What is allowed in digital "dark room" work in your opinion?
I only do contrast/lighting enchangements and level/curve adjustments.
I think that if you work on a photo too hard it is already manipulating the image...

What is possible digital what would also be possible in a "normal" dark room?
Thanks for sharing your oppinion
Snoogie

I do very little manipulation to my images (just in the RAW converter) but there are many film photographers out there who combine multiple images into one image. For example adding the moon to a late evening shot.

I just bought an Audubon nature photography book and the guy in there talkes about combining two images as well. I also have a couple of old Hedgecoe books from the early 80s where it is mentioned as well.

So while many think image manipulation started with digital it has been a round for many years and was just "perfected" with digital. Personally I don't really care but like to know if an image is manipulated or not. Like on Photo.net they have a check box for submissions to do with manipulations.

I think that adjusting contrast, masking (for dodging and burning) and even some 'clean' up of the image is perfectly acceptable. Any photographer who works or has worked in a darkroom knows there is only so much you can get with a perfectly exposed negative. Its the perfectly exposed negative that provides the artist with more latitude for adjustments to make the print more impressive.

Some of the things you could do to prints in the darkroom are quite astonishing, such as the sebattier (sp?) effect or commonly known also as solarization (but arguably incorrectly termed). With masking you could do effective multiple image manipulation, you could use textured semi-transparent objects to created strange effects as well...so really it all comes down to what you want for that photo...

Some of the things you could do to prints in the darkroom are quite astonishing, such as the sebattier (sp?) effect or commonly known also as solarization (but arguably incorrectly termed). With masking you could do effective multiple image manipulation, you could use textured semi-transparent objects to created strange effects as well...so really it all comes down to what you want for that photo...

I agree. Most darkroom manipulations do justice to the subject.

The image appears clearer, brighter and crisp.

Sometime it invites mystery. Then it can paints more than thousands of words.

My 2 cents : personally i try to distinguish between adjusting my photo, and manipulating it.

For me, to adjust it means to work on parameters and on what is already there, basically changing something that already exist. Cropping, adjusting levels, dodging&burning, simulating some real world filters for colors, turning to b&w, are examples of "adjusting".

To manipulate it, for me means to add something that was not in the photo, or to heavily change something so that the photo is not the same anymore. Photo manipulations based on layering and compositing of different shots, painting on the layers, texture works, are examples of "manipulating".

Anyway, this is just my way to see the thing :)

Just like steeldolphin said, in the real world dark room you have a lot of creative tasks you can apply to your photos. Some photographers say that dark room work is 50% of being a photographer. I'm not complitely agree with that... maybe it's 20-30% :)

Well described ice9. :)

This is a discussion that will never end.
Basically what's already been said here is aceptable by purists like me ( :p ) that believe only small amount of sharpness and contrast is allowed.

I frown upon any kind of photo editing, ie. removing a branch that was in the way etc...
But you are freee to do whatever you want to your photographs.

I place no bar on creativity. If I do, I am sure that I will allow tomorrow what I said no about today. Besides, I like to extend the art of photography to the maximum. No limits.
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