Monday, June 7, 2010

Photography and ethic: You as a photographer who edited/altered images



Before computers photo manipulation was achieved by retouching with ink, paint, double exposure, piecing photos or negatives together in the darkroom or scratching polaroids. The first recorded case of photo manipulation was in the early 1860s, when a photo of Abraham Lincoln was altered using the body from a portrait of John C. Calhoun and the head of Lincoln from a famous seated portrait by Mathew Brady – the same portrait which was the basis for the original Lincoln Five-dollar bill.[1]


When photography was first invented, its overwhelming influence came from the fact that it recorded nature more realistically than any other art form had ever done before. Because of this, people trusted it and believed it portrayed "reality" and "truth".

Before.
After.

1. This picture was taken at Cherry Beach in Toronto, Ontario. I chose this picture because of the sunset. I adjusted the contrast, saturation and temperature. I feel as though it is now dark and gloomy like a storm is coming in. I think I chose to go about that route because of my mood at the time. I think photography and art in general have a lot of emotion attached to it, which is why so many people are so passionate about the field.

Before

After

2. This picture was taken at Ashbridges Bay in Toronto, Ontario. I like the way the clouds are just setting in like it’s about to snow. I adjusted the temperature as well as the making it look like a sunset rather than an incoming storm. As I was adjusting it I realized that the landscape became more defined. I liked this feature a lot. It makes a simple picture look more elaborate.

Before

After
3. This picture was taken at Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto. What I really enjoyed about this picture was the city in the background. I chose to alter the saturation of the photo to make the tree's and grass more defined. I also decided to sharpen the image a little bit to make this stand out. I also adjusted the temperature to make the sky look brighter.


Before

After


4. This picture was taken at Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Ontario. I love this image because of the water, I feel as though after editing it, it could almost be a winter day rather than a summer day. While editing this image I chose to alter the contrast, this made the water more defined as well as the saturation. I then wanted the sky to be a brighter blue, so I adjusted the temperature.

In conclusion, I think photo manipulation or editing an image gives the photographer the freedom to create whats envisioned in their head. Also gives us the opportunity to create even the most impossible photographs.



[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation

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