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*Are my photographs real, or manipulated? It seems these days, that the general public believes that all digital photographs have been manipulated. Although this is may be true of some photographs, ultimately, it's the artist’s (the photographer’s) art and creation. This could be argued however that it’s basically telling lie. In this photograph, a single eagle flew into the frame and then in the same repetition of images, another eagle followed. So, I blended the two images together so they appeared in one frame; this is now what's called a "composite". A composite photograph is an image that has been manipulated; they can include (but not limited to), the blending of two photos, adding an element or swapping out a sky. *So why do digital images have to be processed in the first place? The snapshots that you take with your smartphone, are all JPEG files; which basically means that your smartphone camera did all the adjustments for you (yay!). Sure, the convenience is great but the downside is that the files are small, and lack pixel detail. I on the other hand, I take what’s called “RAW” images, which offers a large amount of pixel detail. That said, the upside of a RAW image is that you don’t lose too much of the original detail when you blow it up. The downside however is that (out of camera) they look flat and lack vibrancy. So, a RAW image requires post processing to restore them.... and time! *So, what are my thoughts on digital alteration? I like to edit my digital files to represent what I saw (using highlights, contrast and tones to draw my viewer’s attention to the subject or overall scene), and if it’s a composite it had better be from the same scene, taken at the same time (like this image). *In conclusion: The argument remains, “Is manipulating an image a lie, or a piece of art”? The debate continues..... *A side note: It was pouring when I took this photograph (in Ucluelet, BC), and with the wind, I had to constantly wipe off my lens. Arlo went with me on this photos shoot; he wasn’t impressed 😊
My recent travels included a visit to my late husband's family in Mission, BC. and being an early riser I set out before sunrise to explore the many back-roads behind Mission and Deroche, BC. I didn't have my Jeep with me (I often pull it behind my RV) so I cruised around in the comfort of my RV. I sit quite high in it, so I see so much more than most in their vehicles do; including this silhouetted fisherman. There were well over 100 people fishing on the shores of the Nicomen slough, and they all seemed to constantly reeling in their lines with catches.... Hmmm? Being curious, I stopped to chat with a gentleman and he proceeded to tell me that they're all fishing for Coho Salmon and that their limit (government enforced) was two. "I got my two", he said. I then asked him, "Being that they're spawning, are they any good to eat?", to which he replied, "The Coho are fine, but you don't want to eat the Chum salmon, we release them". This photo was a bit tricky to take and to process (raw file) because the scene is both brilliant and dark. I enjoyed the challenge, and love the result! We can learn much by exploring, asking questions and stepping outside my comfort zone. Where to next!?
Every place has its magic and Gold Canyon is one of my favorite majestic locations in the state of Arizona. The area is surrounded by stately mountains on three sides, as well as good variety of desert cacti, and of course, those beautiful sunrises and sunsets that Arizona is known for. I boon-docked just outside of Gold Canyon, on a very large area of BLM land for 10 days. From their it was an easy drive to Apache Junction, Superior and Queen Valley; I loved exploring them all. I shot photos during the day and then in the tranquility of the desert evenings, I sorted and edited the raw files. With visions of capturing a sunset view, with desert cacti in the foreground, I scouted many back roads. Some of the roads were actually ATV trails; like the road leading to this location. In 4-wheel low, I drove up a hillside as far as I dared but when I had keep getting out of my Jeep to make sure I was keeping my tires in line with the rocks and ridges in the road, I knew I had gone far enough. With darkness falling, backing back down by myself (blindly) wasn’t much fun. It wasn’t long however that I found a spot to turn around and it was from this random spot that I ascended a nearby hill; wondering if the view I was searching for was at the top... and there it was! It was dark by the time I got back to my RV but I was “home”…. and very thankful to be there (and for my memorable day too!).
