Recently the new admins are frequently changing categories with out notification before. Some are right and some are not.

Doing alterations to a photo by the means of color or adding simple drawings is not digital manipulation and some of the decisions make me and others wonder what do the admins know about photography really? This article is not an attack for the admins I do know they have a hard job but I do have my concerns as I keep coming across misplaced deviations that are placed by admins. Lets have a look together...

This piece by *larafairie is just in the photomanipulation category because of the texture overlay. It clearly does not have any other alterations. Anyone who has been in a traditional darkroom knows that using textures and playing with the colors is a simple procedure. If it has been done in darkroom it would not be in the photomanipulation category and therefore it still shouldnt be. If you dont agree with this and think that a simple texture overlay is photomanipulation because it was done in PS lets take a look at another example...

by =loganart is one of the deviations that are replaced by the admins even though he has the explanation and the pic is %95 photography. I want to ask if they have been in a hardworked set recently? Some people including =loganart tend to spend hours building up sets to give the feeling they want. They arrange lights they arange props and it is hard. After all this hard work an admin hinks it is not a photo and changes the category. Maybe it may look like a manip but before taking action the admins have to examine the devaints whole gallery ask for the processes and do their researches. Deviants like him always state their processes and they are pretty honest they put their deviations in the photomanipulation categories when it fits there. It is not like they try to sell all their manipulations as photographs... If you do not agree with me on this one lets take another look at another example...

by *raun Why is it in photomanipulation section? his description is pretty much accurate "*edit: Both 'daydreamer' & 'the enlightened' photos has been relocated to the photomanipulation category by a devART admin. It sickens me how shallow the photographic knowledge is in this particular admin. 95% of all the photos I see on devART has been manipulated to a greater extend than those two images. I wonder if this admin has even heard of 'long exposure' and what it does to water. Or knows how easy it is to texturize a photo in traditional darkroom. Gahhh, devART is going down the toilet...*"

Why is it there because they think that there cant be a ladder in the middle of nowhere? Because he used textures? because he used filters and a long exposure?


directly from DA:"All images submitted to this section should be altered in such way that it is clear you have used techniques other than a filter and/or alteration in the colour of the original."



directly from DA "The Photomanipulation section is dedicated to digital photographs that have undergone post processing and/or editing via the use of a graphical imaging software. The extent of manipulation should be prominent and noticeable in ways where it can be clearly distinguishable from the unaltered photograph.



Please Note: All images submitted to this section should be altered in such way that it is clear you have used techniques other than a filter and/or alteration in the colour of the original. Rather than into the photomanipulation gallery, these pictures should be submitted to Photography or Digital Art>Miscellaneous. Also note that drawing or writing on top of a picture does not constitute as a photomanipulation. These deviations should go into Photography, Digital Art>aintings & Airbrushing or the Cartoons & Comics sections for example. Which category is best suited to your deviation depends on what technique dominates in your deviation. If you have used a mixture of techniques, Digital Art>Miscellaneous. Vectorized versions of your pictures belong into Digital Art>Vectors or Vexels respectively. For more information on the nature of the other categories, please read their descriptions!" deviantarts own category descriptions...


I am sure that are far more examples on this subject but if what they do are considered art in photomanipulation/digital art category why do all these deviants taht are doing photomanipulations go under that much work



do they fit in the same category?

I personally think deviantart has to have more gallery directors because the community is getting larger and larger and it is impossible to do the work of a gallery for only one person...