ETHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY
Seeing is believing... or is it?
Text and photography Copyright Michael G. Mill
All rights reserved.
April 22, 2004
"Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs." ~ Ansel Adams
It used to be that when you spoke about ethics concerning nature photography, it had more to do with having respect for nature and wildlife, than the actual photographic process itself. Today, in our world of computer wizardry we have to concern ourselves with the authenticity of the photographs we see.
Text and photography Copyright Michael G. Mill
All rights reserved.
April 22, 2004
"Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs." ~ Ansel Adams
It used to be that when you spoke about ethics concerning nature photography, it had more to do with having respect for nature and wildlife, than the actual photographic process itself. Today, in our world of computer wizardry we have to concern ourselves with the authenticity of the photographs we see.
Is it enhancement or manipulation? This is the question many photographers have to answer when they begin to venture into digital imaging, and this is a subject that no two photographers ever seem to agree on. Most photographers do agree; however, that if a manipulated image is labeled as such and not attempted to be passed off as authentic, then the practice is acceptable. But, at what point does an enhanced image begin to become a fundamentally manipulated one? This is the reason for this article. I feel it is necessary for me to briefly state my interpretation of enhancement verses manipulation so that when my work is viewed it will not be accused of being a false representation of reality.
Because I consider my images to be art, I think the degree of enhancement I find acceptable may differ from those who attempt to record natural history for journalistic purposes. My goal when making an image is to recreate a memory and to present it in an aesthetically pleasing way. I have never attempted to recreate something that was never there in the first place. I also always attempt to get the desired affect in camera and on the original piece of film. Only when my film does not match my memory of a particular scene do I begin to alter it in any way.I will begin by stating that obviously every image on this site has undergone the normal procedures for transforming a raw scan into a close approximation of the original slide. That would be levels adjustments, white balance adjustments, sharpening and minor cropping to remove the slide mount. Steps taken beyond these on a few of my images are minor enhancements in my opinion but may be considered manipulation to some. These include cropping, contrast adjustments, saturation adjustments, and occasionally the removal of small distracting elements such as a small tree branch creeping into the side of a frame or a piece of debris floating in a lake. I have never changed the actual colors in any of my images; however, the contrast and or saturation adjustments may have made them bolder than they appear on the slide. These adjustments, when made, make the image look the way I remember it and therefore in my opinion is not a false representation of the scene.
Because I consider my images to be art, I think the degree of enhancement I find acceptable may differ from those who attempt to record natural history for journalistic purposes. My goal when making an image is to recreate a memory and to present it in an aesthetically pleasing way. I have never attempted to recreate something that was never there in the first place. I also always attempt to get the desired affect in camera and on the original piece of film. Only when my film does not match my memory of a particular scene do I begin to alter it in any way.I will begin by stating that obviously every image on this site has undergone the normal procedures for transforming a raw scan into a close approximation of the original slide. That would be levels adjustments, white balance adjustments, sharpening and minor cropping to remove the slide mount. Steps taken beyond these on a few of my images are minor enhancements in my opinion but may be considered manipulation to some. These include cropping, contrast adjustments, saturation adjustments, and occasionally the removal of small distracting elements such as a small tree branch creeping into the side of a frame or a piece of debris floating in a lake. I have never changed the actual colors in any of my images; however, the contrast and or saturation adjustments may have made them bolder than they appear on the slide. These adjustments, when made, make the image look the way I remember it and therefore in my opinion is not a false representation of the scene.
