Hi David,
Personally I will work in probably one of three or four general ways. Part of what I do for a living requires the precise and accurate imaging of objects for scientific purposes. They must be dimensionally correct, have accurate colour recording and be of sufficient resolution to demonstrate / record what is required. At other times (for my private / 'artistic' endeavors) I will take an idea that is in my head and try to create an image based on that (whether that be to translate the emotional impact a scene or object made on me, create a picture using objects, models etc or even to composite things to create a story). And then there are the times when I just like something and want to record it, maybe later making it more how I remember or how I would have liked to have seen it. At other times I will take pictures of people or events (parties, meetings etc). Aside from the technical work I am otherwise not too precious about the process. Sometimes I will 'print' what I have (of course that may have already been distorted by the angle of view, properties of the lens / camera, filters, film etc), but I'm not adverse to getting rid of pimples, easing the odd wrinkle or getting rid of the damned for-sale board that I hadn't noticed at the time.
The B&W prints you produced seem to me to have been taken for some purpose other than they were what you saw. The dead and forgotten animal on a desolate path cast against a forbidding sky. The path and old fence winding up a wind-swept moor. You used a graduated filter both to balance the exposure and bring a bit more drama in (and maybe help translate the impact that the scene made on you at the time - or maybe because you just wanted to try the filter out
). Enhancing and emphasising it further in PS (or a darkroom) for me is just part of the same process.
None of this makes you more of a photographer or not IMO. I rely on the integrity of photojournalists to record what they see (not what they think we should see - extra smoke over Lebanon, a few more rockets than there actually were etc). I rely on the integrity of a scientific / technical photographer to record what was there (not clone out a few cells that were in the wrong place of shift the dimensions of an object because it fits the expected result better). I also rely on the artist to try to present their vision to me no matter what that is. I enjoy the large format portraits of Richard Avedon as much as the multiplicity shots of Miss Aniela. Created in totally different ways but both artistic interpretations (have you ever sat in front of a LF camera? It certainly makes people behave in a different way, express themselves differently than they might otherwise).
I guess the most important thing though is to have your own rules and do what you want to within them. If you like the discipline of doing as much as possible in-camera then that is what you should do (these were all done in-camera, mostly on 10x8 film, even the fish - two separate exposure on one sheet of film
http://www.kimsawyerphoto.com/ ). If you want to create fantasy worlds from composite images that is fine as well. As long as it is rewarding then stick at it and don't worry if you find yourself changing, I certainly have over the last 30-odd years that I have been taking pictures and definitely will do further. And, probably most importantly, don't take any notice of the pompous dribble that people like me might come out with if you don't want to! I know what I like and what I try to do (successfully or not) but it might not be what you or other like. I like the heavily modified and chemically bleached images of Lilian Bassman and the inked in prints of Bill Brandt just as much as the amazing creations of Sarah Moon as well as the portraits of David Bailey and Jim Rakete. However, despite their technical excellence and the impressive scenes they depict I find the images of Ansel Adams to be rather uninteresting (I think I can hear a mob with pitch forks and burning torches coming up the hill so I'd better stop writing this dribble now).
Have fun with your photography and keep it coming and make sure you let the rest of us know what you think of our efforts.
