![\"swainson's](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-8771-more-cloning-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat we see in an image isn’t always what the photographer really captured.<\/p>\n
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1\/1000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This is one of the two juvenile Swainson’s Hawks I photographed about a month ago near Monida, Montana. I was using my 100-400mm zoom lens so the image quality isn’t quite up to the standards of my 500mm prime but I like the shot because of the nice head turn, the flared tail and the look at the under-wing plumage patterns. I also enjoy the partially extended alula (bastard wing) on\u00a0each wing (more about the alula here<\/a> if you’re interested).<\/p>\n But this isn’t everything I saw through my lens…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The hawk was actually taking off from the cross beam of a power pole which I cloned out in the first version of the image. The pole with its attendant metal hardware isn’t particularly attractive and some may wish that it wasn’t there.<\/p>\n But this still<\/em> isn’t an “honest” image…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The bird was actually only taking off to fly a very short distance to land on\u00a0the insulator you see to the left. I cloned out that insulator and the wire leading to it in both previous versions of the image.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photoshop and other editing software makes it relatively easy to remove, add or change elements in an image but is it\u00a0ethical or honest to do so? Many would unequivocally\u00a0say no. Some take the position that if you disclose what you’ve done it’s ok. Others say that as long as you don’t\u00a0alter the bird (subject) anything’s fair, whether it’s disclosed or not. And some are of the opinion that\u00a0any cloning (other than removing dust spots, etc.) is unethical and dishonest – most nature photography competitions take this position.<\/p>\n I have my own opinion (one that has evolved slightly over time) but I’m curious what my readers think. Which of these versions of the same image do you prefer? And how much manipulation is ethical, if any? And does disclosure of manipulation make a difference in what is ethical and what isn’t?<\/p>\n Please don’t feel any pressure to answer my questions but if you have an opinion and would care to share it I’d certainly be interested and I suspect others would be too.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What we see in an image isn’t always what the photographer really captured.<\/p>\n![\"swainson's](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-8771-cloned-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"swainson's](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swainsons-hawk-8771-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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