It happens sometimes, I have to introduce Photoshop to people that have, almost never in their lives, touched a computer.
By the end of the first training day, they come up with some "retouched" photos, most of them showing cloned clouds or birds over skies, using the rubber stamp tool. All agree their masterpieces won't fool a child, pull their photos to the trashcan and leave the classroom loughing happily.
None of these photos has ever been as bad as this one!
But this one was manipulated by a professional photographer, trying to put a little more drama to the scene. I don't find shockin, what he did. Photographers show us
their point of view, even if they manipulate their photos, in exactly the same way reporters have always transmit
their point of view, manipulating their texts! We are conscious of that.
What I find shocking, is that the guy didn't see any problem in his photo! I'm sure he didn't see it. It is not possible to release such a photo, being concious of all the consequences - this is the end of a career - if one has previously seen this. The professional photographer's eye, just didn't see any trouble!
I won't come again with the good old days, where the reporters knew how to use their tools, etc. But, after the shutter priority, after the autofocus, after the intelligent light mettering, don't you think, dear photoreporter, you should put just a little bit of brains into your work?
Adobe should sue this guy for slandering Photoshop and its abilities!
The photo comes from one of the sites that published it. It belongs to Reuters.
Tags: phivos, Photoshop, Beirut photo, Reuters, professional photographer