Lying and Photography

Are photoshop and staged photography on the same level as each other?

Well, I would have to say yes and no. In this article, it continues to debate about Robert Capa's photograph of the soldier dying in the Spanish Civil war, "Death of a Loyalist Soldier". There has been much debate about this photograph and there will continue to be for many years to come, probably because they cannot find the negatives to this event in time. But, i feel that another point should be brought up and that is the use of photoshop these days. Now, Capa, definitly could have staged the photograph, and he could have actually took it as is. But in the use of photojournalism, photography now is so corrupted with the lies of the digital age. Now, i know that this article is kind of outta where I may supposed to be going with my photography, but I still feel the same theory holds true for me. In my photography, if i were to use photoshop to create, edit, distort and etc. does that make the photograph even a photograph anymore, or just digital art? This is the new Robert Capa, photoshop and authenticity.

I am taking self portraits, and if i use photoshop to manipulate the image of myself, does that still make a a true self portrait?

I don't really know about this one. I've been told to believe that a true portrait is one that captures the essence and soul of an individual through the click of a shutter, with minimal editing (i.e. color correction). But, that was from a professor at SIU, who was really a purist in every form in photography. Basically, that means he never shot digital, he shot medium format or better, and one time he told that 5 x 7 is his medium format. But, i digress, Isn't a self portrait, honestly, just a photograph of yourself completely un-manipulated, so it is just you, the latent image, and the grain of the film (or digital pixels)? I cannot really give you an answer on that, only that it does make sense that a true self portrait (in photography) is completely real without manipulation. Now, I'm not saying that I am going to refuse to use photoshop while shooting self portraits, but this just gave me this idea to ponder for a while. Am i really taking a self portrait of myself anymore?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/27/photography.pressandpublishing