Nicely said, JD. The whole conversation makes me somewhat nuts.
I enjoyed reading your article. Hadn't heard Dan Margulis' name in a while, although I'm familiar with his work. I learned a lot from his books early in the digital age, when Photoshop was young, and we used LAB to tweak things that weren't fixable any other way. Putting his ideas into practice gave me a whole new insight into prepress and retouching.
I have to say that Lightroom has changed my workflow in major ways, mostly for the better. I find myself using PS mainly for masking, as you suggest, as well as creative routines. When people ask me if I "Photoshopped" a particular image, I go with the flow. "Of course!" I say.
I use whatever tool I can to get the RAW files back to the state that my brain saw when I was taking the picture. Photography is an art, as well as a science, and I think we all agree on that point. The magic usually happens along the entire timeline for me, not just at the instant of snapping the shutter. I've always thought of myself as a printmaker and an artist, as well as a man with a camera.
I also found the other point in your article regarding perception and digital files interesting. A sensor sees electro-mechanically. The brain sees emotionally. Which is the more complex device? A RAW file is merely data, and linearized data, at that. It is certainly not an exact replica of a scene, anymore than a black and white negative is an exact replica of a scene. Individual cameras and lens change a scene as well. A long lens sees differently than a wide lens. Technically capturing an adrenaline fueled image in-camera is a worthy goal, but a completely unnecessary exercise given today's technology. Why are we even having this argument as photographers? Why aren't we out in the field waiting for the sunrise, or sitting in a darkened room making art from last week's shoot?
Thanks for the link!
Jim Parker
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