Digitally enhanced photo?

[jbrowning]

Hello all, what constitutes a digitally enhanced photo? I am looking at entering a contest and they have a division just for them. What I'm wanting to make sure of is if I get a good picture and enter into the non digitally enhanced division and I had used my computer to work with contrast and lightening and darkening. Would that be classified as a digitally enhanced photo and how particular are photo contests about this?

Thanks
Jim

[rburgoss]

Much has been debated on this topic since the appearance of the digital era (photoshop and others). Many "purists" claim that anything done to the original image is an "enhancement", but to be honest, such enhancements have been made by protographers long before computers existed.

From the moment you choose a wide angle or a tele, or black and white film or as simple as the use of a filter, you are "altering" reality. Darkroom techniques too did their share of enhancements, from contrast altering to burning and dodging under the enlarger. The use of chemicals to "crack" emulsions, shift colors (sepia and selenuim toners for example) and even the basic scissor and glue technique, all mean "enhancing" or "altering reality". Think about double exposures

When the subject of "digital enhancements" shows up, 99% of the time they refer to altering reality to a point that no longer resembles the original image.

To me (and many in the graphic arts community) a digitally enhanced image is one that lacks something that existed in the original, or has something that was not part of the original. This includes of course, retouching (cloning out things) or embedding objects from other images into one image.

Of course, digital enhancements include the use of software plugins (canvas, oil painting, distort, etc) even if done over a virginal image, no matter if it was done with digital camera or scanner from negative or slide.

Contrast enhancement by sections, color shifts and balancing and cropping even done digitally, are not considered "digital enhancements"

In matter of competition (contests = photo) you better get the straight rules upfront to avoid surprises. Not everyone thinks the same.

Robert

[Wheatfield]

Originally Posted by jbrowning

Hello all, what constitutes a digitally enhanced photo? I am looking at entering a contest and they have a division just for them. What I'm wanting to make sure of is if I get a good picture and enter into the non digitally enhanced division and I had used my computer to work with contrast and lightening and darkening. Would that be classified as a digitally enhanced photo and how particular are photo contests about this?

Thanks
Jim

As Roberto says, get the rules spelled out.
For me, digital enhancement is anything that can be done on a computer that cannot be done, or at least not done relatively easily, in the darkroom or retouching table.
I don't think anyone will spank you for cloning sensor dust, but they might get uppity if you start removing people and power lines from an otherwise pristine landscape.
My guess, from what I know about photo contests is that if the picture looks digitally enhanced, it will be presumed to be digitally enhanced, if it looks like a fairly straight print, then it will be presumed to be a straight print.
Which means, it is up to the judge's discretion if the picture is categorized incorrectly, so if you are going to "enhance" it, make it worth your while.

[jbrowning]

Thanks I called them a little bit ago and they said. Anything done is photoshop will be classified as digitally enhanced exept for resizing the canvas so the photo is a 4x6 print.

Thanks
Jim

Sorry for putting this in the wrong area.