighting effects are done in my studio. Right out of the camera is never acceptable, since no shot is perfect. Even when I am shooting "picture day" with a hundred or so of children, I still need to correct the exposure and highlights. Wedding shoots are more challenging, since it is more of a candid shoot, with ambient light and different backgrounds. I would not be able to stay in business if all I gave to my clients were "out of the camera" prints. My clients are not looking for "artsy" shots but just good ones.... Now if I were to shoot an artsy photo, there would be no limit to how much I would "manipulate" the image. See one of my paintings where I did in fact Manipulated a photo to render a painting.
We all start out taking pictures of anything that peaks our interests, but in time we begin to notice "imperfections" in our shots... We begin to make changes in our camera equipment and camera settings, and we notice the improvements, then we discover the world of Photoshop and LightRoom... Its a process. Where are you in the process? I decided over a decade ago to make photography my income.
Dec 9, 2017 13:17:52 #
mcveed wrote:
The point of what? The comment was in reference to when your photography becomes are and you want to express yourself. Self expression is pointless if you are only expressing yourself to yourself. It is doubtful that it is even self expression. Giving messages to yourself is akin to talking to yourself.
Hi Mc.. As one that "talks to himself", I respectfully disagree with "Self expression is pointless if you are only expressing yourself to yourself", as I am constantly trying to improve my talents. My standards that I try to excel in, come from myself. I set the bar, which is "my" level, no one else. All I hope to achieve is to improve my self, not to compete for others approval. Its great when I get feed back from others that my talents are good, But that is just a guide line for me, so I know I am improving, but a work in progress..
Dec 9, 2017 13:26:36 #
westjl2 wrote:
When I first got back into photography a year or s... (show quote)
Photographers have been "post processing" in multiple ways (setting up scenes, using two photographs to create the sky and foreground, putting multiple photographs together in many ways, and on and on) since the inception of the photograph. Only the uninformed are not aware of this and take issue with creating art in photography by processing. Just don't listen to people who really don't have any idea what they are talking about and do what suits you with your art. If you are a photojournalist or doing reportage or documentary work then processing your work other than to clean up the dust spots would not be acceptable, but that is totally different from wanting to create artwork with your images.
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