Photographer or Graphic Designer ... What's the difference.

So in an effort to put up the books clear my brain and take a small break... I picked up an old stock photo and started playing around with it in CS5.


Working with some layers masks, textures, duplicating images, and a variety of tools I just wanted to see what I could come up with.


I in no way claim to be the best at psd, however I'm learning more each day and becoming a little more dangerous with each thing learned... Makes me question just how real are the "other" pictures out there ?


I love photography and I love graphic design... I wonder altering images in PSD am I adding to it, enhancing it in some way. When does it stop being photography and start becoming graphic art. With the advancement of tech these days the lines seem to be blurred now more then ever. Will we reach a day when they are one in the same ?


Ya know those "best of..... " images that seem to infiltrate our emails every December, knowing what I know (again, nothing spectacular) in PSD, I really question just how "best of" they really are. Someone with some great skills could easily pit that Surfer next to Shark...