Using Manual Mode on Your Camera

Learning how to expose photos in anything but automating modes can start to get confusing. When I got my first digital camera (Ixus 75) I didn’t know much about cameras in general, let alone metering modes and correct exposure.

This tutorial is from DigitalDiversity.co.uk, click on the image below:

Photography Philosophy

Being an outsider to the photography world, I would like to pose a question:

Where does the artistry of ‘photography’ lie? Being able to take a great picture? Or being able to utilize post-production tools to make a good photo great?

Or are they part of the same overall craft and, regardless of where a person’s expertise lies, the final product is all they should be judged on?

I guess what I’m getting at is, how do you define a ‘good photographer’ and does that definition include their post-production skills? What if someone excels at the post work but can’t take decent photos? Are they still a ‘photographer’?

I know that’s a lot of questions in a small amount of space, but I’m curious what others think about any (or all) of these queries.