>TC> 4. Would I be better off improving my photography skills vs. my image >TC> manipulation skills? > >Definitely the former I think ;-) Although the latter doesn't hurt as >well, spending too much time on the technical side of things will >probably hurt the creative side. ...
There's a distinction between "image manipulation" and "image processing". Manipulating images has a negative connotation of changing things. I do only a little image manipulation, like compositing or cleaning up an unwanted element, etc. I spend most of my time in image processing: processing images to render as I previsualized them. That's a skill that I had to learn and keep on learning. The more I know about the tools used to render my photographs, the more I can get what I wanted. If you want to exploit a digital camera to maximum benefit, your photographic skills will have to include knowing what the camera sees and how to get the most out of what it captures, just like with film. A digital sensor and a piece of film are very different beasts with regard to how they record light, and how you work them to best advantage differs accordingly. Godfrey
