New Alain Briot essay: "Just say Yes!"

[Alain Briot]

My latest essay was published on NaturePhotographers.net over the weekend. Titled "Just say Yes!" it addresses one of the most nagging questions Digital landscape photographers get: "Do you manipulate your colors?" Here is the link:

http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0806/ab0806-1.html

[Larry Cooper]

Well done.

My personal photograpy (to often as opposed to the hired photography) is an attempt to show me and others the world I encounter. You have shown both the validity of that use for photographs, and the advantages of understanding that use in the relationship with viewers of your images.

I marvel constantly at what I see, and, sometimes, the camera doesn't seem to. Film images were always manipulated too, of course, but I love what digital allows me to do to re-create what caused that marvel in the first place.

L.C.

[Alain Briot]

Larry,

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the essay. I think it is important to take a stand about all this and explain what I do without the shadow of a doubt!

[Don Lashier]

I just point out that fine images have always been manipulated and give the example of Ansel Adams, just that now it's done in a digital darkroom rather than chemical. They go "ohhh", and move on.

- DL

[Alain Briot]

Don,

That's the short version. It works, but I find the long version necessary in order to teach other photographers how to answer this question. My goal here is teaching and my audience other photographers. At shows, I give the short answer :-)

[Marian Howell]

thanks alain for puting into many coherent words what i can never seem to find words for :)
this is an issue and question that i (and many others i'm sure) have faced many many times, and you have given me much food for thought.
and i agree with don that fine images have always been manipulated! otherwise, what's the point??? photography manipulates light by its nature. even when we are hired guns we manipulate...we choose the camera, the lens, the composition, all the shooting parameters, everything. send 2 of us out on the same assigment and there will be 2 different results!

[Andreas Kanon]

Like so many times before as my quote says.
You don't take a photo , you make it.
Hence we make it into what we want, so it isn't a view of reality.
It is a view of how you wanted it to look.

That is what i usually tell people.