Competitions and cropping

[Tormentil]

I used to love 'messing about' in the dark room; and you're right John D, all the things you can do with digital imaging programmes could be done in the darkroom; even Unsharp Masking. Although this technique was very laborious with film, it is where USM originated.

As to competitions, so many of them ask you to give up rights to your images, I feel it's not worth the kudos. One I was looking at the other week said that the photographer retains copyright, but they reserve the right to use your entry in any media and in anyway they wish. What's the point of them saying your copyright is protected?

[freiston]

[tongue in cheek]I always understood that there is no such thing as a digital image - just digital data that is manipulated so that an [analogue?] image can be projected/printed or whatever - and if that manipulation isn't done with deliberation on the computer, then it is done according to pre-sets and algorithms inside the camera.[/tongue in cheek]

I haven't read the rules but I think the spirit of the requirement is "Images should retain their naturalism and integrity" - it just seems from what has already been written in this thread that care has to be taken to make the rules fit the objective - not easy, I would say.

I suppose there's nothing to stop me (to plagiarise a photo from a magazine,) posing a dead mole in a hole to feign a life-study, then?