Posted By:
barrysloateI don't think that the photo enhancement that appears in the catalog is just the typical kind of cropping that is done as a rule, and not an exception, to paraphrase Corey. As Joe and I were discussing, a printer and photographer have an extra obligation when preparing an auction catalog that features collectibles.
If you are printing a cookbook and you want your red peppers to look a little redder, go for it. You're not in the business of selling red peppers anyway.
But in an auction catalog it is really important to make sure the object being photographed is as close to real life as possible. When I scan my auctions lots I tell my catalog designer not to darken light photos, and not to photoshop blemishes out of an image. It's very important to depict the object as it is. I don't agree it's acceptable for Sotheby's to do anything to the image other than to leave it exactly as it is, warts and all.