[AlphaZeroOne]

Interesting topic. Brings to mind the old adage: the camera never lies. But the reality is that with the digital age of photography, we have an increasing ability to manipulate information in ways that we couldn't imagine even just a few years ago. It's true that photographers have always been able to manipulate the final image but that was always considered to be part of the skill and art of the professional studio.

Today, with the development of software that becomes more and intuitive to use, anyone with just a basic knowledge and skill level can manipulate the digital information and bring about transformations to images that they would normally have had to accept as being far from perfect. Striving towards perfection, in the eye of the beholder, can almost be seen as 'plastic surgery' for the masses; click of a button here, click of a button there and ... viola; a transformation that can bring sheer joy and delight to the beholder.

And why not! Gone are the days when we had to accept mediocrity as the standard. (Remember the rolls and rolls of film we sent off with first class stamp and high hopes, and the utter disappointment felt when the sorry results were returned.)

The digital age of photography will swell the ranks of photographers and now, with the learning of some new skills, many more are able to produce results that at least approach those of the professionals. The many examples of outstanding photographs on the this site stand as evidence to that - I am still amazed and agog at the high standards. Only the purists will object. But their outcrys will be drowned out by the sighs of statisfaction as amateurs like me are able to transform a disappointing experience into something to be proud of and is much nearer to our perception of the perfect photograph. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. And to able to remove that offending twig that ruins the perfect shot; plastic surgery for the masses and big smiles all around!