how far do you go when appling filters or change a picture in adobe i think you guys say postwork. :example; lets say you have taken a reasonable picture of sunlight through trees its not really good enough to show anyone, but after applying various filters/ colour changes you have then transformed this pic into something interesting.now i know thats not very clever or skillful but is it not the end result that count.im keen to learn so i would appreciate your comments.

That swing goes both ways here - you've got people who do a lot of postwork, and you have people who don't. As far as "how far is too far" - it depends on the final result you want to achieve. The key is in learning control over whatever tools you use - being able to previsualize and then create towards that previsualization. (Personally, I'm not much of a fan of "dumb-luck" works - I mean, give an infinite number of monkeys and infinite number of typewriters - one of them will write Hamlet.

I like to play in various programs taking a bit from here and a bit from there to render the final image. In this case it's a wireframe from bryce, all of rest of it is postwork in PS elements. Sometimes i'll use photo images it all depends on what you see. There are no rules

Digital processes offer such exciting possibilities! [Welcome to the Forum, David.] We are pretty eclectic here, and sometimes post some wild non-photography stuff, just because our friends hang out here, and we want to share what we are doing. Generally, folks find the warmest reception for their work if they target the Galleries and Forums set up for the different media. [And "mixed media" has to take in anything! They took in PunkC, afterall.] Wolfie's answer seemed to hit del's question pretty squarely correct. Digital offers a vast array of tools, many of which are equivalent to what can be done with conventional wet processes. Ultimately, it is the photographer's skill that creates the final image. Check out some of our Galleries; various styles!

I almost never use any filters other than the occasional Unsharp Mask in photoshop, mostly what I use it for is levels and color balance, but every now and then I need to do alot, just for fun, anyway, maybe what I said would've been longer or made more sense, and Wolfsnap, don't forget if its an -infinite- number of monkeys, they'll instantaneously create an infinite amount of every single piece of literature ever written and that will ever be written, along with every single possible combination of letters, it kinda voids it a bit doesn't it? .) I still want to see exactly what infinite monkeys at typewriters looks like.

as far as I damn well please. I dont care what anyone else thinks of the work. I've done some multiple enlarger prints in a darkroom that many people were convinced were 100% photoshopped, which they weren't, so in the end, people dont know what they're talking about anyways says I.

personally I think if we have ainfinite number of monkies with typewriter NOTHING will be written because they will destroy the typewriters. Bsteph

Like Crakmine, I never use PhotoShop apart from an occiasional unsharp mask. But I'm damn good with locations, lighting and a makeup brush - trouble is, no-one ever believes it! (".)

as far as i think the image needs to go :-) - so that could be from mild adjustments to wild distortions... anything goes i guess.

Pictures appear to me, I shoot them.   Elliot Erwitt