Photography is more than a medium for communication of reality, it is a creative art. Many controls allow the photographer to achieve desired qualities in his or her images which provide creative expression from initial concept and visualization all the way through to the print.

However, the techniques of printing are far more flexible than those involved in processing of the image. To paraphrase Ansel Adams, the negative (or in today’s world the digital capture) is the score, the print is the performance of the score. Depending on personal vision, different photographers can each make varying prints from the same negative or image capture. A great amount of creativity lies in the making of the print, with endless and subtle variations to be determined by the photographer to provide a personal perception or emotional response.

Making the print is a unique combination of creative activity and execution, including tonal values, print media, size and more. The print is the opportunity to interpret and express the original vision and the desired final image which will reveal what was seen and felt. As Adams has said “if not for the element of the “felt” (the emotional-aesthetic experience), the term creative photography would have no meaning”. It is the final expression of photographic vision.