Editing - Cheating or Essential?

Throughout your photography journey, someone will inevitably use the phrase "but that's photoshopped" when discussing your creative process. This begs the question: is editing a photo considered cheating, or is it actually an essential part of creating an image?

First, let's define editing. It can encompass anything from minor adjustments to composition, light, and color correction to more complex work like removing objects or creating elaborate artworks in Photoshop.

Cameras are not perfect! They aren't magical devices that can read your mind and create your vision with a single click. More often than not, a photo needs slight tweaks to accurately reflect the scene you captured. Then comes the creative touch, your personal style as a photographer. This style becomes recognizable – you see a photo somewhere and can almost instantly identify the photographer behind it.

However, photo editing also has a more elaborate side, which is where purists might object. Most would agree that photography is an art form, akin to painting, drawing, and sculpting. So why limit artistic expression? We wouldn't discredit Vincent van Gogh's artistic interpretation of the night sky, would we?

Each photographer possesses a unique style – that's the beauty of it. We can stand in the same location and yet produce vastly different images. A significant part of this undoubtedly lies in the creative process that extends beyond the camera, encompassing how we approach a shoot and then refine the photos.

Just as a professional chef wouldn't serve raw, uncooked ingredients, (unless it’s sushi!) why would you present your photos unedited?

Let’s have a look at a few before and after shots shall we 😀