Following the rules

Photography is so subjective isn't it? I mean, there are general "rules" that I've heard, when used, can make photos better, but when you consider the infinite number of variations a photograph can take--especially when you take post-processing into account--are there really boundaries?

In my earlier amateur photography days--not to suggest I've moved out of the amateur category--I used to be afraid of post-processing. It's quite a purist view of photography, I suppose, the notion that the final product should come straight from the camera. Those who can do that consistently, I would say have truly "arrived." The more photos I've taken and seen, however, the more I have come to believe that post-processing is just another step in the processing of making photograph. It certainly helps my photographs.

Probably the simplest enhancement to many of my photos is cropping. I can't tell you how many new photos I've made from larger shots taken some time ago. I thoroughly enjoy mouse-wheeling through a digital roll of photos and discovering a great detail once lost in a less-than-flattering overall composition. A new photo is born, and the viewer will never know.