A Picture Worth a Thousand Words (and dozens of threads)

Alright, I'm a shutterbug. There, I've admitted that I like taking and seeing (what I consider to be) quality photographs. Worse, I like writing about it. So, after getting "pointed" for "highjacking" threads about it, I'm actually starting one.

I know it's been beaten to death (and there are likely photos to prove it), but hell, it's as good as the regular "what position (or client) (or provider) (or penis size) is your favorite" threads we see so often.

So, as someone who has had a serious photography hobby for decades let me start the fireworks with two observations of fact and two questions of controversy.

Fact one, a cell phone photo can be just as "photoshoped" as any other photo, except, of course that there generally isn't much detail there to start with as far as skin smoothing etc.

Fact two, not all "professional" or "semi-professional" photos are "air brushed" "over edited" "over photoshoped" etc.

Question one, if the cell phone shot in the bathroom mirror is more indicative of what a lady "really looks like" does that mean she will be orange and fuzzy when you see her at the door?

Question two, if cell phone type cameras are better at showing how someone/something really looks, why doesn't the DOD use that technology in their spy satelites?

Look, it's subjective, WALDT here. So to each his/her own. If you like the cell phone shots, that's great, but there is simply no way that it is any more "real" than the other photos. Details obscured by low resolution jpegs shot through smudged cheap lenses are just as obscured as those wiped out by the clone tool and guassian blur in photoshop.

Here are a few simple steps that can help with the cell phone shots.

http://www.digital-photography-schoo...a-camera-phone

And there really, really is no reason to trash the guys/gals who would like to start photo businesses or build a portfolio, or just have fun taking photos. If you don't want to use their services that's great, but hacking away at their adds would be like posting how you wouldn't see this or that provider because of whatever.

Variety (and hopefully civility) are what the hobby is (should) be about. Personally I'd like to see it extended to all facets.

Regards,

PS. I added these in case folks clicked here to see a photo and were disappointed. In the interest of full disclosure, I freely confess that I did use Photoshop on the following images. Lindsey and Chelsea are not, in fact, monochromatic.