Long time amateur radio operator and photographer, casual photography only now. Using film cameras since the mid 1960's to the 80's and now digital.

My photos are more of a personal record of what caught my interest at the time, this includes post processing techniques I discover along the way.

Photographing and reproducing a scene "as is", has an important place in an historical or references context. However, for me, photography is also an art form. The images to be manipulated... or not, as the mood takes me.

So you will find shots straight from the camera (as manipulated by it) and others that I have post processed to my liking.

The following piece has been written in response to somewhat negative comments from various sources over the years concerning post processing of images.

To post process or to leave the image as it comes from the camera?

One camp sees it as sacrilege to do any post processing of an image at all, as if it has some special merit.

Another sees the image from the camera as just a starting point.

My position is with the second group. There are few images straight from the camera that cannot be improved by some post processing. (What camera consistently produces images that reflect exactly what you saw or want to portray?)

If you can always get what you want straight from the camera then good for you, you're in the minority or easily pleased. I would love to know what camera you use.

The first group don't seem to appreciate that they are processing their images by proxy... the choices they have made in the settings of their camera, and there are becoming more and more choices to be had with each new camera!

The first group are simply severely limiting themselves to the processing options of the camera.

It seems common sense to do some post processing (if required) to achieve the result you want.

Because we all experience the world differently, photography has to be about

personal expression .

It's the final image that matters !!

www.fluidr.com/photos/colinsd40

Cameras at present (Feb 2020) are;

Nikon D810

Fujifilm X-S10

Fujifilm X-E3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G9