Paul Stenquist wrote:
The process by which a photo is created has nothing to do with ethics unless the photo is four new reporting purposes or some other field where accurate representation is important . For hobbyist/fine art photography it matters not a twit. By Tom's rationale, BW photography is dishonest, because the colors aren't real. Hogwash.
Viewers assume that a photograph depicts reality. They've been trained since childhood that a picture doesn't lie. The viewer assumes that the scene actually existed and that the camera recorded it. When you present doctored images to a viewer without telling him they're doctored then you are being dishonest and you're damaging the credibility of all photographers.
A fooled viewer becomes a cynic when he finds out he's been fooled. My pictures are real. I work damned hard at capturing the beauty of the natural world. I do not want the viewer questioning my integrity because he was exploited in the past.
Tom Reese
