Aperture

Photography is a field that intrigues me. Mostly because I'm very inept at it, it might as well be wizard magic condensed into a box. My father is a fantastic photographer. I prefer being a model. *preen*

But one of the things that interests me most is that this medium, at one time a means of showing a moment in time exactly as it was, has transformed into a moment that can be manipulated. I recognize that trick photography has been around for ages, e.g. Victorian ghost photos. But with the advent of computers and Photoshop, our image manipulation abilities have reached new heights. Sometimes these heights are taken to unrealistic extremes but what about something so innocent as color and clarity enhancement, e.g. It makes me question every tourism shot I see. Is that Scottish lake really that beautiful? Was there a day where the sky was that blue and the heather that purple? Or was it a lovely day that was augmented? Colors that were realistic become saturated and eye popping, water is a time-lapsed mist of white. I find this fascinating because it's kind of lying but not in a way that makes me disappointed.

I think there are times and places where colors are that bright and when I take up photography (which I will one day) I want to learn to capture those moments without the filters and digital enhancements. Maybe it can't be done but I'd like to try.