It wasn’t planned, but as we put this issue together we realized that the majority of our stories had to do with image control. Whether through plans made prior to shooting, choices made on the spot or post-production decisions ranging from basic to near-wizardry, the photographers in this issue took total control of the imaging process. Thomas R. Anderson’s Parting Shot photo, for example, involved a touch of playful color manipulation to shift the mood of the image and a cropping decision that improved its balance. Andrew Hefter pre-visualizes his post processing, while Vincent Versace’s awareness of the control capabilities of Capture NX often influences his picture-taking decisions. Bruce Dale and Maynard Switzer take control on the spot—Bruce by deciding to shoot infrared photography, Maynard by choosing perhaps the most elegant control factor of all: the simplification of the image.

Digital imaging contributed to all these control choices. In the early days of digital, we were promised much. We’d be able to do more with our images. We’d be able to be more creative. We’d have more control. We’d see the results of our efforts in an instant, and we’d share those results in the next instant. The promises were kept. “Think it, do it,” is a phrase we’ve often used when talking about digital. Vincent Versace’s version is “Impossible is just an opinion.”

Digital’s capabilities and potential constantly challenge photographers to be more imaginative, more adventurous, and it’s entirely possible that the most daring steps are yet to be taken. Don’t believe me? Then skip right ahead to Marketplace, where two extraordinary new D-SLRs are waiting to invite you to take your imaging to an entirely new level of imagination and achievement.

Photography’s future promises to be quite a ride.