What Is Real12
Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the seeking for ideal truth.
—John Ruskin
After teaching an image processing class, in which I articulated my thoughts on the validity of deviating from the reality of a scene in the name of creative expression, a fellow photographer commented that despite my acceptance of such techniques my images still appeared “natural.” Why wouldn’t they? I intended for them to appear natural.
I realized, however, that there was a greater issue at play. With so many easily applied computerized shortcuts to aesthetic appeal at our disposal, many people have come to associate their use with obvious, often egregious, visual effects and gimmickry.
I take no issue with any method of creating images, ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access