About a month or 2 ago someone posted the following question on Facebook – “Are you a photographer or a Photoshopper? That is the question.” I asked him to define what he meant by each term and the response was that a Photoshopper was someone who used digital or analog tools to manipulate an picture to make it great, while a “professional” photographer always got the great images straight from the camera.
Of course, this started a back and forth about the definition of a “professional” – I contended that it meant one who does it for money, a point to which this person would not concede. I think he was trying to say “good” or “great” but he stuck with his original term. When I pointed out that many people use digital and/or analog tools to manipulate a picture (even such greats as Jerry Uelsmann and Ansel Adams), he still insisted that one should be able to get great images straight out of the camera.
I attempted to steer the discussion toward his shooting format, at which point he immediately cut off debate. I am of the impression that he shoots all his photos in the .jpg file format, which right there nullifies his entire argument. Jpeg photos always seem to look good when they come out of the camera because the camera itself performs processing on the image to enhance color, contrast, brightness, etc. The problem with this approach to photography is that once the camera has processed the image, that information is locked into place, which makes manipulation in the case of problems a much more difficult task.
Anyone who has worked in a dark room can attest to the fact that the entire process of printing from a negative is nearly all manipulation. You need to manipulate the exposure time on the enlarger, check the time in the developer to make sure it is not over or under developing, stop the chemical process, fix the paper, wash and then you can check to see if you need to make any adjustments to the contrast or do any burning or dodging. And this is all after you have printed test strips to narrow down the proper times needed. When it comes to color processing, a lot of time can be spent manipulating the filters on the enlarger to get the perfect color balance in a photograph. With automatic color processors you have to wait until each successive print is complete before it can be checked. Keep in mind, also, that no two shots on the same roll of film will have the same filter settings.
Even shooting the picture is mostly a process of manipulation. The shot needs to be composed above all. Even those who take nothing but snapshots perform rudimentary composition. Someone with a single lens reflex will have to think about depth of field as well. Only after the photographer has thought about the shot can the mechanics of photography (setting the aperture, shutter speed, focus, etc) be employed to capture the photograph.
Point-and-shoot digital cameras have image processors built into the camera. This gives us what it thinks is the best image (and often it’s correct, but not always). Many people with DSLR cameras also shoot in jpeg format, which uses the built-in image processor. When you shoot in RAW format, however, there is no image processing done inside the camera. The only processing that goes on is the RAW data into a format that can be read by software. It’s in RAW format that we find the ability to use software to manipulate the image’s color balance, contrast, brightness, etc to create the great images that make everyone go ‘ooooh‘. And keep in mind, these programs are tools, the biggest difference is that the photographer is processing the image in front of a computer screen rather than a dimly light room while breathing in fumes from chemicals of varying levels of toxicity.
In summary, it would appear that this person sees photography as more a mechanical activity that requires some aptitude than a creative process. In the early days photography was considered by many a mechanical activity as well, an attitude that slowly changed over many decades. While knowledge of the the mechanical aspects is important (they are important in all the visual arts), photography requires imagination and creativity in the use of the mechanics (both before and after shooting) in order to create a compelling photograph. Of course, it’s also up to the photographer to be as engaged as he or she wants to be in the process. To this I say creating a great image requires engagement from inspiration to the mounting of the final print.
What are your thoughts?