{scraps of jacki's life}: is it cheating?

Friday, 16 January 2009

is it cheating?

is it cheating when i use photoshop?

or is it important to photoshop your photos?

is it that i'm not keeping it real?

or is photography art?

do i have to show you what i see?

or may i show you what i feel about what i see?

am i changing reality?

or am i improving it?

am i cheating when i photoshop my photos?

or am i seeing life through rose-tinted glasses?

all these photos were taken by my sister carla. and they were all 'fixed' or 'improved' by me, by boosting the brightness, increasing the contrast, and sharpening the image. some changes are subtle. some are more drastic.

sometimes people react with a little shudder when i mention editing a photo in photoshop. most of these people take their photography seriously. as though photoshopping a photo somehow detracts from the quality of the photo, or the skill of the photographer.

taking a good photo is still the most important factor in the end result. a good natural photo will always be better than a bad photoshopped photo. but sometimes the contributing factors are not perfect. the light is just not right. the subject is not co-operative. there is no time to fiddle with the settings on your camera. you only have one opportunity to take that photo. the weather is overcast. the background is awful. you know, LIFE happens.

so, i believe in editing my photos. i believe in improving the weather and light conditions. i believe in removing or softening the distracting background. i believe in softening or sharpening. i feel that photography is an art, and that i am allowed to show you what i feel, rather than just what i see.

there is nothing like capturing that perfect shot, that beautiful moment, that awesome look. but even if it is good, i like to add my artistic touch to it, by editing it so it just feels right to me.