In this blog I make the case that debates over the acceptable limits of cloning and image manipulation more generally need to take into consideration the complexities of human experience. I argue for two main claims: 1) That the visual experiences that we use as the basis for our judgments about the authenticity or otherwise of an image is nothing like a camera sensor recording light, and 2) that the central aspect of our experience relevant in this debate is our aesthetic response to the world. I further argue that whilst many such aspects of our experience may be shared in common with others, they are always conditioned by our circumstances and histories.

In November 2024 I decided to stop posting my images to Facebook or Instagram and have deleted all my earlier images. But do not fear: Anyone interested in my photography can either get a free account on Flickr and follow me there (Flickr is where my new images usually first appear), or you just sign up to my Newsletter on my website.