A couple of things… I was researching some new articles I’m writing, and went back to one of my favorite essays, Ken Rockwell’s The Seven Levels of Photographers for inspiration. I noticed that he recently added a level 0 to this, having found a new level below level 1, The Equipment Measurbator. Level 0 is “Online Expert or Armchair Photographer.” This type of person doesn’t really know anything about photography, but is quite happy to foist his or her opinion upon the Internet masses. I filed it away as interesting, but not particularly relevant to me, until today when I was going through my online portfolio cleaning up the comment spam. I found this comment on Watchful Wings:

Watchful Wings - thoroughly unedited.
From: Heidi DK (Sat 14 Oct 2006 09:45:26 AM EDT)
I like the photo – but I think it would be even nicer if you didn’t edited it so much – it looks fake, and I think what is beautiful about a picture is when it is so good, that you don’t have to edit it.

What a coincidence. I think what is beautiful about a picture is when it is so good that you don’t have to edit it too! 😉