While explaining the technical details of my post work would be easy, going into my mindset/thoughts while taking an image would probably be difficult for me. While I go in with an idea of what I want, I think for me the moment I trip the shutter is something that is non-verbal. It's closer to a feeling. When I shoot, especially if I'm shooting an event where there is no set plan for what the subject is going to do, I go into a place without words.

In fact, if I start thinking of what I'm doing as I'm shooting I can screw myself up. Thinking can cause hesitation for me and that can make you miss that decisive moment. It's one of the reasons I hate when people want to talk to you when you're trying to photograph something.

As for the other stuff. I have no idea what fake and real mean when talking photography. In my mind, unless you're a photo-journalist, as an artist you do what you need to do to have your image portray what it is you want to get across. I don't think there's any more purity or value in "this image is straight out of camera - no postwork at all".

Digital postwork is no different than darkroom postwork. It's just a lot faster and less smelly. Even photo purists who look down their collective noses at any darkroom manipulation are themselves manipulating the image just by their choice of film, crop, developer (both film and paper), paper, condenser head, temps and timing.

My $0.02 worth.

-=>Donald