Digital Photo Manipulation Essay

The issue of digital photo manipulation has been a growing concern in photojournalism studies since it presents historical evidence in a subjective manner (Hofer & Swan, 2005). The photographer can easily manipulate the evidence according to his or her convenience by placing the camera at a particular angle, framing the picture, and choosing the appropriate time to shoot. With the advent of sophisticated software and other photo editing tools, photos have continuously been edited over the years to suit particular agenda, and this disputes the old cliche that "the camera never lies." The paper sets to examine digital photo manipulation and its impact on the perceptions of people regarding other individuals, societal events, and the advertising world. Moreover, the paper explores the history of photo alteration and its impact on photojournalism.

An increase in the ease of access to numerous photos on the internet increases the chances for photo manipulation (Lowrey, 2003). On both the web and in print, photos have been retouched in substantial and subtle ways. Not only do artistic directors and graphic artists participate in photo editing, but also millions of web users who even participate in daily Photoshop competitions. The competitions involve downloading the photo of the day, manipulating it, and reposting it for other users to enjoy (Hofer & Swan, 2005). At the covers of circulated news magazines and in political campaigns, photographs are routinely edited to advance particular points of view.

Over the last few decades, Adobe Photoshop, a popular photo editing software has been used to digitally enhance, modify, or change images in a variety of ways and for some reasons (Newton, 2013). Some of the techniques used in digital photo manipulation include "retouching," inserting details, photomontage, and false captioning. Sharp controversies have risen in the past because of digital photo manipulation such as the darkened mug shot of O.J. Simpson in the cover of the 1994 Time Magazine, and the realignment of the Egyptian pyramids on the 1981 National Geographic magazine cover. Amidst the heated debate on digital photo manipulation, various media outlets continued to manipulate images to suit their convenience.

A fabricated image in which former presidential candidate John Kerry and Anti-War activist and actress Jane Fonda appeared to share a podium together. This is a classic case of the effects of digital photo manipulation in the spread of misinformation since the fabricated photo was made by merging Kerry's photo and Fonda's photo all taken at different times and different events (Hofer & Swan, 2005). The spread of misinformation is detrimental to photojournalism since it erodes the great trust that governments and other stakeholders put upon media corporations. Unregulated levels of digital photo manipulation can also turn media outlets into tools for spreading propaganda and hate speech that could spark wars and divisions among ordinary citizens.

There has been a long history in the doctoring of images to drive certain agenda. In 1920, a photograph of Vladimir Lenin standing at a platform alongside Leon Trotsky was taken. However, after a revolution that happened seven years later forcing Trotsky out of the party, the original photo he took in 1920 together with Vladimir Lenin was doctored to have his image removed (Hofer & Swan, 2005). This happened with the help of razors, paint, and airbrushes. Although the photo editing techniques of the past produced nearly perfect images, they were time-consuming and required skilled artists to perform the manipulation tasks. Today, numerous software tools have removed the time and skills constraint since with a little training, and most people can edit their images according to their specifications. The photo editing software can be given freely with the purchase of a digital camera or scanner.

Digital photo manipulation has affected the perceptions of other individuals and society because it has continuously created a false sense of reality (Maenpaa, 2014). By continuously seeing fabricated images of models on magazine covers who have perfectly structured faces, and slim bodies, people begin to see it as a norm. Women and girls may be tempted to try to look like the cover models, and this may lead them to inflict self-harm (Maenpaa, 2014). People have changed the way they see real beauty, and this makes them have image issues. The falsified view about beauty has also made some women to alter their natural appearances by getting plastic surgeries done on them. Some of the medical interventions have even worsened their situations leading to a reduced sense of self-esteem. By cutting their tummy fat through surgical methods, women have denied themselves the opportunity of conceiving children, all in the name of looking beautiful.

In the advertising industry, photo manipulation has enabled sellers to enhance the appearance of their products to achieve maximum customer appeal (Maenpaa & Seppanen, 2010). This has worked positively for them since it has created more leads and eventual increase in sales. The perceptions of consumers have drastically changed especially with an increase in creativity in the manipulated advertisements (Maenpaa & Seppanen, 2010). Although digital photo manipulation works for the advertisers, consumers get duped at times owing to the false perception that they have towards the advertised products (Maenpaa & Seppanen, 2010). This is particularly dangerous to online shoppers who may order for a seemingly high-quality product and in turn, get a much different product in terms of quality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the paper has examined digital photo manipulation and its impact on the perceptions of people regarding other individuals, societal events, and the advertising world. In the past, photo manipulation was time-consuming and required knowledge of skilled artists. However, with the advancement in technology, users can easily use software such as Adobe Photoshop to edit their images for specific reasons. Some of the common photo manipulation methods include inserting details, photomontage, false captioning, and "retouching." Whereas digital photo manipulation can be beneficial, studies indicate that continued exposure to fabricated images has created a false sense of beauty in people's minds. Women and girls have issues with how they look since they desire to get beauty similar to the one portrayed in photographs of magazine cover models. Some lose their self-esteem and even resolve to take expensive remedies such as plastic surgery just to enhance their beauty. It has long been established that digital photo manipulation can be potentially damaging to photojournalism since it can lead to the spread of propaganda and misinformation.

References

Hofer, M., & Swan, K. O. (2005). Digital image manipulation: A compelling means to engage students in a discussion of point of view and perspective. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 5(3), 290-299.

Lowrey, W. (2003). Normative conflict in the newsroom: The case of digital photo manipulation. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 18(2), 123-142.doi: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1802_05

Maenpaa, J. (2014). Rethinking photojournalism: The changing work practices and professionalism of photojournalists in the digital age. Nordicom Review, 35(2), 91-104.

Maenpaa, J., & Seppanen, J. (2010). Imaginary darkroom: Digital photo editing as a strategic ritual. Journalism Practice, 4(4), 454-475.doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512781003760501

Newton, J. (2013). The burden of visual truth: The role of photojournalism in mediating reality. London: Routledge.