As mentioned in my previous post
I am a member of a couple of groups which have no rules about photography. One of the group’s tag-line is a quote by Bill Brandt.
“Photography has no rules, it is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved.” - Bill Brandt (https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Bill_Brandt)
In the back of my brain there has been this question rattling around ever since our kerfuffle when Andy, rest in peace, entered a photo in the style of Margaret Keane in one of our contests. (cat with big eyes) I remember being excoriated by someone in GD, that the photo “was not photography”, and I’m sure this member takes photos with their smart phone and marvels at how good the photo is. I countered that photography is much more than a pin-hole box camera.
Which reminds me of some other quotes:
There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. - Ansel Adams
You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved. - Ansel Adams
The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it! - Ansel Adams
Ok, I love Ansel Adams.
I, being the mild- mannered person I am, felt reluctant to open the subject for discussion, but I think Mousetoescamper’s post today, about modest postproduction opened that door. I do remember seeing, although I can’t find it now, a statement, paraphrased, that entries in contests should be more photographic than works of the graphic arts.
So what has been rattling around in my brain is the question of where the line between modest post manipulation and graphic arts really is (for the consumers of our craft here). I wish Andy were here to comment, but I do know his opinion on one aspect of that question. In the context of the automatic manipulation performed by modern cameras and especially cell-phone photography, there is little room to critique manipulation in post. At this point, I will say that personally, any photo I post has nothing more than color saturation and sharpening applied in post. I agree with Mousetoescamper that use of Generative AI without so being labeled should not be presented as “out of the camera photography”. However, machine learning AI that learns from one’s last photo adjustments is an entirely different animal, imo.
Sorry for the long post, tequila does that to me. I will end by saying I love all the photos posted here, I am equipment agnostic, and would enjoy seeing some pin-hole photographs with an aperture of f/250.
Anyway, here is a fun, real photo take with a cat lens, with some creative filter applied.
= new reply since forum marked as read
that is this photo, an on purpose, out of focus photo take with a 500mm catadioptric mirror lens with a Photoshop polar coordinate filter conversion, sort of makes a sphere . That filter was what made the stop action wings of the airplanes earlier today. I'm only now exploring the possibilities and building a slideshow for the future!
it fits 500mm of light travel in much less space. It's old technology, I bought mine in the '80s. It's old because it has many flaws, like reduced resolution and a hot spot in the center that sometimes is too obvious. Here is a photo of my 1000mm cat, the 500mm is much smaller. The Photoshop polar coordinate filter is one of many that can be applied to photographs. It basically transforms linear pixel selections into circular or oval shapes.
There are photos I post here that are done with modest postproduction and those that I call my art photos, which lean toward the graphic arts.
Here's an example (posted in Birders last month) of what I call my straightforward photography. My intention was to produce a photo suitable for a field guide, and I think I succeeded.
Here's one of my art photos, which was posted here in July.
My art photos are limited to what's in the original photo; that is, nothing is digitally dropped in from other images. All of the manipulation is done by experimenting with the parameters of light, color, and sharpening. Whether straightforward or art, they all begin and end as photos.
There are no rules in photography, only personal preferences. I don't wish to have my photos automatically enhanced to appeal to popular tastes. To me it's a matter of individuality and dignity.
BTW, your accompanying photo is fantastic!
Your airplane photos are among the best I've ever viewed, especially the forced perspectives with the moon. May your mojo return to its full vim and vigor. 
I've also enjoyed your intentional camera movement photos, which must have been uncharted territory at the time.
I'd hoped others would join this discussion. Andy used to get these kinds of talks going and it's something that's missing and needed. But maybe I'm nostalgic for something that never really existed as a "group".
This is AndyS' cat with big eyes post from July, 2022.
"About Hello Kitty, the Eyes on You photo contest winner . . ."
https://democraticunderground.com/1036103791
The extent to which I enhance an image involves sunrise and sunset photos. My Olympus has an Art setting that decreases exposure compensation like so:
Before — 
After — 
Otherwise many photos, I think, just need some highlights and/or shadows
adjustment and cropping. I'll sometimes clean up distracting backgrounds. But
that's about it.
Since joining the Photography forum I have greatly enjoyed the art of, and learned a great deal from, many many gifted photographers. AndyS was, is, one of the best.