But is it real

This is an excellent article in a recent issue of Outdoor Photographer by photographer Elizabeth Carmel,  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.  Well, maybe they don”t go quite that far, but they still protest vociferously to any manipulation of the image post camera.  This is indeed a valid point when applied to photographic journalism,  which is supposed to be news reporting with a camera.  But then, have you seen or heard any unbiased news reporting lately? Never mind.

I am not a photojournalist.  I am an artist, or at least I claim to be.  I use various tools to present the vision I see in a scene.  When I take a photo, I usually know what I think the end result should be, what the scene looks like to me.  In other words, I am presenting reality as I see it.  Sometimes, crafting the image I desire requires numerous time consuming steps in Light room/Photoshop.  Other times, not so much.  I just purchased an new tool from Topaz Labs, called Restyle.  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.  I took a shot (among many others) of an inlet.  Like I said, it was a dreary day, not good for photography.  Here is the result:

 

Nice shot, really blah.  One click with Topaz Restyle:

This is how I saw the scene.  A really beautiful rendering of a beautiful inlet.  I could have achieved the same result with a lot more work, but Topaz made that particular task much easier.  

The shot was taken with a Nikon D7000 and the Nikkor DX 40mm lens.  I no longer own the D7000, having transitioned to Fujifilm.