Photo Manipulation Assignment

Since the introduction of photography in 1839, this amazing field has had a lot advances and improvements in technology making it easier to improve the quality of our pictures. Today, we have digital cameras that allow us to take multiple pictures and download them to our computers where we can edit them as we please. Photo manipulation has been one of the most remarkable advances in the field of photography, because it gives us the ability to change and perfect our photos in a way that we couldn’t before.

As cited by Hofer & Swan in their article from Sudan Sontag’s book, On Photography: “In America, the photographer is not simply the person who records the past, but the one who invents it.” (Hofer & Swan 2005, p. 290) Nowadays, photo manipulation programs such as Photoshop, Irfanview, and many others allow us to change and manipulate images. By changing aspects of an historic picture – such as improving imperfections in light and quality – we can help to preserve the past. By changing colours or adding and removing objects in a new image, we can create a different story altogether.

In this assignment I had a great time working with some of my old pictures that I took during previous vacations. Using the Irfanview program, I manipulated some pictures using different features of the program. In the first picture, my fiancée and I are standing in front of the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was crowded afternoon, and a lot of tourists were visiting this beautiful attraction, which made it extremely difficult to get a photo by ourselves.


Picture 1, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Even though we love the picture, we felt it would have been better if we were alone in the shot, with a clear view of the tower. Accordingly, I made it my mission to remove the tourists in the bright orange t-shirts. First, I colour-corrected the picture, and then I tried to remove the people in the orange t-shirts. To do this, I copied parts of the grass from the left-hand side of the photo and pasted those cuts on top of the people in the foreground. After being careful with some of the details where the green grass ends, I finally got a version with a clear view of all the buildings. We like it much more!



Manipulated version of Picture 1

The second picture was taken last summer when I was on the ferry to the Toronto Islands. It is a beautiful view of the skyline of downtown Toronto. Centrally located in the photo is the CN Tower, which is one of the most recognizable icons of Canada, and of Toronto in particular.

Picture 2, Skyline of downtown Toronto

The Toronto skyline is known by Canadians and foreigners alike for the majestic CN Tower, which sets it apart from all other skylines in the world. In the manipulated version of my skyline photo, I removed Toronto’s icon to see what the city might look like without it. I was very surprised; anyone who is not familiar with other popular building in the city would not be able to tell it is Toronto’s skyline.

Manipulated version of Picture 2

I took my third picture while I was in Venice, Italy last summer. It is a view of two gondoliers in the Grand Canal, with the Rialto Bridge in the background. Below, you can see the original picture, followed by a version that I manipulated.



Picture 3, Realto Bridge, Venice, Italy



Manipulated version of Picture 3

With this image, I removed a major component in the picture. Eliminating one of the gondoliers in the centre of the photo made it difficult to notice that the CN Tower from Picture 2 was added to the top left corner of this picture.

In conclusion, photo manipulation has been one of the most remarkable advances in the field of photography. With the right program, we can colour-correct pictures by making the colours more vivid, thus giving more life and depth to the images. We can also add and remove components of the image itself, which can significantly change the meaning or impact of the picture. Despite the fascinating qualities of photo manipulation, this tool can also have a negative effect on photography. As Andrew Curry states in his article, Now you see him, now you don’t:

With basic computer programs and limited skills, crucial details can be deleted or added – incriminating skid marks removed from pictures of an accident, bruises added to pictures of an assault victim. (Curry, 2001)

For this reason, it is very important to use this technology in appropriate ways, and as a positive contribution to the art of photography.

Reference

Hofer, M., & Swan, K. O. (2005). Digital image manipulation: A compelling means to engage

students in discussion of point of view and perspective. Contemporary Issues in Technology and

Teacher Education, 5(3/4), 290-299.

Curry, A. (2001, July 9). Now you see him, now you don’t. Retrieved October 31, 2005,

from the US News.com Web site:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/photography/hoax.htm