We know that professional photographers in all sectors use photo editing equipment to enhance their images, erase imperfections or alter the atmosphere of a shot.

But can the use of editing packages such as Photoshop go a step too far?  Well the answer is yes, according to the founder of the Landscape Photographer of the Year contest.  In a move that has been widely reported in the press, despite winning the contest, photographer David Byrne was disqualified and stripped of the accolade.  The reason was that his photo was said to break competition rules regarding the manipulation of images. The stunning black and white photo showed two boats with Lindisfarne Castle in the background.

It appears that the problem was not that editing was used, but the extent to which digital manipulation was used.  So, as a professional photographer, where do you draw the line? How much manipulation is acceptable?  It’s an interesting debate with some photographers firmly taking a stance that photographs should only have minimal enhancement.  Others feel there should be no barrier and photographers should be free to use all the tools available to produce the best possible photograph.   Where do you stand on the debate?  If you have expensive photographic equipment and digital packages, make sure you have photography insurance in place.