The color that never were. The flouting of realism is not restricted to the rendering of color. Images are distorted, combined in startling photographic fantasies, even mutilated. In some instances during the film era, film is literally cooked to achieve a desired effect. It may seem bizarre, and some viewers may find the resulting pictures bewildering, the leading exponents of color manipulation are serious. Being creative, I have no interest in shock value for its own sake; nor do I disdain conventional color photography.