Monday, February 09, 2009

Philosophy and Photography

Can't I just sew without playing with the computer?

Apparently not.

Holly and I have been talking about the future of "unretouched photos." What does that mean, even now? This photo is an original. It was a PREtouched photo, though--not a plain photo but a heat-sensitive thing. There was a lamp by the sewing machine. But it is, by itself, as it is, an unretouched photo.

I've been talking with Holly about things to use as examples at the Thinking Sticks blog and so that might be coming in a few days. Please think of photos you have, too, maybe that are not what is traditionally considered "unretouched" and if anyone here knows the current term for just-plain-light no-tricky-filters photography, please let me know.

3 comments:

mandaroo63 said...

A term photographers use for a photo untouched by processing after the shot (such as with photoshop) is called Straight out of camera, or SOOC. Many photographers take pride in having really great SOOCs, because they feel it shows their true talent & skills in using their equipment (properly or as intended). There's some really strong feelings about it sometimes in photo groups.... I think it's a mostly film camera thing...
Having said that, I think it's really cool when you can take a really unusual shot/perspective without editing it, intended or not. I usually label SOOC in tags when I do so, mostly for my own reference.

Laura/CenterDownHome said...

My daughter and I were watching a news piece on Walter Ioos, sports photographer. He was talking about some of the "once in a lifetime" shots he had captured, and they were amazing. But Meredith, 21, said, "He could just photoshop that stuff, now, I guess."

I never thought of it that way, but, yeah. So, SOOC, huh? Good to know.

Schuyler said...

I found an interesting set of pictures today that reminded me of this. They are straight out of the camera and are very cool.