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| Believe. Photo by Tom Doyle. |
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| Land of a Thousand Falls. Photo by Tom Doyle. |
May 31, 2011
To the Editor:
I am sometimes asked if an image is "photoshopped." The following is an attempt to clarify.
Most digital images are captured using one of two formats, RAW or JPEG. All images are then digitally processed. JPEGs are immediately processed in camera using algorithms furnished by the camera manufacturer. RAW Images are not processed in camera and must by processed after by the image-maker using RAW conversion software on a computer. The best known such software is Adobe Photoshop.
The upside of JPEG images is that you have a finished image at the time of capture. The downside is that the camera algorithms are a one-size-fits-all deal, sometimes they produce an acceptable image, at other times they don't. Additionally, JPEG processing discards a significant amount of data so that all JPEG images are degraded.
The upside of RAW capture is that the maker controls the process and uses all captured data, which yields a significantly better image. The downside is that it takes more time and effort to do RAW processing and there is a long learning curve to processing software proficiency.
So what does 'photoshopping' mean? I'm not sure what it means but I am sure that if you asked ten different people you would get ten different answers. This much I can tell you: I am not trying to do reportorial photography. I am trying to create esthetically pleasing images in the same way that Paul Gould does, the difference is that Paul uses oils on canvas and I use a camera. Just as oil on canvas can yield many different kinds of images, so can a camera.
I will finish by quoting one of our great nature photographers, Ansel Adams, "A great image is a product of the mind... not the camera".
Attached are two images -- one is processed, the other is 'Photoshopped' . I leave to you which is which.
Tom Doyle
Cornwall
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