I took part in a poll recently that asked a very similar question to this post’s title, but it was asking whether or not I captured images or created them.

At first, my response was very clear; I was someone who captures images whether they’re portraits of people, animals, wedding shots, macro shots of plant life. My logic was that you couldn’t create images without there being something - already created - to capture. Taking photos at a wedding you’ve got to create sounds like a lot of hard work!

More recently, as I’ve spent more time and effort in post processing, I’ve felt like the balance has shifted somewhat over to the creation side of the equation as my final images are far from where they begin.

Take my recent shots at Buttermere, for example. The first one here is a single exposure that’s been relatively quickly processed to give what I consider to be a pleasing image.

Then take my HDR version of the same scene. To me, it’s a world apart from the original captures, but it could only have been reached with manual intervention or more specifically the post processing I applied to it.

Whereas I find the first image pleasing to look at, the second is the one I’m going to want to print and hang on a wall. Sure, I took that first photo, but I created the second image.