Photo Manipulation vs. Image Edit
There are differences between performing a simple edit of an image, called a photo edit, and photo manipulation. Perhaps while we have been surfing the Internet, we have seen an amazing landscape with brilliant and bright colors that we believe just could not be real or pictures in the tabloids of fish people that live in the sea or even some type of surreal designs. Elaborate designs such as these are easy to spot but did we notice the door knob that was fixed in the image or the lines that were removed from the window or even the copyright text that was placed at the bottom of the photo? Would we call these examples photo editing or photo manipulation? The answer may be a surprise. Look at these images now, decide which ones are photo editing and which are photo manipulation then come back after the tutorials are completed and see if the answers chosen were correct.
Why Learn About Photo Editing and Photo Manipulation
Every photo editor should know when they cross that line between a simple image edit and photo manipulation. Without knowing the difference, we may not be able to decipher when we are going too far or even if there is a “too far” when editing an image. We need to understand where we cross the line to decide what type of graphic artist we will become as we are learning and how we will use our skills. We need to know the difference between photo editing and photo manipulation to know whether we should be doing something to an image. Just because we can do something, does not mean we should be doing it. Know the difference to and the decision that is actively being made when editing an image. Know when that line is crossed and when we have begun manipulating that photo instead of just editing it.
Differences Between Photo Editing and Photo Manipulation
The short answer is that an edit of an image, or photo editing, changes hues, brightness and contrast levels while maintaining the original composition of the image whereas photo manipulation changes the image composition. What does this mean?
When we move an object within the image or combine two images, we have changed the original composition of the image and we now enter the realm of photo manipulation. Photo manipulation creates fake images that are not always unrealistic.
When we adjust the brightness to show the details of a darkened object within an image, this is considered a simple edit of an image.
In the not so distant past, photo manipulation was much more difficult as it required precise calculations and extreme skill to merge two or more photos together in order to make a single compilation. While photo manipulation of that magnitude still requires an extreme amount of skill, simpler photo manipulation is made much easier with content aware tools, such as when an object is removed digitally from a photo, using a picture editor, it leaves a black spot behind it that must be precisely filled in matching the background behind it. Using content aware tools, for which we will get into much later in this series of tutorials, photo manipulation is much easier. The algorithms that have been created to allow photo manipulation and creativity within images are nothing short of amazing. They are not perfect but they do a great job.
Photo editing requires less skill and can be easily completed with a picture editor that provides simple tools such as the marquee, some feathering and a curves option or perhaps some brightness and contrast controls.
Photo editing can be used to change the hue of the sky or brighten a focus point within the image. Most of the time, these are subtle changes that are never spotted by the viewer.
Photo editing and photo manipulation quite often get intertwined together. It is very easy to start by intending to only lighten up a human subject's facial features only to notice imperfections and then decide to remove them. We have just intermingled photo editing with photo manipulation. We have changed the original composition of the image not creating a fake image even though the subject is real. We may have a perfect sunset image only to have a tree in the way of our perfect photograph and we want to remove the tree. We have now created a scene that is no longer an accurate portrayal of real events, regardless of good intentions.
Is Photo Manipulation Bad?
While photo manipulation has had a bad name in the past, photo manipulation is extremely common around the Internet and in the real world. Photo manipulation has been happening for years. Some of the photo manipulation has been extremely bad whereas some of it was nearly flawless.
Do you really believe the men and women in adult or swimsuit magazines were not touched up over the years before those magazines went public?
How about the pictures in the food magazines, do you believe they come out perfect in the magazine but when attempted at home, they look nothing like the picture in the magazine?
How about the tabloids where “fish people are real” showing people with gills that live in the ocean, do you think those types of images were not manipulated? I completely made up fish people are real, so, any reference, at any time, in any tabloid or anywhere else to that subject is purely coincidental.
Deciding whether photo manipulation is bad comes down to the intention of the person editing the image. Photo manipulation can be bad depending on malintent. Intention plays a big part in determining whether photo manipulation is bad or creative. If there is malintent when editing an image, then yes, photo manipulation can be bad and misleading. If the intent is to pass the manipulated photo off as real and accurate then yes, photo manipulation is bad. If the intent is to be creative and entertaining and the author makes it very clear the photo was manipulated from its original then photo manipulation can be fun.
Similarities Between Photo Editing and Photo Manipulation
We have spoken about the differences between photo editing and photo manipulation but what about the similarities. When does that line get drawn when I am editing an image to when I am now manipulating that photo? If editing an image is considered just changing the hue then what happens if I change the hue enough to where it is no longer recognizable as the original image? What is the difference between changing the hue of a sky instead of replacing it?
There is no rule that states as soon as I do this then I am manipulating the photo instead of just editing an image. The decision still very much lies with the viewers of the completed product but morally as graphic designers, let us talk about the similarities between the two terms.
Technically speaking, as soon as we perform any type of an edit to a photo, we are manipulating that photo regardless of our intent. The line here is drawn due to the graphic design and photographic communities as they will be the viewers of the final product. When we change the contrast in an image, brighten up the object, use any types of tools, this is technically considered manipulation. This would be the same thing as if we were to seriously dilute bleach and then use it in an attempt to lighten a real world image. This process would take anywhere from seconds to less than a minute and we would see a lightened result on the image. Since we are just lightening the image but not changing the original construct, are we technically manipulating that image so the people that state that are correct, but technically I am wearing white socks even though I walked out in the dirt and they are no longer white.
The graphic design and photography communities, however, have drawn that line to state that if we are just changing a darkened image to a lighter image, then it is not considered photo manipulation because for the most part, the original image stays intact. The same goes for adding contrast or slightly changing the hue of an image. These communities agree as long as the original image stays intact and remains an accurate portrayal of the original photo then we are simply editing an image and not performing photo manipulation.
Examples of Photo Manipulation
Examples of Photo Editing
