Did you Photoshop that?

I’ve seen people ask the question, “did you Photoshop that?”, not only of some of my work but also the work of others. In the past, I have answered that question with the statement, “I use a variety of techniques both when taking a photograph and in its development to achieve the look I envision”. As time goes on, I am beginning to think the question is an attempt to discredit the work. I am rarely a documentary-style photographer. My goal is to create works that I like and hopefully, others may find interesting or compelling. So does it really matter if I “Photoshopped” an image?

If the photograph was taken using film we don’t often see the question asked about the process used to develop the film or the final print.

Digital processing techniques often had beginnings in the chemical darkroom. Dodging, burning, retouching, Few questioned those techniques but somehow many feel compelled to question current digital processes.

Just like I’ve said about photography gear. The results matter, not the tools used to get there. There are a select few photography genres that require a documentary style with little to no development beyond the initial exposure but the rest, it is open to the vision of the artist. I’m not sure how I will answer the question, “did you use Photoshop” or “did you Photoshop that” in the future except that it depends on the context in which the question is asked.