rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

In the summer of 1971 I was working at a New Mexico lab when I read of a decrepit old railroad that was being turned into a new tourist railroad, so I drove up there for the day; I was having trouble with my 35mm camera, so I took the picture below with a box camera. After I began digitizing my old media, I scanned this old slide and posted the image on a site dedicated to the old railroad.

Because of limitations at that site, the result was downscaled, and showed up as this does, but I quickly received a response from the head of a "Friends" committee working to restore the appearance of the communications lines along the old railroad - at the top of the pole at the end of this station is a ugly strange-looking box, which anyone more interested in appearance than in preserving history would have deleted; he had never seen anything like this, so he asked me for a crop of just this box to add to his records. I do not know if someone sketching this scene would have included this box; I just know that I did without realizing what I was doing. This may not be a perfect representation of that box, but it may be one of the best we have, and unless you have "way back machine" ...

This is what I mean when I talk about capturing reality today before it becomes tomorrow.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

My primary day job is making reference prints in the darkroom from original negatives or copy negatives for the photo archive at a regional history museum. I am always amazed what my coworkers find important and interesting that I as the printer don't notice. The smallest details can be extremely important.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

While I have no problem with editing images in an artistic or tasteful manner in order to improve the quality of the photo. I have no issue with manipulating an image to be an abstract art image. Not my thing, but many appreciate this kind of photographic art. Where I take exception is when someone manipulates an image to be something it never was. I recall recently where a number of photojournalists were outed for changing images, especially when photographing war combat, to show something that wasn’t there, such as placing individuals in a photo where none had been originally, or adding other object so as to alter the photo to phony up a story or to promote an agenda.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

Journalism is a specific case in which truth, reality and rules matter. In art this not the case.

When in college I was photo editor of the university newspaper. I had issues with photographers setting up images. When found out I basically got rid of them from the staff.

Here is the National Press Photographer's Code of Ethics
https://nppa.org/code-ethics

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

It's unethical for photojournalists to be adding things or taking things out of photos. But for the rest of us, that has been done since the very beginnings of photography and is a valid artistic choice.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

However, I have chosen to be guided by journalistic ethics and practice.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

That's fine for you. Just don't be disparaging of others who are creating art with no journalistic or documentary purposes.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I'm not - but I constantly see posts here that say in one way or another "you aren't doing much if you don't slave over a hot computer enhancing your images", who show respect for my pov.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I don't think those people are taking about photojournalism. Nobody should expect you to do anything that would violate your ethics.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Voluntary "ethics" don't seem to carry the same weight as those forced on you by vocation.

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

Just how many times have you wondered how the photographer got that shot. Maybe it is time to make a different category of photos. Those that are Photoshoped and those that are just enhanced slightly. Then we have to break it down to what is just slightly; What a mess. Happy shooting.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

The standards followed by Getty
https://www.popphoto.com/how-olympic-images-reach-your-eyes-in-two-minutes-flat?src=SOC&dom=fb
are a good start for "just slightly"
* {noise reduction}
* minor color level adjustment
* contrast adjustment
* {make image plumb}
* crop

Bill_de Loc: US

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Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

I’ve never thought it necessary to differentiate “types” of photographs regarding manipulation vs. no manipulation. Trying to distinguish between amounts of manipulation becomes even more cumbersome. Once you step beyond the realms of journalism or legal forensics, it just doesn’t matter. In those other cases, what matters is does one like the image or not.

I follow the philosophy voiced in my comment box below.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

I rarely think about how. I am curious as to why. This is the most important aspect for me, why was it made, what was the concept behind it and what is it conveying.