Philosophy
It really is flattering when someone mistakenly thinks one of my images is “improved” with Photoshop. However . . .
No Faux-tographs — None of my fine art images are modified in any way with Photoshop.
The reason is — I value natural reality and do not believe it is possible, nor do I try, to improve on nature’s beauty.
Aiming
Monterey Pine Icon
Prediction
Olympus Sunset
However, even knowing when wonderful light will illuminate a great place, I’ve made images in some places where I could visit another 1,000 times and never again see similar clouds or flowers that I’ve captured.
Correction vs Manipulation
Adams also once wrote “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”
On this point I most respectfully have a different philosophy. I do not try to “make” photographs look differently than the natural vision I saw. My goal is to show as closely as possible what the actual landscape or vision looked like at the moment I was there.
All images are as close as I can get them to the true natural light reflected or emitted by the real natural phenomena at the place and moment it was photographed.
Adjust – Only to Correct Camera Errors
While I do adjust some images slightly, it is only to correct them so that they genuinely represent the natural phenomena that I saw. I intentionally do not adjust my images by an amount larger than the errors introduced by the camera system.
Every camera system makes errors in capturing a vision. Some of those include rectilinear distortion (barrel and pincushion), noise, and color skew.
(Did you know most DSLR cameras (including Canon and Nikon) use Bayer Pattern chips which have to guess most colors. On top of that, as of 2011, they all use a filter that intentionally blurs images. I wish I was kidding.)
While I do not use color filters (like a red filter to dramatically darken a sky), the one filter I do occasionally use that does change what your bare eyes see is a polarizing filter.
I’ve seen plenty of high dynamic range (HDR) photography, but just don’t like the results. However, I predict by 2012, camera technology will for the first time be able to capture dynamic range that exceeds what we can see with our eyes.
In any case, none of my images are modified in any way with Photoshop — None are dodged or burned or contain parts of any other image or have anything except dust spots removed; few are even cropped.
Condor Floating
(I have taken commercial pet photographs and images of animals in research studies and zoos, but those images are not part of my fine art work.)
Astrophysics Reality
Moonset Over Fog, Big Sur
Accurate Saturation
And you will not find super-saturated or over-saturated colors – unless the natural phenomena really looked like that. (Though on rare occasions I have De-saturated an image because sometimes Poppies and sunsets can overwhelm today’s equipment.)
And yes, there are some real sunsets and sunrises with rich, glowing colors that are unbelievable to some who weren’t there to see it in person.
Glad We Share Appreciation
All of these images on this site are here because they have inspired someone.
The images are sharp and silky smooth when printed at 2 feet by 3 feet (66 cm x 1 meter). Many show sharp detail at 4 feet by 6 feet. Some can ignite passion at wall mural sizes.
I do enjoy learning which ones move you or that you keep remembering. So please let me invite you to write a quick note to let me know.
Thank you.
References:
“We shouldn’t be too hard on the hired wolf photographer”
