There is a continuous debate over the use of editing software to enhance or alter a photograph - pro or con - is it still photography, is it art, or is it a mess? My take on the matter is this -- I, as a photographer, create a photograph using my camera and attached filter(s). The photograph may be further enhanced in a digital darkroom, very much like I did in my film darkroom. Its still a photograph. I may decide to manipulate that photograph in my digital darkroom, thereby creating digital art. Sometimes its a photograph, sometimes its art, and sometimes its both. And the final result is for MY pleasure and from my view. You may have a different opinion and thats what makes this life worth living!

“Ah, good taste–What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness.” -- Pablo Picasso

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A lifelong Southerner, I'm privileged to live in a beautiful and inspiring corner of the world - framed by the Blue Ridge mountains and Lakes Hartwell, Keowee and Jocassee.

A photographer for WAY longer than I'm willing to tell you, I've come a long way since that first K1000 I received for my high school graduation. Photography is a release for me after the grind of work and home - and a 102-mile round-trip commute each day!

My Equipment

Canon EOS 50D with a BG-E2N battery grip, 28-135mm IS USM, 18-55 mm IS USM, 75-300 mm, 24-135 mm, Speedlight 430EX Flash... and a Fujifilm S9000. Film cameras: Minolta Maxxum 9, Minolta Maxxum 5000, gobs of lenses and flashes.

I also use a Wacom Bamboo digitizing board as part of my Digital Darkroom process.

I primarily shoot RAW.

If I’m doing HDR, I prefer Photomatix Pro or Redynamix. Although Efex Pro HDR is growing on me. And the Efex Pro Color Efex "Tonal Contrast" filter is fantastic for a pseudo-HDR.

I also use Lightroom 3.2 and Photoshop CS5 for photo work.

Other software products: Nik Color Effects Pro Suite for Photoshop, Nik Software Dfine 2.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0, .DCE filters for Photoshop, DxO Optics Pro 5, Corel Painter XI.