Once a photograph is manipulated, it's no longer a photograph.

In 2014, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, Narciso Contreras was fired from The Associated Press over a published photograph. The photograph depicts a Syrian war rebel holding a gun. Conteras removed a camera shown in the original photograph in the left side of the frame. Why was Conteras fired? Because the image was photoshoped. Referenced visual: http://www.slrlounge.com... This practice has destroyed the careers of thousands of photojournalists. Many news agencies are having increasing problems with images being photoshopped in recent years. Not only is it unethical, it is not a photograph. As recently as two weeks ago, In Touch Weekly Magazine featured the likeliness of Bruce Jenner as a cover story. In Touch photoshoped makeup and used the image of British actress Stephanie Beacham to substitute the body of a female with the head on Jenner, Is this an image of Jenner, or Beacham? It"s neither. Referenced visual http://images.complex.com... A photograph represents a moment in time, an event as it happened. If an image is alerted , then the minds are altered of those who view the image, giving an unrealistic depiction of events that have occurred. If you take a photo of a sunset, photoshop add color to the sky, add some clouds, that"s how you will remember the sunset years later, that photograph was not taken as is, it is not pure. Pure photography or straight photography refers to photography that attempts to depict a scene as realistically and objectively as permitted by the medium, renouncing the use of manipulation. Many photography contests ban the very use of photoshop in competition. Photoshop verb, pho"to"shop often capitalized \G2;f!3;-(G6;)t!3;-G6;sh"pDefinition of PHOTOSHOP transitive verb : to alter (a digital image) with Photoshop software or other image-editing software especially in a way that distorts reality (as for deliberately deceptive purposes) Photoshop is the manipulation of an image As shows above, the definition from Merriam-Webster"s, the defination clearly states photoshop "distorts reality" and photoshop is the "manipulation of an image". So,where does that leave photoshop? It"s art! Photoshop is an enhancement or creation with the image used as a foundation. Photoshop is as creative as your mind, if you can paint a visual in your head, it can be done in Photoshop. Photoshop is an amazing canvas, but at what point do we not call it a photograph? Would Salvador Dali consider this a photograph or art? Referenced visual https://lockeone.files.wordpress.com... It"s impossible to know without asking him, and that"s a bit of a problem seeing how he is dead and all, but Dali would have been fascinated with the use of a photograph mixed in with one of his painting.. One must also wonder if Frida Kahlo, GEORGES BRAQUE, REN" MAGRITTE and the thousands of other revered artists who"s time was before photoshop, if they would have been graphic designers? For many graphics the image is the blueprint Charcoal, paint, wood, cement, metal and photoshop are amazing mediums. A photograph represents truth, a photoshoped image in enhanced truth or a false truth. We have all seen nice images of a city at night time that"s over exposed. The nights are bright and trails from car lights drag across the frame, so it can be argued that long exposure (or time lapse) is manipulation, however, if your vision slowed down to the cameras shutter, then this is exactly how you would see it, if the vehicles speed up, this is how your natural eye would see it also. In closing, ask yourself 3 honest yes or no questions, below are 3 links even, though they were taken with a camera, do you consider these photographs? Yes or no. http://mycoolpix.com... http://www.pieway.com... http://3.bp.blogspot.com...