fbpx

Photoshopped Image Pulled from Competition

By Beacon Staff

Judges in this year’s Picture of the Year contest in Denmark asked three photographers to present their RAW files for comparison with their original submitted images. In my understanding of the article by Jens Tønnesen, the Web master for the Danish Union of Press Photographers, only one was disqualified. To see all three images in question and the full story (only recently translated into English) by Tønnesen go (here).

According to an article on NPPA’s Web site (here):

Christensen disagreed with the outcome. “In my opinion, a RAW file … has nothing to do with reality and I do not think you can judge the finished images and the use of Photoshop by looking at the RAW file,” he told Tønnesen.

As a result, Christensen told Tønnesen that from now on he’ll participate in contests with photographs that are only “in black-and-white.”

Christensen’s comment about RAW being any more “real” is a point at least worth debate, but does he think ethical concerns only arise because the image is in color?