Is Digital credible?

Bedside_Priest · May 13, 2005

Is digital photography credible?

I'm 16, the only darkroom that I can use is one at my school, so over the summer, I'm stuck using a digital camera, and I feel like people don't give me any credit if my photo is good. I've been told I have some great photos, on or off film. But sometimes I just feel like If i'm not using my 35mm SLR then I'm not really a photographer.. But somtimes digital is so much less hassle... I dunno.

Digital Matt · May 13, 2005

A photograph is a photograph.

amoki · May 14, 2005

Why do you need to worry about what others have to say if you know your photo(s) is good?

So what if digital shots can be edited? Great photos last a lifetime, edited or not.

DIRT · May 14, 2005

I get this alot from my wife. She sees me editing in photoshop and says im cheating. I have tried to tell her that if I were in a darkroom that I would be doing the exact same things except I would be doing them manually (i.e. adjusting exposure to the paper, dodging and burning and increasing contrast.) Grant it, I am a film junky and I love film with a passion. It is the Photographers eye that MUST SEE a photograph to MAKE a photograph. Enough said?

Contra|Brett| · May 14, 2005

The notion that digital is cheating, or even editing in PS is cheating, IS A LOAD OF CRAP. The viewer sees what the photographer wanted them to see.

peter/c · May 14, 2005

In A few years time, even the 'Die-Hards' will be digital. PS work, to me is no more unethical than dark-room manipulation.Maybe just cleaner and easier?Don't worry is my advice..time will prove us digi's right!
Peter.

Meysha · May 14, 2005

Personally, I say who cares how you got the final result. So long as it looks good.
It really gives me the ****s when people say how the editing I do in PS isn't real photography.

Like someone else said, it's exactly what you'd be doing in a dark room anyway. The software has just brought it to the masses. So now it's lost a bit of its hidden mystery and that makes everyone think you're cheating because they think it's so easy.
PS is just a tool you use to manipulate what you captured to get what you want. Why does no one complain about others using filters on a lens? I'd say it's about the same thing as that.
I'd really like to see some of these people who say PS is cheating try to use it and get a decent result.
:fangs:

Edit: And at least us digital and PS users won't get cancer and die from breathing in all those chemicals all our life! he he he We'll just get RSI and have to amputate our mouse hand from the pain!

photong · May 14, 2005

"But sometimes I just feel like If i'm not using my 35mm SLR then I'm not really a photographer.." You need to try and get over that

You can do the same thing with a DSLR as a film SLR

Same thing in a darkroom as in Photoshop or any other program like it.

Another great thing about digital is you can share it easily rather than scanning the negative or print. Oh, and worry less about a mistake. Make it more pleasing by edtting out a tree branch that's distracting.

To me it's more so how you use what you have and you can do the same thing with both just in a different way.

ksmattfish · May 14, 2005

Not to long ago (as history goes) the question was "Is photography credible?".

People who think film images aren't edited don't do their own darkroom work.

Shoot whatever you like. Don't let people tell you you're cheating because you are using digital. Don't let people tell you you are behind the times if you want to use film. Just keep taking pics and learning.

Unimaxium · May 14, 2005

Digital photographs are just as good as film photographs, although in my opinion there is something that is much more fun and satisfying about the process of shooting, processing, etc. with film than shooting digital and editing in photoshop.