When the use of digital cameras took off, the photography world changed.
I used film, and the most important factor was to know your camera inside out.
When I purchased my first digital camera I was so delighted and eager to start using it.
I used the full auto setting and started shooting pictures.
After a while I realised that full auto is not what I wanted and only then did I start studying my camera.
With the film camera, not the aim and shoot, you must know how you want to capture your picture.
When you take your pictures using film, the quality is important, there is no delete button.
Then it is the excitement to get the film developed.
It's as if you're opening your present and you're not sure what to expect.
Will you have to retake the photo's or are they perfect? Did you handle your film correctly, not exposing it when you're not suppose to, did you use the correct film, were your hands shaking? You can scan the film to your computer and manipulate the photo's.
Do you really want to do it? Isn't the challenge to take perfect photo's from the first press of your camera's button? A professional photographer, according to my view, is somebody that take the perfect photo.
Not having to manipulate the photo's is the real challenge.
Do you challenge yourself? I love my digital camera, but I also prefer to take the perfect picture.
No deleting of images.
Only using the correct settings.
Do you know your camera? Did you read through your manual? Do you understand how to read the "surroundings" of the area or person you want to capture? Did you take a light reading? I am not against the use of software to help you to add text, watermarks, attention grabbers, humorist changes and so on.
Old photo's that need restoring is a good way to use photo software and when you need visual arts, communicating, content designs and forms of advertising.
There are a lot of good photo manipulating software available.
There are free open-source software which is of a high quality.
If you want to change something on your photo's, decide what you want to do, and then decide on the type of software you need.
Your first option is to take a good photo and not to manipulate it to look good.
You've got to support photographic integrity.
Rather label manipulated photo's for your readers.
Do not hope that they will not notice the manipulation.
If caught out, this will greatly damage your reputation.
Read the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics at http://en.
wikipedia.
org/wiki/National_Press_Photographers_Association One of the problems that you as photographer encounter is that viewers have difficulty in believing what they see.
I am not referring to artistic work.
There are very good artistic work where photographers manipulate images.
If you want to see wonderful examples, search for manipulated photo's online.
Keep up the practice and soon you will go bragging with your professional photo's.