Being a California native I was readily drawn to the scenics and landscapes of Ansel Adams. I studied his work, tried to understand his books, and spent way too much time in the darkroom. Edward Weston was a little more laid back and approachable especially after reading his “Daybooks . . .” and getting a little “borachito” myself. His discipline and dedication to the art and the equal effort he put into the portrait of a green pepper or of a person made me aware of the emotional content of the medium.

Then as I was getting comfortable with still lifes and scenics, I wandered into Yosuf Karsh and the amazing world of fine portraiture and the incredible darkroom manipulation that defined his style. I thought for a time that the studio was the only righteous place to do fine portraiture and then came Arnold Newman who for me redefined the elements in a portrait to include the background and immediate environment. It all mattered and it was beautifully done in gorgeous grays, blacks & whites.

When my turn came, I took my camera to the battlefield and appreciated more the images of Eddie Adams, Robert Capa, and especially Eugene Smith.

I switched from film to digital medium a few years back and felt that a tie to the past had been broken. The visual and artistic demands were still there, but with digital accuracy and point-and-shoot simplicity, it seemed the darkroom was history – I couldn’t have been more wrong. The digital darkroom is cleaner and chemical-free, but the controls and capabilities are even greater than before. The image manipulation and options available in image editing software are simple yet complex -- or as a friend used to say, exactly the same only completely different! Anyone can learn how to improve an image in terms of gross manipulation of exposure or color corrections, but the precise fine-tuning of images, tonal controls of specific areas, and learning the capabilities and limitations of the software is still the domain of wizards – digital wizards instead of chemical wizards, but Wizards nonetheless. The good news is that, with a little hard work and practice, anyone can become a Wizard!

As if to prove my point and to establish an aesthetic continuum with the past, look at the fine art work of Paul Caponigro done in film starting in the 1950’s and then the work of his son John Paul Caponigro whose digital images are amazing and, well, otherworldly. John Paul’s book, “Adobe Photoshop Master Class by John Paul Caponigro” is worth a read by anyone seriously interested in digital manipulation – not just the HOW, but more importantly the WHY.

I’m constantly amazed by the beauty and quality of the photos that are digitally captured by those who are new to the medium. In some cases, it says as much about the technology as it does about the artists. But the image always stands on its own merit and should be credited as such. Hopefully, digital imaging will continue to inspire the photographer in us all and will lead more people to learn about the art, science, and history of the craft.

Here’s a link to Notable Photographers for those interested:

http://photography.about.com/library/dop/bldop_menu.htm