Just moving on from the previous thread about the mooting of GFM and digital entries - comments made about the use of manipulation on digital images prior to submitting them into a contest made me think a bit deeper (yes, odd I know) on the subject. In fact, I went back to basics:
It seems to me that shooting slides and submitting a few into a contest is closely (but not totally) mirrored by shooting digital images and submitting a few (unprocessed) into a contest. Shooting slides or negs and making prints for submitting is more closely mirrored by shooting digital and post-processing (for screen display and/ or making prints). Ergo, to allow anyone to post process a digital image, the parallels with the slide film ends. A slide shooter cannot 'remove' a blade of grass from a slide, so why should a digital shooter? I know that we are all thinking along the lines of post-processing digital pics as simply colour correction, contrast control and sharpening - but where does it end? It's not that anyone would necessarily go further (gasp - remove a blade of grass, let alone cropping!) but as has been mentioned, it is the threat of accusations of said activity that must be addressed. On the other hand, unprocessed digital pics are generally flat and lifeless. The use of post processing is the completion of the actual process of making the picture, as the development of the latent image is for the exposed slide film. Ergo, digital pics cannot realistically be expected to compete on the same level as film because of the different needs of the medium. Ergo, I would have thought that any future NPW contest (and bear in mind that I haven't even attended my first one yet) involving digital imagery would have to be separate from the film contest. EG : four categories (Animals in Habitats, Animals in the Wild, Wildflowers, and Scenics) and four classes (film, amateur or film, accomplished and digital, amateur or digital, accomplished)..... Ergo, the topic needs plenty of further discussion between the organisers, as indeed is happening, and a realistic introduction date as has been mentioned. Ergo, everything is on course it seems. Ergo, I go. Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| www.macads.co.uk/snaps _____________________________
