I just recently overheard a self-described “purist” photographer ranting on about how we’re all cheaters and that the photographic masters before us lacked our current luxury–even desire–to “customize” (read: manipulate/photoshop) images. It was “…all about the the composition, a beautiful subject, and a properly exposed picture”.
I call horse-pucky.
Above: Avedon’s instructions to his printer.
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Purist, true purist will love this example. "Purist" will not understand the strange markings. For me a purist actually is one who has seen the silver in a print slowly awaken from the blank piece of paper into an image. The smell of the "vanilla" scented stop. That brings me back.
Hers another Avedon picture that is relevant to the subject.
http://www.richardavedon.com/#mi=2&pt;=1π=10000&s;=27&a;=0&p;=4&at;=0
To me there just projecting frustration about something they in someway or another may do themselves. And whoever this person is, obviously must have never heard of Jerry Uelsmann. The man is making composites with B and W film printing, in a darkroom! He inspired me in making composites digitally. This may sound funny to you, but I also remember my photoshop manipulation getting better after I took a zone system class. We don't need to even start with how much you manipulate your photos in zone…
Too right! The more people that become aware of this, the better! Purists miss the point completely with being so absorbed with the process.
The industry is full of people who want to claim tat retouching is "wrong" and that HDR is fake. At the end of the day an image is an image. And if you took an amazing image in camera, that really great, kudos to you, but if you took that images with I digital camera (or even film it would seem, but especially digital) you have no choice but to make some decisions about that image, as simple as what color space does my image need to be to get good colour at mt preferred lab? Is this not technically changing the way the viewer will experience the image? Is cropping not photo manipulation to a point? The only thing "purist" have done is attemped to draw a line in the sand. I'm sorry but that's just not going to fly anymore. Take final products at face value and give every photo an honest shot. That's the way I see it!