I think there are two issues in your post that are getting mixed: film vs digital, and manipulated vs unmanipulated. 'Every creative decision is made out there in the wind, the heat, the rain, the light' - are you that rare breed of photographer who makes a completely 'straight' print? You've never heard of photographers spending hours in the darkroom darkening the sky a bit, lightening those rocks a bit - ignoring the extreme element who in the darkroom also swap skies. The piece of film is the data with which film photographers start working towards a print; a digital file is the data with which digital photographers start working towards a print. There's nothing morally superior or more 'purist' in darkening a sky in the darkroom over doing it on a PC. Both groups get the same joy in finding a scene - both groups have their extreme element.