Link Ch. 14 – Should a student photographer be asked to change the color of the sky?

Back in 2008, there was a a big debate going on over at SportsShooter.com as to whether it was proper for a college newspaper adviser to tell a photographer that he needed to make the sky bluer in a photo of an MLK Day march. (The winter sky in the photo looks pretty pale.) Actually, it’s not really fair to call it a debate. Most of the folks on the board are outraged. I wonder, however, how many photographers would simply boost up the blue in the sky without a moment’s thought. How many people in the film era used Kodachrome instead of Ektachrome to get more vibrant colors, especially the “Kodachrome blue” skies. Don’t get me wrong…. I’m not defending the advisor who promoted “fixing” the sky color. I’m just thinking that maybe folks are more outraged about the adviser interfering with a photo than the actual changes being advocated. (Thanks to Elliott Parker of the JOURNET listserv for the main link.)