Please check out my orginal post " photo manipulation", I provided a response to each post. It is kinda long but well worth reading. I am registered to post to many web sites, but never do so. The posts here have been my first in years. I simply like art, thus the urge to post and maybe be of some help to some. Composition is an essential part of any art. I have yet to see any photos that weren't well composed. No problemo here since I can correct it. I suspect that many of you are amature artist posting photos here, some seem to be Professionals, one shot does it with no editing. Well maybe some editing. As I said I paint daily. It is just a hobby with me. I hang the best in the house, but some, while well painted and composed, but, are off somehow, and I know it. They look good from one point of vew but are static somehow, not dynamic and, and not "perfect" somehow, My wife is my best critic. She is always right and I appreciate her input. It makes me do better next time. This is just a hobby with me, I have never sold a painting, but have given some away. They love them and think I am a great artist, But I know better. If you want to see some truly beautiful pics by professionals that need no editing check out "WebShots". I don't use it any more. I perfer to edit and manipulate, if necessary! Much more fun. xtalg, AKA gordon

most professionals (or amateurs for that matter) who would have you believe they do no editing are liars. true there are of course exceptions but in this day and age the digital darkroom is the ruler of the roost - the only difference with pro's is they hide it better than most :-) like digital cine effects - the best implementations are the ones that are flawlessly integrated into the original so as you dont notice they were ever there.

I remember reading this quote in a photo magazine a few years back:

'here are the first principles of what actually, in my opinion, distinguishes pros from the the rest of us:

They shoot a lot more.

They edit a lot better.'

A quick search through Webshots will reveal also that like Flickr, it's pretty much a cess pool of stolen work reposted there. I did searches using several popular Caedes user names and found lots of work posted there under other peoples galleries.

You're right Phil. I've just found 2 of my ripped images there. I never gave permission to post them..>=[