“Editing isn’t cheating—it’s part of the art.”
Let’s get one thing straight: photographers have been editing images for as long as photography has existed. Long before Photoshop, Lightroom, and AI, professionals manipulated light in the darkroom, burned and dodged, toned prints, adjusted contrast and saturation with chemicals, filters, and even handmade techniques.
Editing is not new.
Editing is not dishonest.
Editing is not a failure.
The Myth of the “Pure” Photograph
A wave of self-proclaimed purists is cropping up again—demanding “no editing” in contests, criticising AI-enhanced work, and suggesting that unedited equals “more authentic.” This is nonsense. A camera never tells the whole truth. It’s a machine, with limitations. Editing helps tell the emotional truth of the scene—how it felt, not just how it looked.
What’s more, all digital photography is edited by default. The moment your image is processed through a sensor, converted into a JPEG, or rendered for web, it’s edited. The question isn’t if it’s been edited, but how intentionally.
Why Your Editing Style Matters
An editing style is like a painter’s brushstroke. It’s part of your voice. It can:
- Enhance mood and narrative
- Bring consistency to a portfolio
- Set your work apart in a crowded market
- Create emotional impact beyond the subject alone
Whether your style is bold and cinematic, soft and dreamy, high-contrast, vintage-toned, or clean and minimal, it tells the viewer who you are.
How to Develop Your Style
Start with your gut:
- Which edits feel true to your vision?
- What colours, tones, or moods do you gravitate toward?
Then try this:
- Choose 5–10 of your favourite photos and edit them in slightly different ways.
- Lay them side by side. What are the recurring elements?
- Name your style, even if just for yourself (e.g. “Quiet Forest”, “Urban Noir”, “Sun-Washed Summer”).
Finally, repeat it intentionally. Refine over time, but aim for coherence—not perfection.
And What About AI?
AI editing is just another tool—like Lightroom presets or masking brushes. Used thoughtfully, it can support your artistic choices. It only becomes problematic when it replaces intention or authorship. But if you choose to enhance your work using AI, and it reflects your style and message, it’s entirely valid.
Purists are welcome to their opinions. But no one gets to define art for everyone.
Final Thought
Editing is not a betrayal of reality. It’s a declaration of perspective. Your editing style is part of your creative DNA—own it, honour it, and let it evolve.
Because in the end, the edit is where the photograph becomes yours.
