Recording/Photography Parallels [regarding manipulation]

[ithoughticouldrelate]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/living/fine-art-photography-manipulation/index.html

I thought this article was interesting and reflected a lot of the things you often hear discussed about recording (analog vs. digital, degree of "manipulation" and the ramifications of that on the "authenticity" or what have you of the recording and the artist's work). I think there are also interesting parallels between the approximate time of the emergence of tools like Photoshop and then things like Pro Tools/AutoTune, etc. The technology is similar, I suppose, in its adaptability to these related spheres.

Just thought it was interesting and wanted to share. I guess it's kind of hard to start a discussion about, but I was curious if any of you all saw things going back toward a more "traditional" direction (people just getting tired of all these plug-ins and studio trickery and going back to something more simple&direct). Not throwing away computers and digital recording altogether, obviously, but relying more on a good performance and less on a good engineer (though I think you need both of them to be good for a great recording) to get things done.

For instance, reading about Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" in SoundonSound: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul12/articles/it-0712.htm

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the song or the artist. But:

[kslight]

I'm not a pro photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I found myself in the darkroom for several semesters while I was in high school, and still esteem to have one in my home, though never got around to it. I prefer shooting to film when I can afford it, though I have done a lot of Polaroid (old peel apart type, NOT the version that just develops in front of your eyes) manipulations...such as altering the developing process to create interesting textures and artifacts...rather than creating manipulations in Photoshop. Indeed, in my photography classes sometimes I would paint with light, rather than take actual photos with a camera...basically I'd have several plates of glass I had made that I'd put on the enlarger and mask out certain areas with tape, and draw with water...then make a print. That's kind of the unique process I like versus trying to polish a turd in Photoshop (or indeed, Pro Tools).



160 tracks though? Yikes...I mean I have worked on sessions with drastically more complicated arrangements that still didn't take it that far...

[vvv]

This AM, at another site, I wrote:

Looking at the pictures in this article, and their wonderful manipulation of the "real", it strikes me there is some kinda parallels with the way I, at least, record music ...

(I especially like the river-water stuff.)
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP