Beginner Shots Clock Tower

[tegan]

As I am sure you guys are aware, when lenses are reviewed by the magazines, barrel distortion and pin cushion distortion are looked at and measured as technical imperfections in the design of the lens.

The reason all photo editors have ways to correct lens distortion and the reason ds0's lens distortion correction software is so popular and successful despite being expensive is that pros and enthusiasts have been demanding methods to correct distortion in postprocessing. DS0 in fact has become the standard in this area.

Any artist should realize that if you keep your art to yourself, then quality doesn't matter, other viewers don't matter, and you can deceive yourself into thinking anything is great work.

The same is true for photography. Once you start to display, present, sell your work, then the standards of the viewer and the field become more important. What the photographer personally likes really doesn't matter, if he/she wants to be accepted/recognized as a capable, talented artist by others.

A photograph must stand on its own, subject to the standards in the field.
The manner in which technique is judged is simple...

If most viewers do NOT see that distortion CONTRIBUTES to the overall impact of the photo,...then it is a fault and a weakness.

The general guidelines are that lenses wider than 28mm are considered to be specialty lenses which means that their accompanying distortion is only effective in a very limited number of situations for example shooting down a round staircase from the top. Otherwise, dx0 and other software is used correct the distortion.

Even distortion from 28mm lenses can be unacceptable, depending on the camera angle and the subject and may need correction as well.

Basic to photography is that if a technique is not seen by the viewer(not the photographer by the way) as contributing to the overall effect of the photo then it is a fault and a weakness.

Agree or disagree, that is just how it is, in the field of photography.

Tegan