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Is That Photo Real?

That's a question someone left in the comments of one of my images. I haven't answered yet. I couldn't think of the "short version". 

Let's leave off with the pithy comeback that first danced across my mind, "Do you mean, as opposed to a figment of your imagination?"

Nah … let's not go there. 

How about, "Do you mean, did I process it myself on my own computer, as opposed to letting the computer in the camera process it?" Since that's what we are talking about here. Because, you know, what comes straight out of a camera isn't any more "real" than what an artist envisions for a capture, after the fact.

Truth is tendency. Reality is relative.

While the mechanics of the filters we humans use to perceive the "reality" around us vary from those which a camera uses, we still have filters in place that modify the "factual" information we receive from our environment. Those filters, eyesight, hearing, smell, etc., create an infinite variety of realities, person to person. A man with acute hearing might find living among the din of the inner city extremely irritating and unhealthful. That's his reality relative to one of his filters and the post-processing of that information in his brain.

The filters that exist within cameras to capture and record information also vary greatly from camera to camera, so that the "realities" that each produces come with myriad variabilities. As well, in-camera filtering and processing is evolving, so that the "reality" captured and reproduced tomorrow won't necessarily be the same as yesterday's.

So, here is my reality: based on physical and economic reasons, I shoot with a very small camera. The noise it gives me, because of its tiny sensor, is not the "reality" I received while shooting, and I shouldn't be bound within its limitations to fully express the mood I found when I was at the location.

Case in point, here is the image which was questioned: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103698889037599783920/posts/YV6keAuRq4p. That was the sunset I experienced while standing on a rooftop during a party downtown. Is it straight out of the camera? No. The final result is a stitch of three images in panorama, denoised, and the colors brought up to the reality that I experienced while gaping at an amazing phenomenon of our world, the awe I felt at its splendor and the good fortune I acknowledged to be there at that moment.

Is this photo real?

If you've slogged through this tome to get this far, that's probably the question you came to have answered.

I've often said, if you want reality, you can walk out the door. Your reality is all around you, and you don't need my perception of it to make it real to you. As well, as an artist, I enjoy envisioning what could be, and sharing that vision with everyone. 

Does the Potomac meander past the foot of the Lincoln Memorial? Well, maybe … if it overflowed during a month long deluge onto the car-clogged parkway that actually exists there. However, "car-clogged parkway" wasn't consistent with the mood that I had while viewing this amazing light descending upon the memorial. My camera didn't "see" my mood either. Stupid camera. 

So, I created a new reality. One that shows you what I felt instead. Because I wasn't focused on the cars zipping past … I was only aware of being near the river, seeing this structure … and this light … this dazzling, elegant, exquisite light.

And that's the reality I wanted to show you.




 


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#BreakfastClub with huge thanks to Gemma Costa and Breakfast Club
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Comments

  1. the view looks nice to have a romantic evening!!!!!!!!!

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  2. great shot , wonderful reflection, thanks for sharing with Breakfast Club

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  3. Heheh, great read and lovely image! :)

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  4. Robin Griggs Wood  You really should not have to tell people HOW you did it!  Its like having to explain every-time....         I love your creativity!

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  5. ya it wud be 1 to remember!!!!!!!!!!

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  6. great imagery and vision
    - and words :-)

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  7. Beautiful image! Good morning to you Robin. :D

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  8. Great post Robin Griggs Wood !!  I happen to love your reality!  It always makes me drool...   :)

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  9. Artistic license is hard to explain to non-artists.

    Beautifully done, Robin.

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  10. Beautiful processing and I love seeing what your imagination can create :)  Robin Griggs Wood 
    Thanks too for sharing with #colormeweekly

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  11. Your photography is art. It's beautiful, and your explanation is a great way to get us all thinking.

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  12. I just love your writing. And your work of course but your words always suck me in :)

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  13. regina grant -- :o)
    Scott Norris -- thanks!
    Gemma Costa -- thank you, dear!
    Brad Buckmaster -- thank you, my friend!

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  14. Jason Jakober -- thanks, my friend!
    Sheila B. DuBois -- thank you, dear!
    Bill Kemp -- I said as much in my post.
    Michael A Koontz -- thank you ... :o)

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  15. Kurt Harvey -- thank you, my friend ... and good morning to you! (Well, I hope it's still morning for you ... I don't know where you are exactly ... ;oD)
    Dawn Carl -- thank you so much, dear!
    Richard Harlos -- oh, I love that ... ;oD ... and thank you for the kind words, my friend!

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  16. Martin Heller -- well said ... and thank you for the kind words as well.
    Rosie Nixon -- thank you so much, dear!
    Terrie Gray -- that's kind of you to say ... thank you ... :o)

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  17. He he, I usually answer questions like that with things like "I sure hope so because I know I was there. That or it was one mean acid trip". He he he. Great shot friend! ;-)

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  18. Maki Silberberg -- oh, thank you for saying that. At least I'm genuine in my ingenuousness ... ;oD (I have no idea what I just said there ... hahaha! Maybe "authentic in my inauthenticity"?) ... hugs to you!
    Tamara Pruessner -- hahaha! You betcha! ... and I wear my FAKER badge with pride ... ;oD. Thank you, dear!

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  19. Alexander Nolting -- thank you
    Mark Esguerra -- hahaha! ... that's a good one!
    Thank you, my friend! Have a great weekend ahead .... :o)

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  20. Well said, Robin ... difference between journalism photography and art photography.  Like both images & the Potomac looks a heck of a lot better than a parking lot.

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  21. Mike Culver -- thank you, my friend!
    Bill Kemp -- oh, I was aware there would be lots of folks that knew what was actually at that location. ... ;o). Thank you for reading and adding your thoughts ... :o)

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  22. Thanks for sharing your mood. I hope you dont mind me recycling some of your reality argument in court after my next speeding ticket ;)

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  23. a great truth you have put into words, love the image!

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  24. Daryoosh M -- I wish my words could help. Sadly, courts seem to have their own prevailing "reality" ... ;o7

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  25. The honest feelings of what you envision is the reason I enjoy what you share each day. The silly part of me wondered if a rubber ducky could float on by in this image :)

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  26. Diana Boyd -- thank you, dear!
    Anna Lowry -- ;oD ... (no one said you had to, dear .. ;o))

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  27. Robin Griggs Wood I'm in the SF Bay Area actually  :)

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  28. Great picture and I love the article too . Time and again every photographer has to face these questions and everybody seems to give a look like "uhhh....." but they are the same people who says "I like B&W photographs"....do they not realize the world does not come in B&W, isn't that the biggest manipulation.

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  29. Nice work. 

    Photos are a reduction from a very specific point of view and specific point of interest. They reduce 4D (space and time) to 2D (if printed), or just to pixel values noted in a file and reproduced in an application.
     
    The camera follows our settings, and all settings produce a unique reproduction of these settings. 

    Any development on the material (needed or not) will alter again.

    To even think about the absolute term of "reality" -- when looking at any picture -- shows how little the medium is understood in the first place.

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  30. LOL Robin Griggs Wood !!  See? love your play on words.

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  31. Craig Szymanski -- ah dang, I forgot to add the ducky!!! ... ;oD (He's there, in my mind now, and irretrievable ... ;o)) Thank you, my friend.
    Kurt Harvey -- oh, we're practically neighbors then!! ... ;oD. (Well, I'm a "wee bit" south ... but we're "time neighbors" ... ;o))

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  32. One can get existential about real or not real or simply accept that any image is real for what it is. The sky/sunset picture would look just like that to many people and not like it at all to many others.
    I wonder how many times Canaletto had to answer that question about his paintings? :)

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  33. Ratul Maiti -- good point! ... and thank you ... :o)
    Sassi Sassmannshausen -- always such wise words from you. Thank you for adding your ideas.

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  34. Maki Silberberg -- ;oD ... thanks, dear!
    Enzo Ros -- thank you!

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  35. Richard Ball -- dude, you made me go and look up Canaletto ... ;oD. Thanks for adding your thoughts ... :o)

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  36. Well, I do know really good when I see it ! Of coarse that's just my own perception :)

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  37. Well Said Robin Griggs Wood ; I not knowing much about photography . Wouldn't Question your ability of your passion . Seeing you've made it quite obvious . What you capture and share is Real !!!! Which BTW this photo is Beautiful as well ! : )

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  38. Chris Bagley -- and I'm not about to argue with anyone's reality! ... ;oD. Thank you, my friend ... ;o)
    Jen Baptist -- thank you, dear!
    nicole leary -- aw, thank you so much for saying that, dear!

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  39. Can I just say I love you??? And not in a weirdo kind of way. ;) In a BAM! You're-an-amazing-tell-it-how-it-is, you rock! kind of way. I wish I had time to say more because I have some thoughts, but I don't at the moment. :( Regardless, this is an amazing reality you have here!!! :D

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  40. Robin Griggs Wood I love your reply to "Is this photo real? " What a thought provoking response. I loved it. The photographer's eye is it, but the camera does not always see what we saw or felt at that moment. Not to mention that the same scene is never the same-the light, time of day, weather, where one is standing. Wow!

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  41. Great post Robin Griggs Wood :) For real!

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  42. Christin McLeod -- sure you can say that ... I love you, too, dear! ... :o). I am often moved by the words you write (well ... er ... except when they stick there in your head ... then I just wait with drooling anticipation ... ;oD) Thank you and hugs to you!

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  43. Lori Crockett -- thank you and for your great comment!

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  44. Johan Peijnenburg -- hahaha! ... thank you, my friend!

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  45. Great read! Your reality looks wonderful!

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  46. Your words are as beautiful as this picture,as the light you want to show. Thank you now I have my answer. So it is a figment of your imagination..Imagination  is sometimes, most times better than reality..

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  47. Shelly Gunderson -- thank you, dear!
    Satu-Marja Salmi -- thank you somuch!
    hegde supriya -- what a great comment ... wise words! And thank you, as well ... :o)

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  48. Probably one of the best photography posts so far on G+. Thanks for sharing.

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  49. What a wonderful real image. Thank you for sharing it with The Magic of Light

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  50. Richard Ball - I had to look up Canaletto as well :)

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  51. Agreed with all you said... someone said everything is relative, so are the perceptions ;)

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  52. La percibo realmente verdadero con iluminación, y esplendor muy profesional, que llama la atención visualmente. Atractiva, grandiosa. :)

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  53. Amazing, and so eloquently stated. You're an artist. I wouldn't expect you to deliver "reality" - whatever that even means. His question to you should have been, "Robin, when can I sign up for your next mentorship so that I can become an artist like you?" Oh, and by the way, Robin Griggs Wood I wouldn't mind knowing the answer to that question either O:-) [cough, cough. wink, wink.] ;-)

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  54. Each thing we perceive exists only through the filter of the mind brain interface, so your interpretation of reality is as valid as any, and more beautiful than most!

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  55. Your image is gorgeous!!  I'm glad you did away with the highway!!  It wouldn't be in my reality either!!  Beautiful! Thanks for sharing with the #LandscapePhotography theme!!  It's my pleasure to share this to the Landscape Photography theme page!!

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  56. Ron Bearry -- thank you for saying that ... I'm glad you liked it ... :o)
    Ray Bilcliff -- thank you so much, my friend!
    Patricia dos Santos Paton -- thank you!
    Craig Szymanski -- ;o))

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  57. Vishal Rastogi -- thank you
    Paul Paradis -- merci ... :o)
    Joseph Vedikunnel -- thank you for your comment ... :o)

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  58. Vilma Rodriguez -- ¡gracias!
    Simos Xenakis -- Thank you for the great comment, my friend! And, I am so very sorry that I am delayed on my next mentorship ... between catching up on life duties from the large group last time and a few minor difficulties, I've not quite come up for air yet. I've just made a circle for folks that I will want to notify for the next one and put you in it .. :o)

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  59. Blaze O'Rama -- thank you for the kind comment!
    Margaret Tompkins -- it's so nice to have your wonderful energy around, dear ... and thank you!

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  60. WOW..whatever it is, it is great Robin Griggs Wood

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  61. Thanks for putting me into that circle, Robin... and no worries! Apologize to no one! Take your time recovering and rejuvenating. It's only right for us if it's right for you :-)

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  62. Stunning light and capture Robin Griggs Wood

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  63. Like I said earlier, even your paintings are so close to a real life scene ! We enjoy your art whether its a photo, a painting or a mixture of both. We are only grateful that we get to enjoy so much beauty on an everyday basis. Along with the wonderful words from you,  these inspires us, encourages us and makes us to stop and think about our own lives for a while and all this results in us becoming a little better with each of your posts.

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  64. great post Robin Griggs Wood - I have begun to approach photography much like I do going to the movies, I go to be entertained and be taken away from the place I live albeit for just a short time.  I don't think about things like "he wouldn't be able to do that" or seeing a place I recognize thinking "that's not what is on the other side of that bridge".  Viewing or creating photos for me is very much the same thing - unless they are being presented as journalistic, I just try to enjoy them and not question.  
    One additional thing that could be added about reality is that I could shoot something and not manipulate colors etc. and still not make it look real - all I need to do is change my point of view, or even shutter speed and the image could look completely different than what is real.

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  65. beautiful photo and agree with what you and Christopher Germano said.

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  66. Awak intan fhm saya ok ni dilah yang com ??

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  67. Robin Griggs Wood Awesome shot!!!

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