Photographer versus Artist

It has become more apparent to me that I am not a photographer, but rather an artist who uses a camera. The difference is that I work to create a photograph more than just take a photograph. While I strive to get the best result at the time I take the initial photograph it is not complete until I work it. For me, it is important to recognize that camera is ruthless. It sees and records everything. In many instances we can include or exclude elements we want but then there are times we have little to no control what may be in a scene. Let’s take the image above as an example. 

I won’t say the image was “heavily” manipulated but it was manipulated more than just basic edits such as saturation, and sharpening. There were reflections caused by lights and the wet pavement I found distracting. There were also some street signs, and other distractions that I could not have otherwise eliminated at the time I took the photograph. For me, it is about creating a piece rather than just recording it.