It’s all just an illusion.

So many times, photographers are overly obsessed with copying or recording reality, but what is reality? Is it the way nature truly exists or is it constructed in our minds. If you’re inclined to read article to help understand this phenomenon, go here.

This visual interpretation of reality truly comes into play with our visual art, photography. What some see as reality may be quite different than what others see as reality. This is why I have become a huge fan of post-processing my images. In many cases it may be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove distractions from a scene. Sure, I could take time and move trash, trim the brush and leaves but then the light may be different. If we set up additional light sources, we have altered reality. If we setup a backdrop, we have altered reality.

In my view of the world, I see light, shadow, and vibrant colors when looking at a scene to photograph. In my reality, the camera does not always record the scene the way I viewed it at the time, therefore, I must re-create the scene in post-processing. Is it altering reality or is it bringing my reality back for others to view? I like to believe it to be the latter.