Wanna Start a Fight on Vivid Light? That's how an email from Joe Farace started out.  Joe shared with me the following email exchange with his friend MP regarding the motorcycle image on the left: “Did you enjoy the motorcycle show?” “Yes,” I say, “here is a photo I made”. Then he says: “Is that a photograph or an illustration?”  So I says: “Aren’t they the same thing; it doesn’t matter if you use a pen, pencil, or camera does it?”

So what do you think folks? Once you modify an image in Photoshop does it become an illustration and cease to be a photo? Is every photo simply a type of illustration? Is there a difference? And if you modify a photo in Photoshop are you doing something wrong if you still call it a photo?

Here is a sample of reader's replies:

• Name: Brian

Opinion

Once you change an image it ceases to be a photograph. even if all you do is sharpen it. A photograph is what was in front of your lens. No more. No Less

• Name: Martin Kaiser

Opinion

Brian, that's ridiculous. Are you trying to tell me that all those black and white negs I dodged and burned in the dark room weren't photos?

• Name: Brian

Opinion

The comparison doesn't apply. How much do you really change an image in teh darkroom compared to a computer?

• Name: Martin Kaiser

Opinion

Son you've obviously never been in a darkroom. You can do a lot to a photograph. Just look at what Ansel Adams was able to accomplish. Pick up his book the Print. You'll be amazed and what you can do with some good old fashioned chemicals.

• Name: Freeman

Opinion

according to www.dictionary.com

photo is a picture of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide; recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material.

photograph is an image, especially a positive print, recorded by a camera and reproduced on a photosensitive surface.

And illustration is an artwork that helps make something clear or attractive.

So, I guess, if a patricular artwork was make for a specific purpose, to define or help explain something is an illustation, otherwise it would be a photo. It's depend on what the intention of the creator is.

From my own personal opinion, does it matter? I'm not a true american, wasn't born and raise in the US nor English is my first language. To me photo, photograph and illustration are just words, they don't mean anything, it's just another form of an artwork.

• Name: Kevin Parnell

Opinion

It is still a photo as long as you do nothing more to it than you would in a traditional darkroom, or with a special effect filter on your lense. Dodge, burn, masking, etc are all things you could do in a darkroom. You going to tell me that Ansel Adam's work isn't a photography because he did a lot of darkroom processing?

• Name: Brian

Opinion

If he substantially changed the negative then it's an illustration fo the scene and not a true photograph. Besides the reasons are different. WShen Adams was shooting the quality of film was much less. Today you CAN capture what is in front of your lens. Resorting to Photoshop tricks just means you're not a good enough photographer to actually capture the image

This was just a sample or reader's opinions
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