Is This Photoshopped?

"Is it Photoshopped?" is the question many professional, amateur or hobbyist photographers may face occasionally. I think this perception comes from the ambiguous insight with respect to modern photography. Back in old days, when the film photography was ruling, darkroom was the place where people used to enhance their photos. Transferred from "film" to "digital", image industry brought along new technologies and accompanying software such as Photoshop which essentially do similar tasks as old-fashioned darkroom. Two questions one may ask; is this photo enhanced? Or is it manipulated? Which one is right and which one not? The truth is both are OK depending on what a photographer intends to do. There is a variety of categories in photography and each has its own definition. While in "press photography" and "photojournalism" the use of software such as Photoshop becomes very limited, in artistic or "fine art photography" there are more room to enhance the picture, and ultimately in "creative photography" people are allowed to entirely manipulate their pictures. But one thing, common in all categories, is that Photoshop CAN be used to some degree. Let's have a look at some guidelines out there for these categories:

National Geographic guidelines ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm… expresses some strict rules if you want to participate in any contest or submit your shot in their website. Even stitched or panoramic and HDR photos are not acceptable for them. Similar rules also applies to press photography handbook.reuters.com/index.php… . On the other hand, Photographic Society of America (PSA) tried to define "creative photography" which is interesting to read www.psa-photo.org/files/7413/3…  . It points out what can differentiate a fine line between so-called "conventional" photograph and "creative" photograph and still leaves the discussion open! But it is evident that in this category the artist may alter the taken shot extensively while the base of the art work still remains the initial photograph.

So in general, even the harshest rules, for pictures expressing the reality, still allow them to undergo few touch ups in Photoshop to some extent with Dos and Don'ts as followed based on references above:

Okay:
• Cropping and sharpening
• Adjustment of Levels, highlights and shadows
• Minor color correction
• Careful use of lasso tool
• Subtle use of dodge and burn tools

Not Okay:
• Additions or deletions to image
• Cloning & Healing tool (except dust)
• Airbrush, brush, paint
• Selective area sharpening
• Excessive lightening/darkening and color tone change
• Auto levels
• Blurring
• Quick Mask


Black and White shots are also considered acceptable. Needless to say that all "not allowed" are literally "allowed" in creative photography! Having only 7-8 shots falling in creative category (including panoramic and HDR ones), I personally tend to set out limited use of Photoshop in my photos.  So perhaps the right question should be "How much Photoshop was used?!"