South Devon Photography by Ivybridge Photographer Mark Coombs

News Press Releases Articles Equipment	Fake Boobs and HDTV That got your attention, well you're here now aren't you. This article is not actually about fake boobs and HDTV but about photography and digital manipulation but these subjects do play a part in this article. Let me explain. I was at the Great Create Festival of Arts displaying a selection of my images when an elderly gentleman approached and began to look through my mounted prints. He picked up Harford Moor	Harford Moor Dawn
	Dawn, studied it and then asked me if I had a selection of skies. I didn't reply straight away as it took a few seconds for the question to register in my non Photoshop brain. He then said do you use different skies and drop them in to the photos. Whilst my blood boiled inside, being a professional, I kept my composure and had to explain to him that I do not have a selection of skies and that the photo is exactly as it was. I went on to explain that I got out of bed at 03:30 to be up on Dartmoor before sunrise to take the shot. I went on to say that I had done my research and checked the weather the day before, worked out where the sun would rise, where I was going to go and what I planned to photograph. He shrugged and walked off.
	The following month I was at the Yealmpton Show with my display of images. Another gentleman came up and examined my image of Hope Cove. He said the cliff face wasn't that colour was it. I said it was and went on to explain that the photo was taken on a cold winters day when the sun was low in the sky which helped bring out the vivid colour. He said it can't be and said I must have used the magic wand tool in Photoshop and then enhance the colour. The blood began to boil again and again I had to explain that I don't manipulate my images. He must have noticed my reaction as	Hope Cove 3
	he changed tack about digital manipulation and went on to say that digital manipulation had a detrimental affect on photographers using film and don't manipulate their images. We spoke a while longer then he went on his way wishing me luck with my photography.
	So what has all this got to do with fake boobs and HDTV. Well since starting up my photography passion again after a 20 year break digital photography has come on leaps and bounds and appears to have taken over from traditional film photography. Since the digital explosion and the introduction of Photoshop, photography, in my opinion, has taken a turn for the worse. Whilst I don't disregard digital photography, I do have a digital camera and have used Photoshop, (although I must say I've only just worked out layers whilst producing a poster), in my opinion digital photography has had a detrimental affect on photographers who use film and produce their images in camera. This is where fake boobs and HDTV come in to the article. To me the digital explosion has had a detrimental affect on the way we see things and expert to see things. Too many things these days are fake, over saturated and manipulated. Take HDTV for example. When I look at a HDTV and then look around me, things aren't that sharp or colourful. When I see images of women in various magazines (no not that sort) it's fake boobs and air brushing. The same goes for some, not all, digital photography. Images are too sharp, over saturated, over HDR'd and have been manipulated in some way. The unfortunate thing is this is what people expect to see now and if a photograph is a stunning looking image then some people assume it must be digitally manipulated in some way and that is what makes my blood boil. Don't get me wrong I'm not against digital photography. I don't see anything dishonest with removing a stray crisp packet that has blown in to shot and ruined a perfect image or corrected/adjusted to represent what was there at the time the shutter was released. Just don't over do it and don't just assume that a good image with impact has been digitally manipulated. Now whenever I do a show I put up a sign saying these images have not been digitally manipulated and I also point out to people that the majority of my images are produced using slide film. The feedback has been really positive when I point this out and the majority I've spoken have to are very supportive and applaud what I do, the way I do it and the fact that I use film.