More Than a Rock

What Is Real11

Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the seeking for ideal truth.

—John Ruskin

After teaching a class on image processing, in which I articulated my thoughts on the validity of deviating from the reality of a scene in the name of creative expression, a fellow photographer commented that despite my acceptance of such techniques my images still appeared “natural.” And why wouldn’t they? I intended for them to appear natural.

In thinking about it further, I realized that there was, in fact, a greater issue at play. With so many easily applied computerized shortcuts to aesthetic appeal at our disposal, many people have come to associate their use with obvious, often egregious, visual effects and gimmickry.

I take no issue ...