Landscape Photography: Why we feel less creative than others?

[@davidletz9123]

Possibly this is the best video you've ever produced for KZbin.

[@alanclark9691]

Alister - what you're doing is admirable and very different from the "herd". I watch all your videos and try to take something from them that might assist my own creativity. Thank you.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Alan for the lovely feedback, I really appreciate it.

[@amehhn]

Please don't stop what you're doing. It helps.

[@dwrisdon2487]

The hypnotic Scotish (not Irish) accent, yes. The beautiful bald head not so much......... I subscribed to your channel just as you were beginning to take on this morphed role, from photo-techie to attitudinal guru. I love it. As someone who is returning to photography for all the reasons you now expouse, I find you complementing your services as my creative therapist. Thank you, Allister.

[@AleRodrigues]

Another amazing and insightful video Alister. I believe we have to be honest with ourselves first, it doesn't matter if you're doing composites or not, just make it clear to others. Creativity takes many forms and I think we shouldn't take photography as competition, but in order to be a "true" photo it should reflect your thoughts and feelings, not others. That for me is the ultimate prize one photographer can have. Thank you!

[@Alister_Benn]

Well said! I couldn't agree more...

[@AllenMaestas]

So very refreshing to hear someone speak the truth. Many photographers do struggle with envy and creative jealousy. I know I have! And much like you I found myself desiring to travel to all of these exotic places and to capture an image that would finally make “me” the envy of others. But what I learned through my creative struggles was that I didn’t need to be like everyone else. What I needed was to be me. To develop my own style, my own creativity based on my own sense of what’s beautiful. And as soon as I stopped trying to mimic others is when I truly began to enjoy photography. It was then that I felt free to be me. And my photography improved and more importantly my joy started coming through in my artistry. Thank you for your honesty, it’s powerful and more beautiful than any dishonest photo could ever be.

[@Alister_Benn]

Your feedback means a great deal to me - it reassures me that I am indeed on the right path - for me. I want to make a positive impact, rather than praying on the insecurities of others and waving magic solutions in front of them.

[@blivieriphoto]

I used to be jealous of all the people who live in extraordinary places with scenic mountains, trees with gorgeous fall colors, and heck, elevation period 😂. But I’ve realized I’m kind of lucky to live in an area that isn’t overly shot. No ‘must see’ bucket list locations here. No hoards of people (mostly). The beauty is more subtle and gives one the opportunity to be more creative without the need to shoot the pointy mountain because the light is kicking, rather than get lost in the patterns on a dead leaf. You’ve inspired me to lead more photo walks with my camera club. I may even recommend people leave their cameras home and bring pen and paper instead. What a rebel idea! 😂Thanks Alister!

[@Alister_Benn]

Wow, that would be a game-changer in a camera club - let me know. Thanks Barb

[@blivieriphoto]

@@Alister_Benn well, we’re not a normal camera club. They’ve got me in charge. 😝. I share videos occasionally and try to introduce new things I see from yours and other creative channels. Some people are more receptive than others. 😁

[@PaulEvans]

Thank you for your videos Alister, they’re much appreciated. I’m slowly letting go of the “followers & likes” hang up. I won’t lie, it’s been difficult but I’m getting there thanks to you and other thoughtful photographic vloggers. I hope you can carry on producing good content for the benefit of all of us.

[@michaelortonphoto]

One of the better commentaries on what creativity is and where it comes from. Well done Alister

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks, I appreciate that ❤️

[@nadineschaffland937]

This man be spittin the truth. Seriously, I feel as if he is talking about me. Gives me a lot to think about. Thank you, Alister.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, happy to hear that

[@lianvandenheever6387]

Profound , very profound

[@DA-yd2ny]

Love it, …… absolutely love it. Thank you soooo much, Alister … Paolo

[@rayjermyn4541]

Insightful as always and very relevant. I spent years as a large format photographer taking notes around exposure, the "why", but also smells, air.. it changed my engagement with my digital work

[@tomniblick7365]

But I do tune in to hear your accent. It takes me back to my childhood when I would listen to my great gran talk while knitting by the fire… that and you always have something worth saying. Thanks for sharing your insights and your art.

[@martinoberstein8431]

As a professional psychologist and a amateur dilletante when it comes to photography i like your attitude very much. Thank you very much for these insights and kind regards from germany.

[@Alister_Benn]

I’m a wanna be psychologist 😂

[@martinoberstein8431]

@@Alister_Benn In my opinion you are very close to that. 😉 we deal with perception and self-perception. Thanks again!

[@general_crap]

This is a great video and something I completely relate too. My passion for photography completely died and I'm trying to find it again but comparison to others is hindering me. I hardly use instagram anymore for photography and wish I could find a platform to share work and discuss where to change and develop it but I can't seem to find my place to do this.

[@stevecush100]

Totally agree. My photographs are for me. Firstly, I want to see and experience. Secondly if possible I like to take a photograph. Thirdly, I like to take a photograph that I really enjoy. Finally if other people like the result - well I can take it or leave it.

[@Alister_Benn]

I appreciate that Steve - thank you so very much.

[@dentom1954]

Thank you Alister. I have really enjoyed your videos over the last couple of years and this series in particular. You made a number of very salient points in the video regarding the pressure that social media puts on us to post anything/something. I stopped posting on social media a couple of months ago just to bring me some peace of mind and really enjoy my photography more than I had been doing. It is indeed a much more pleasurable experience to go out and just experience the world around us without having the pressure to feel that you have to take a photo that can subsequently be posted on Instagram. This was in my opinion one of your most thought provoking videos. I wish you all the best and am certainly looking forward to subsequent videos. Cheers!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much for the lovely feedback and I am happy to hear you now have a better, healthier relationship with your photography... I step off the social media treadmill often and then my eBook sales go down, so it's tougher for me to do that.

[@vchiarello]

Hi! I got here through a recommendation from a friend. This is the very first video that I’ve seen and I can not thank you enough for your sincerity and humble approach to this matter. Many many thanks!!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome! Thank you! Really delighted to hear that, and thank to your friend too...

[@kenrennie4119]

Well said Alister. I was guilty of slipping in the odd different sky just to win photo contests but after a while I was dissatisfied with faking it. Now I go out to photograph what intrigues me and try to show that in the best way. I win fewer competitions but that is totally unimportant. Ken

[@simonmiles1972]

Such an interesting series. It seems to me it raises the question, how can we take inspiration from photographers whose work we admire in a positive way, and without feeling inferior? I’m not talking about copying others, but drawing inspiration in a constructive way, perhaps by finding new themes or ideas to explore in our own way?

[@kris_tin_photography9922]

Wow, you just spoke the words I felt in the last week! Thanks so much, it encouraged me more then ever to watch my surrounding and to feel the joy of my creativity, to see everything more as path of growth then beeing driven by delivering epic results to get more likes!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much, that's a great attitude you have and one that will make you feel way better every day...

[@paulus0109]

Lots and lots of value Alister. Thnx ever so much.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks to you too ❤️

[@wishingluck]

This strongly reminds me of a famous German band's song: "Die Träume anderer Leute" (Other peoples' dreams). It is all about following our own dreams, or in our case - our own vision, because this is here where a wonderful world unfolds before us. And no, I am not pushing my playlist upon you! ;-)

[@Bringisen]

Thank you so much for this video. Really refreshing.

[@ingabett]

It’s quite funny/ weird thing that we strive both to be unique and copy others at the same time?! Guess there’s a deeper psychological explanation to it, my own explanation is, amongst many things, that in a way we are a bit lazy. We don’t invest in ourselves the way we should, we take shortcuts all of the time. Guess that comes from the will of being liked, which is natural. Social media has driven the whole thing to a point where it’s getting contra productive. Creativity/ photography should be like a chocolate praline not a whole box of chocolates. Also not all of us have photography as their income so there should be a difference in how we think and act when it comes to taking photos, allowing us to relax and take som pressure off. In your video you really highlight some of the biggest problems with creativity, you see creativity as a lifestyle, that is a big difference from thinking that creativity will only last for a little while. Your videos have help me so much, Thank you!!!

[@genegustafson715]

There were "FEW" photographers in the analog days that printed "composits" , and when the digital world came to the consumer market, suspicion of what was real was valid. It kept me from going digital for quite some time. There are now, as I only shoot digital, some topics that I refuse to take "poetic license" with. When it comes to art, though, I believe expressing your {my} artistic views, voice, whatever one wishes to name it, all things are on the table. A Monet is not a Salvador Dali. Both painted tho. Chill, indeed. If we don't have the freedom to use the digital tools we have, photographic art is dead.

[@danielmoyle8794]

Totally agree, who cares whether someone has taken artistic licence. I don’t know how to use photoshop and only use Lightroom but I think everyone should be free to ‘express’ themselves in anyway they feel like it.

[@tmeeten3195]

Thank you - I really needed this video. I will now keep pen and paper in my camera bag and stop looking so much at the unobtainable image.

[@Alister_Benn]

You are so welcome!

[@Badger220455]

Well thought out and insightful. A real difference from the norm. Keep it up.

[@Hirsutechin]

I do notice many social media accounts don't last too long, doubtless the pressure to produce becomes too wearing. However many - or more like however few - images I really have satisfaction with, which really feel express what I saw and felt, these are the ones which last and they don't rely on other people's likes. You've taught me a lot through this channel, Alister, thank you!

[@SimonPhillipsPhoto]

Another great video Alister it keeps you honest and thinking about what photography actually means to each of us instead of what we want others to think of us or us to be! I love that shiny head of yours! not sure about the Irish accent thought.

[@timothyogle8018]

Always enjoy and connect with the information that you provided. Thank you!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for watching! really appreciate that great feedback

[@GARY1951A]

Fantastic information and inspiration!! I do find myself comparing me to others and getting so discouraged! Your video, if I may say, is somewhat liberating me to be me and improve MY creativity! Thanks so much for this video!

[@Alister_Benn]

That’s awesome to hear ❤️

[@romainvoeller]

Thanks so much for the very inspirational and candid comments. I don't think I really knew I needed this kind of expressiveness on creativity but your comments will be in my mind as I plow through the challenges of enhancing my creative processes. Looking forward to future videos.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much, it means a lot to me to be that catalyst

[@LeeAllen337]

I see this in many photos, the "fakeness" in them. Most people tend to over photoshop their photos to the point that the original looks very different. I'm not saying they shouldn't, they should do as they please. Personally I like the least amount of editing as possible. I just see it a lot and it's a trend only because of how easy the software has made it, to make photos look "awesome". For most it is a competition for attention and clicks. I just don't care for fake photography.

[@Alister_Benn]

Yeah, it is the veneer that is more important than the person... Appreciate your great feedback.

[@iaincphotography6051]

Watching you on here makes me think and evaluate. I have no time for the 2 second gallery that is instacrap but I have looked at so many books in my life and seeing good work in print is an inspiration in itself. Music, Art, and the great outdoors are all things that have helped me be who I am and helped give me direction in my photography. So keep doing what you're doing Alister, it's good for our photographic souls.

[@ashvarma2486]

Excellent video Alistair. My fav of all your videos so far. It's just crazy how photography has become so competitive. Many thanks for sharing. Also, may I suggest doing an interview with David Brookover? He is a fan of your work and a true master as you already know. Keep up the great work and if you are ever visiting the west of Ireland then let me know as I am based near Galway and would be great to have a coffee. Cheers.

[@Alister_Benn]

I know David pretty well. I kind of stopped doing the Vision & Light interviews a while ago. Just too many things going on.

[@matsfotografi]

Great video as per usual! I find myself on the path you are talking about. So far I have taken my photography to another level and experienced levels of joy and harmony with and without camera that I didn't think was possible.

[@Alister_Benn]

Brilliant, and thanks so much for your really great feedback and everything you contribute here and on the forum ❤️

[@esanford]

Thanks.... well stated. Of course these frustrations spill over to other aspects of living. We envy others looks, writings, speeches etc.... I've learned to focus on my own living and I try my best to filter out all of the noise in the channel to place emphasis on my contributions.

[@Alister_Benn]

Our relationship with our creative life will mirror everything else. It’s a two way street. Congratulations on finding that balance

[@nickshepherd8377]

Thank you Alister…it is clearly evident how passionate you are and how much though you have given to this aspect of photography. Being entirely honest with ourselves both in terms of what really inspires us and what we produce must be an initial prerequisite. If you take a photo to emulate what someone has already produced, this is not being true to yourself and ultimately leads to dissatisfaction. As you say, you need to notice those elements which speak to your heart and try to capture this feeling in your own unique way. Having followed you for sometime now, I really can appreciate others people emotional creativity in photos without it influencing my work. A happy place to be and much gratitude. Thanks.👍

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Nick, I always appreciate the feedback and points of view. Yeah, honestly , the system is broken and people could wake up to this and have a better relationship with their art and life.

[@billdoucet8209]

It sounds like a goal of your and other photographers maybe, making a positive impact. Job well done, thank you for your contributions. Keep it up.

[@Alister_Benn]

Absolutely, I do want to make a positive impact. I believe strongly that the current state of photography produces negative results in people. The whole art form is in decline...

[@claudehamel9228]

Excellent!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Excellent, thanks so much

[@dfreitas853]

thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alandouglas4612]

We are all on a journey in our photography life and individually at different stages of that journey, as I commented on part one of this series I am finding all this so relevant to where I am at. I guess we can all remember the excitement when we first got a camera (for me an old Zenith) the emotions we felt when seeing the first images we created and over the years the emotions we feel out in the field as we process a memorable experience with nature or wildlife. Well for me now liberated from the "I need to create images like buddy on the internet" (we still can be inspired which is a different emotion) I am getting that original excitement back and feel emotionally good about my photography for the first time in a while. (:

[@alpharho_photo]

Another great and insightful video... thanks Alister! I'm with you: each one of us has his/her own way of looking at and be moved by external factors, in this case nature and the landscape. I also get the fact that we should allow other peoples' work to be a source of inspiration without outright striving to copy their work. My concern is how to be at peace with my own work without falling into the trap of stagnation. I know what I find inspiring and motivating when I'm out and about, but I'm not always satisfied (in fact, rarely so) with the images I bring back. How do I achieve the balance between being at peace with my work and keep pushing myself to improve?

[@alancoligado8540]

For me, creativity comes from being in a childlike state, so that one can explore and experience things as if for the first time, free from expectations and preconceptions.

[@naturalimagingcreatives2425]

very open, honest video ... your image from Iceland looks legit and nobody would have known the truth ... refreshing that people like yourself will 'out' yourself on the reality behind it. quite sad that these days the value of a landscape image is being reduced to the number of likes on social media, and that according to sites like instagram landscape photography has been narrowly defined as 'point an ultra wide lens at a colourful sunset/sunrise' ... when in fact there is so much more to it, endless possibilities ... it's a race to bottom with everyone trying to create the same look for the sake of becoming 'popular' .... I recently heard a very famous person in the fashion industry say that the most enduring brands have never based their style on trends, instead they have cultivated their own style over time .. and in the long run that is what has made them stand out amongst the pack ... that type of philosophy is how I view photography, cultivating a style over the long term and we see that with photographers who over the decades became known as masters of their genre .. if they just followed trends they would have just been another person with a camera ... just like the people now creating pretty, colourful sunset images that work well on instagram and look like the gazillion others of the same type .. in the long run will be forgotten, only have a short term relevance and 'relevance' for the wrong reasons ...

[@stevewouters5168]

What a f***ing courageous statement to show a fantastic BW photo, and then saying you ve never shown it to anybody because it was a fake, and it didnt represent the scenery or the feeling it gave you at that moment. So i m trying to picture this... You are sitting in front of your pc, spending hours on editing some composite picture... finally, everything comes together, the perfect picture comes out, for your eyes only.. you are so eager to show it to the world and then.... some annoying feeling starts creeping in on you, it just doesnt feel right... and you decide to NOT unleash this amazing result onto the world.... a very very brave statement Alister, especially in the plastic, perfect world we live in. Some food for thought when im over processing some picture once again, striving for perfection...

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks man, I appreciate that. Honestly, if my art was just about making out that I’d been fortunate enough to experience that when in fact I hadn’t I’d quit. I make images I love because I was in love with the experience; then we grow, then we know ourselves. Everything else is just bulls***

[@abbiepatterson3993]

Words of wisdom, and I could not agree more with all that was said. Thank you.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much

[@mitymous1]

Gotta admit the gorgeous accent is a draw, but so is the thoughtful content! Delighted to hear that you will be putting out more videos here; always a delight to see a new one from you.

[@Alister_Benn]

LOL: thanks for that ... I really appreciate that.

[@TimberGeek]

So my initial thought just based on your title was: I've always figured I felt less creative because I've lived in my own head my entire life and know all the influences I'm drawing from when I produce something which makes it feel derivative at best and plagiaristic at the worst. Whereas others have a completely different set of influences which makes their output completely unique from my point of view. But then I was raised by a bunch of shrinks so I'm both overly prone to self analysis and a little bit crazy. ;-7 The accent is certainly a plus. 😉

[@Alister_Benn]

I think the true gift of creativity is an escape from the inside of our own head. Even our adult intuition is intellectual!! Cut loose, stop thinking.

[@ivanosrin2126]

Comparison is indeed the thief of joy

[@ashstubbings2603]

You do have a gorgeous Scottish accent a beautiful shiny head though! 😁😁😉😉

[@philipduddles5337]

What a wonderful video and beautifully explained along with some sound advice on developing your own creativity. I really enjoyed it Alister one of your best 👏👏👏👏

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks mate, hope you’re well, come spend some time in the forum 😉

[@philipduddles5337]

@@Alister_Benn I certainly will, just got a few things to sort out.👍

[@NathalieAnnoye]

Thank you for this very interesting and realistic video, I learn a lot from your philosophy, and your vision of photography. Sorry, but I also like your nice Scottish accent ;-) 😊 Seriously, I'm following you from France and I think you speak very clearly, helped a bit by the subtitled translation. You'll have to explain to us in a future video, where is the limit between copying and taking inspiration from another person. I'm afraid that the line is sometimes very thin

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so very much, I appreciate the lovely feedback and kind words.I think your question would make an excellent video, so I have put that on my list for an upcoming week. Many thanks for your inspiration :-)

[@NathalieAnnoye]

@@Alister_Benn Thanks to you ! I will be watching with great pleasure 🙂

[@davidmcculloch8490]

After spending a few years in a "photo club" environment, I became bored of composite images and Photoshop wizardry. While admiring some of the technical skill, I want an image to draw me in through mood, to an environment of realism. The tastes driving my creativity have moved towards minimalism, abstraction, and simpler composition that avoids competing details in an image.

[@Alister_Benn]

Finding a meaningful direction is such a bonus, few people do. Thanks so much for your insightful comment ❤️

[@ggstylz]

Whether you’re adding skies or warming up the colour temperature of a photograph, it’s often a deviation and a misrepresentation of the original raw file. In the end it’s just a matter of degree. It shouldn’t matter how a person chooses creatively to reflect their feelings when it come to presenting their art. Having said that, I totally agree that it’s unhealthy and demoralising trying to achieve the glory of other talented artists, out of insecurity and the need for validation. I deleted Instagram today for the second time in 5 years. There was just no way I was willing to spend any more of my energy on it, being shackled by its machinations.

[@billkipper3264]

I see photos all the time that are beautiful but at the same time obviously unreal. They're processed to the point that they look like illustrations of some fantasy world rather than photographs. I reject this style of editing. I will do extensive editing of a shot but in the end it still has to look realistic and it still has to look like the place I saw with my own eyes. I do struggle with this however as I'm fairly new to editing. I try to photograph and edit for myself but sometimes I'll be working on a shot and it starts to get that unreal look. That's when I will try to back off and sometimes even start over from scratch. The one thing I notice though looking through photos on social media is that it seems to me that most people prefer the unreal or fantasy look.

[@abhayrege8509]

I feel less creative when I go into comfort zone and do not want to come out of it.

[@Alister_Benn]

for sure 100% - and we do that to fit in with the rest. Do your thing and be proud of it.

[@stefancondik]

Hi Alister. I am not completely sure about your message, or maybe the arguments you used to support the message. Doing something for likes is of course wrong. But does saying that swapping sky is just fake good argument to support your main idea? I don´t think so and it sounds to me more like a clickbait, that attracts many people, but overscreams the main message of being honest with purpose of used style. I am not sure, if you considered this argument well, mainly because there is also other side of the coin - small scenes, minimalism is for some time kind of cool trend, many people suddenly switched their style into these kind of scenes, doing limited processing. The same is analog photography, where form is often more important than content. Many of these people are doing it because it is trend, because it brings likes from different people. That is to me the same wrong approach as swapping sky for likes. But you never said this, you just used swapping sky as an example of how things should not be done. And that people who are swapping sky are producing fakes (which is wrong), they are doing it for likes and that they will hit the plateau and stop doing it etc... I am one of the guys, who does not hesitate to create completely different world (and mentioning it). Am I a liar or fake? I am not writing this with any rage, I am only curious why should anyone be fake if that kind of creativity is something that is from the bottom of their heart and there is zero willingness to be "someone else". I never considered myself as a documentarist and I always liked the idea of combining things to achieve visual outcome that does not need to represent reality. The idea you presented sounded to me like I am doing something completely wrong, that I should almost feel ashamed...There are dozens of photographers who "literally torture" their RAW files, are doing it for many many years, some of them being considered as legends of landscape photography...and somehow, they did not hit any plateau, they did not find out their work is one big fake. You had many of them as guests...and I do not recall any bit of doubt from your side back than...so I am really really confused now :) I really like most of your thoughts, because they make me think and believe or not, I also like this one, because it makes me think. Reason I am writing this comment is purely driven by my curiosity and hope to have a discussion where I can deeper understand the message :) Thank you, Stefan

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Stefan for the great comment, and I do appreciate the gentleness of your tone and the openness of the discussion. I say lots of things about photography, I write books, I give talks, and speak in interviews. I say lots of things, and those things change over time. This is also my job, it pays our bills and puts gas in our truck. Marketing, self-promotion and playing the game are all parts of this job, so yes, occasionally argumentative, or polarising discussions increase the engagement on our videos. This is how KZbin works. Do I like it, no. Do I wish I din't have to make clickbait titles and people would actually just watch the content? Yes. As for the discussion. I have absolutely no problem with composite images, none what so ever. I think some of them truly are works of art, and the skill required to make them is admirable. Equally, small scenes are not necessarily better. The problem arises when people who are trying to learn see an image with a dropped in sky and BELIEVE 100% that it is a real event. It instantly makes them feel that their images are somehow boring, less interesting and less popular. How do I know this? Firstly, I went through it myself between 2007-2011 when some people were already doing composites without declaring them and we had no idea how they were containing these extremes of dynamic range. I spend 5 years between 2011-2016 getting pretty damned good at blending exposures, or dropping in skies from other times, places, continents. I never once disclosed what I was doing, and no-one else did. That was the most popular I ever got. Top of 500px, top 20 most influential photographers in the world etc. Sadly, it did not make me feel good and I changed. People can do what they want, honestly. But where my argument comes from is that contemporary landscape photography is so competitive. The percentage of people who make all their income from this is tiny, a very small minority. I would like my contribution to the discussion to be this. The car of creativity is a good thing, regardless of your style, or genre BUT... we have a social obligation to when a piece of work is digital art, as opposed to a photograph of an event that was witnessed. This is a big debate and goes in circles. Sometimes I make statements that are spontaneous. They change with time. Thanks again.

[@stefancondik]

@@Alister_Benn Hi Alister, thank you very much for your answer. I appreciate a lot the time and energy you invested to put together your honest and very comprehensive answer. Now I fully understand what you mean. I agree with you, that photography (not just landscape) has become very competitive and the approach of many people to gain traction and success often lacks any sign of morality and can have negative mental impact. I also remember how I switched from old point and shoot camera to still cheap, but way better camera, than to fullframe and the results were not as I was hoping...but it was not the only the case of landscape photography, but photography as such. I did not like my portraits, I did not like photos from travels, I did not like most of my landscape photography shots. And yes, I saw better photos in any photographic genre that were so much "better" and I did not understand why and was of course jealous. The truth also is, I was not learning enough about photography - I did not understand light, I did not understand how to process, why and when use certain techniques when editing...I even did not understand impact of focal length to overall look of photo. I was buried in camera gear reviews, because I believed that my problem is mainly there and that I am not lucky to get great conditions (at 11AM). Luckily, I started to learn processing, soon skipped shortcuts as presets and soon realized where my problem is. I am writing all of this to provide ground to my opinion, that each photography genre is full of photographs that required some amount of work/processing that no one is talking about, that are even misinterpretation of reality, or very edited reality. Retouched portraits, or even portraits shot with complex light setup etc. If a newbie does not understand the background of any kind of photography, it may be very frustrating and I believe that the only way to overcome the frustration is to invest time and energy to learning. Just after that point can one make decision if that kind of approach is desired or not...I absolutely agree with you, that people should know if the shot of someone else is representation of reality or digital art. I am not sure where is the boundary of reality and digital art/manipulation, e.g. dodged/burned forest shot has many times nothing with the way how the scene looked in person and the light did not appear as shaped, as in processed shot. Yet, this kind of editing is often respected, and swapped sky not...but yes, discussions like this one are almost neverending and people should be honest when posting manipulated shots (of any kind). Thank you very much again, I am so glad that you found time and wrote me back your thoughts :) Stefan