Is Using Photoshop Ethical

Can you use Photoshop when producing stock photos?

Q.

Is Using Photoshop Ethical? 

I'm Saji from India. I have seen people using different software like Adobe and others to enhance their photographs. How ethical is it? Do stock agencies accept such pics? Do professional photographers also use such software to enhance their pics...(After Effects)?

What is the talent benchmark if ppl started using such software to enhance their pics. How can one make the difference between them?

A.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say and to some extent. It is irrelevant as to how an image was created, it is the final output that is important. And yes, many professional photographers use Photoshop and other software to enhance their images.

After all, even some of the greatest photographers in the past such as Ansel Adams used darkroom techniques similar to Photoshop to create his stunning works of art. Stock agencies do accept these images. However, a lot of buyers like the original, plain image so they can add their own effects if needed. There is no reason therefore, not to add effects if it enhances the shot and theme.

As far as I am concerned, there is no "talent benchmark". It still takes talent to use Photoshop to create or enhance beautiful images. It's just another tool in the artists kit. Even Leonardo Da Vinci "cheated" when he used the camera obscura to trace the outline of his subjects before painting them to ensure he got the correct proportions...