[snowwrestler]

One should not produce photographic art without being at least aware of its history as a representational medium, a context which still strongly surrounds the experience of viewing any photograph today.

The appeal to a "journalist" label (or lack thereof) is a shallow defense that does not stand up to any informed critique.

Artists who use the language of photographic representation to present fictional scenes would do themselves a huge favor by being transparent about it. Whether disclosed in advance or afterward (for example in satire), it's essential to being taken seriously as an artist, and not just an everyday boring faker. There is certainly nothing inherently artistic, interesting, or special about using software to manipulate the objects within the frame of a photo. Anyone can do it, just like anyone can take a snapshot with a camera.

And of course anyone can call themselves an artist and do whatever they want. But it's also true that anyone can critique their work. It's all fair game.

[brookst]

> One should not produce photographic art without

I'm very wary of any claims abut what artists "should" do.

There's good art, bad art, wise art, dumb art. Declaring that anyone who picks up a camera is implicitly agreeing to be bound by this kind of stricture.

Outsider art is a thing. Most of it is terrible, some of it breaks new ground. But I wouldn't say any of it is "doing art wrong" because they took the outsider approach.

[snowwrestler]

Please read the rest of my comment. There's no "stricture," but if one engages in an artistic form without even the most basic awareness of its context, then one opens oneself up to a wide variety of criticism.

If anyone is trying to impose strictures, it is the comments above who try to declare criticism off-limits because there was not a "journalist" label or something.

Simply faking an animal portrait is not groundbreaking or "outsider." It's been done, and it's boring.

[nimajneb]

I agree, there is no correct or incorrect way to do art or express yourself (with some obvious exclusions like racism, harassment, etc)

[snowwrestler]

Who said "correct or incorrect" besides you? This conversation is about whether a photographer can be criticized for posting faked pictures (they can).