This is an excellent article in a recent issue of Outdoor Photographer by photographer Elizabeth Carmel, Â entitled “But Is iI Real.”
 http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/columns/fleeting-vistas/but-is-it-real.html
A minority of photographers, a very vocal minority, assert that the photograph is what comes out of the camera, that any post processing is contrary to the craft of photography, presents a misleading image and should be banned on pain of torture and death. Â Well, maybe they don”t go quite that far, but they still protest vociferously to any manipulation of the image post camera. Â This is indeed a valid point when applied to photographic journalism, Â which is supposed to be news reporting with a camera. Â But then, have you seen or heard any unbiased news reporting lately? Never mind.
I am not a photojournalist. Â I am an artist, or at least I claim to be. Â I use various tools to present the vision I see in a scene. Â When I take a photo, I usually know what I think the end result should be, what the scene looks like to me. Â In other words, I am presenting reality as I see it. Â Sometimes, crafting the image I desire requires numerous time consuming steps in Light room/Photoshop. Â Other times, not so much. Â I just purchased an new tool from Topaz Labs, called Restyle. Â I use several Topaz tools, and this new one is something else.
I was wandering around Stonington, Maine on a dreary October day back in 2011. Â I took a shot (among many others) of an inlet. Â Like I said, it was a dreary day, not good for photography. Â Here is the result:
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Nice shot, really blah. Â One click with Topaz Restyle:
This is how I saw the scene. Â A really beautiful rendering of a beautiful inlet. Â I could have achieved the same result with a lot more work, but Topaz made that particular task much easier. Â
The shot was taken with a Nikon D7000 and the Nikkor DX 40mm lens. Â I no longer own the D7000, having transitioned to Fujifilm.