rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Definitely something to think about, but not too long, it tends to start hurting after a while.
Sometimes I believe people post these off the wall opinionated ideas/questions to provoke a stimulating conversation, and sometimes because they are firmly stuck in a different time, and sometimes because they are truly clueless. What does the question, are you a true photographer, even mean. Is he talking about true photographs vs not true photographs?! The whole idea of, true photographers don't post process, is pretty much absurd. Sure, one can set the parameters in the camera for each photograph, but that could be a big waste of time and in many situations, be the cause of missed photos.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

As for those who purport "My way or the highway",
I'm on the road again,....

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

A "True" Photographer implies that anyone else is a fake or false or inferior. The issue is more complicated by people who take photos and make money from doing it. Call them a professional photographer even if they do paparazzi grab shots of embarassing moments or drone pics, etc. Don't mean to disparage people who do BBB or real estate, etc. They can all be a way to earn a living. But, most will never try to raise their work up to the levels of the greats in their primary field of picture taking. I believe the difference is the 'sweat equity' of working with your eyes, your mind, your equipment and the subject/lighting/composition/post processing, etc. to make yourself better. Maybe actually try to copy another photographer's style or technique as a way to learn to become better. You can't develop your personal style until you have worked to master your craft as well as develop your personal style/styles. - This is a journey. It can last a lifetime, if you continue to be devoted to being better/getting better. - This is my journey.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

That is more or less my point.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Whether one's level is up to the greats or not, they are still photographers.
They just don't get to use the adjective "great" in front of the word photographer. ....Yet.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I've got nothing against anyone who decides to shoot SOOC, but, with your poor assumption that post processing is just about "doctoring up a a print", I don't see any basis for a meaningful discussion with you on the subject. Perhaps you should have considered educating yourself on post processing a bit before posting.

Among the things you might have discovered is that jpegs straight out of the camera are all post processed in your camera with limited user control over sharpness, color tone, picture style, contrast etc. To repeat, you are already performing post processing, on every one of your images but with much less control over the results than you would get with post processing software. You are also allowing the engineers who came up with your camera's post processing algorithms to decide what's best for you and what your images should look like. Shooting raw, which is not processed in camera, and using post processing software allows you to make those decisions yourself, not unlike dodging and burning in the dark room back in the film days. SOOC jpegs certainly have an important place in photography, but, they are not a panacea.

If you let automated technology, designed by others, make the decision for you about what your images will look like, perhaps you have gotten things a bit backwards about who the true photographers are.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It’s better to create something that others criticize than to create nothing and criticize others.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

True, but not as much fun for some people.

BebuLamar

There is no fake photographer. Inferior ones sure. But that has nothing to do with whether one is a professional.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I agree with what you say.
People replace the sky, and/or background and/or foreground and think they are great photographers when all they have is a computer generated image, not a photograph.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

If all the images used are photographs, then it is still a photograph. Computer generated images come entirely from the computer with no photographs involved. Photographers have been making composite images virtually since the invention of photography. They have always been considered photographs. Why is it different when it is done on a computer instead of a darkroom?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Ayuh.

glenn mayher

If someone takes a photo, good or bad, someone will want to know who the photographer is that took the photo.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Every successful photographer is driven by an inner voice telling them everyone else is using PhotoShop.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Define "true Photographer".



Take pictures. But now with software I can take pictures and then easily get them to reveal what my eyes saw but the camera is incapable of recording.