Is it "cheating" to digitally merge multiple photos?

[SunTsu]

I was just looking at the recent Costco magazine where they published the winners of their photo contest. The winner took three photos and merged them into one.

"...the farmhouse...stands on a stretch of High-way"
"The sky...is taken from an image he snapped of the Inside Passage..."
"...the background was shot on the prairie."

Somehow, I think that photo contests should be single "exposures" and these kind of shots should be entered into digital contests or something like that. Just wondering what the general opinion is on this type of thing.

[Billginthekeys]

its really up to each contest commitee.

[Lord_Malone]

LOL

That's not a Photography contest, That's a Photoshopography contest!

[milleker]

I tend to not think of anything that could be done in the old darkroom days as 'too much' but I agree that multiple exposures should be disallowed in digital. Its just too easy to go overboard in Photoshop when merging two images, back in the film days you had much less of an opportunity to fine tune your double exposure. You crossed your fingers and hoped for the best.

Boo on Costco for allowing a multiple exposure into the contest.

[SunTsu]

The thing that got my attention was that when I first saw the shot, I thought, "wow...where was he to get that shot?" Then looking some more, I thought it looked a bit "fake"...almost like a downloadable wallpaper. After reading how the guy got his shot, I realized it was actually three shots in one. I'm not sure if forum rules allow it, but if someone knows it's OK, I'd be glad to take a picture of the shot and post it here.

[milleker]

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be ok to post the image, but if you could link to it? Heres the March edition of the Costco Connection newsletter. Are you saying that image B on page 27 is the one? Not seeing any copy regarding the multiple exposure shot.

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/200703/

[Broncosaurus]

The giraffe at sunset (second place, US) is a composite image.

[SunTsu]

It's the Canadian Costco Connection. The link to the magazine is here:
http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/200703_04/?b=2&u1=texterity

I tried to find a direct link to the page, but I can't figure out how so you'll have to go to the above page and then keep clicking till you get to the picture. :)

[SunTsu]

I think I got it figured out. :)

http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/200703_04/?pg=26&pm=2&u1=friend

[milleker]

Absolutely stunning image nonetheless but as LM said, thats not photography.

Photography is being at the right place at the right time. Anyone can take elements from multiple images (with the final outcome being dependent on the users' paint program skill). Life sure would be easier if I threw out everything I've been taught about photography and photographed plain old skies, seas, buildings and other elements with the intention to cut and paste later. Peff!

[SunTsu]

Hopefully, this isn't a trend. I guess with Photoshop, it's just way to easy to cheat. I'm surprised they accepted that picture as it was and I'm also surprised they didn't look at it and think, "That looks a little too pretty to be true."