Close analysis of the photograph raises questions and reveal certain details in the photograph that indicate it has been manipulated. Grant posing horseback in front of his troops at City Point, Virginia. Another is exampled in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalogue wherein it exposes a manipulated American Civil War photograph of General Ulysses S. 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. Early Īn early example of tampering was in the early 1860s, when a photo was altered using the body from a portrait of John C. The transition from film to digital has been an ongoing process, although much progress was made in the early 21st century as a result of innovation that has greatly improved digital image quality while reducing the bulk and weight of cameras and equipment. At the onset, digital photography was considered by some to be a radical new approach and was initially rejected by photographers because of its substandard quality. While the equipment and technology progressed over time, it was not until the late 20th century that photography evolved into the digital realm. In the early 19th century, photography and the technology that made it possible were rather crude and cumbersome. Some darkroom manipulations involved techniques such as bleaching to artfully lighten or totally wash-out parts of the photograph, or hand coloring for aesthetic purposes or to mimic a fine art painting. Negatives can be manipulated while still in the camera using double-exposure techniques, or in the darkroom by piecing photos or negatives together.
Traditional photographic prints can be altered using various methods and techniques that involve manipulation directly to the print, such as retouching with ink, paint, airbrushing, or scratching Polaroids during developing ( Polaroid art). The practice began not long after the creation of the first photograph (1825) by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce who developed heliography and made the first photographic print from a photoengraved printing plate. Photo manipulation dates back to some of the earliest photographs captured on glass and tin plates during the 19th century. Retouching tools from the pre-digital era: gouache paint, kneaded erasers, charcoal sticks, and an airbrush, the latter giving rise to the phrase "airbrushed from history".
Software applications have been developed for the manipulation of digital images, ranging from professional applications to very basic imaging software for casual users. Other examples of photo manipulation include retouching photographs using ink or paint, airbrushing, double exposure, piecing photos or negatives together in the darkroom, scratching instant films, or through the use of software-based manipulation tools applied to digital images. Ansel Adams employed some of the more common manipulations using darkroom exposure techniques, burning (darkening) and dodging (lightening) a photograph. Other examples include being used for political propaganda, or to improve the appearance a product or person, or simply as entertainment or practical jokes.ĭepending on the application and intent, some photograph manipulations are considered an art form because it involves the creation of unique images and in some instances, signature expressions of art by photographic artists.
Some photograph manipulations are considered to be skilful artwork, while others are considered to be unethical practices, especially when used to deceive the public. Photograph manipulation involves the transformation or alteration of a photograph using various methods and techniques to achieve desired results.
The skin features shown in a portrait of Minnie Driver have been manipulated to create the image on the right.