Too much or too little contrast got some photographers in the 2015 World Press Photo contest disqualified. |
To manipulate and to what degree to manipulate photos for
journalism has been a subject of mine since I first got my hands on Photoshop
4.0 in 1996. One hundred percent of journalist I spoke with said no, no, none
whatsoever when it came to the subject of manipulating a photo beyond slight contrast
and clarity. However, it turns out about 20 percent of the world’s highest
level photojournalist perform various degrees of photo manipulation, and in my
opinion much of the other 80 percent do so and lie about it.
No, I’m not talking about Photoshoping Obama with a stripper on his lap in a bar. I’m
talking about artfully improving a photo without altering the information
therein.
There are many sides to this saga, so read up and begin
drawing your own conclusion.
Read this informative article comprised by The New York
Times. The article contains various opinions from nine professionals.
I see points on both sides but continue to stand that some
degree of improving a photograph without altering information is not a foul. A wise quote to consider from the piece is the
anonymous photographer stating “…if
20 percent of the highest level of photographers are doing it maybe we need to
examine what they are doing and come to accept that as a growth of photography.”