"Furthermore, I seriously doubt that the majority of photographers create their own scenes to be photographed..." Actually, quite a few do. A substantial amount of photography is involved with table top work for product shots or still life. Another huge segment is fashion based. In these instances the photographers choose or control almost every aspect of the "scene", including its content. In fact, it is interesting to compare the fashion photographer to the hypothetical digital artist as per the original question. The photographer "buys" the characters when hiring the model. S/he doesn't "buy" the pose but the pose often follows the trends and styles of the moment. Props are typically purchased rather than constructed from scratch. The lighting frequently follows standard setups to achieve the desired effect. As for textures, there are limits to what one can do with a model's complexion and the clothing being advertised will certainly not be altered in in any significant manner. So what is left for the photographer to do? Apparently quite a lot- which is why some fashion photographers eat hamburger while others command fame and fortune for their stylistic efforts. - Jack