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Digitally altered?


Ace

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In the past i have noticed that several pictures appear to have been `digitally altered`?

 

However when you click the info on a picture the digitally altered box is often not ticked.

 

So can anyone please tell me .... when is a picture deemed to have been altered ?

 

Thanks

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I consider digitally altered when I remove something that was in a picture, say an unwanted post or anything small that might distract from the shot. Of course it can go right up to having an elephant on a skateboard.

 

To me altering a picture is literally changing the physical appearance of an image. Exposure adjustments, contrast, etc are not considered digitally altered.

 

Jill

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Thanks for the reply Jill.

 

Was actually seeing that people had HDR photos + more and then not clicked the digitally altered tab.

 

Was just curious !

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No idea why your original post deserved a red mark, have a greeny to compensate!

 

Trying to find images that appear in papers and magazines it becomes apparent that a large number of images have the wrong number of people specified, I get the impression that some contributors just ignore that aspect or randomly choose an answer. It can only irritate a buyer, don't know why more care isn't taken.

 

Re digitally altered I would go along with Jill's interpretation, although I seem to recall David Kilpatrick providing a more detailed response if you care to search.

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No idea why your original post deserved a red mark, have a greeny to compensate!

 

Trying to find images that appear in papers and magazines it becomes apparent that a large number of images have the wrong number of people specified, I get the impression that some contributors just ignore that aspect or randomly choose an answer. It can only irritate a buyer, don't know why more care isn't taken.

 

Re digitally altered I would go along with Jill's interpretation, although I seem to recall David Kilpatrick providing a more detailed response if you care to search.

 

I agree Bryan that some people just choose anything. I also think that some people are afraid that if it says digitally altered it will discourage a buyer. I always put in the description field any changes I made to the picture .

 

I have seen shots that you know have to be digitally altered but are not marked as so.

 

Jill

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The work from some (all?) agencies is not marked at all for digital alteration. My images from Blend/ImageSource don't have any indication.

 

I think the whole point of this was to make sure people didn't alter the major facts of an editorial scene, i.e. moved buildings in what was supposed to be a factual photo. If I photo shop out a piece of litter etc, I don't consider that digitally altered - I don't work to PJ standards so if I put a commercial lifestyle portrait on a different background, that's just par for the course with commercial - does it alter the facts of the situation, well there was no 'situation' to start with. No agency asks me for the details of what I did in creating the image.

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No idea why your original post deserved a red mark, have a greeny to compensate!

 

Trying to find images that appear in papers and magazines it becomes apparent that a large number of images have the wrong number of people specified, I get the impression that some contributors just ignore that aspect or randomly choose an answer. It can only irritate a buyer, don't know why more care isn't taken.

 

Re digitally altered I would go along with Jill's interpretation, although I seem to recall David Kilpatrick providing a more detailed response if you care to search.

 

Seems someone has it in for you, Ace, you got another red arrow - I've cancelled that out, too.

 

Anyhow - in full agreement with Bryan & Jill.

 

In Manage Images>Attributes, there is a link under the words 'digitally altered', which brings up the relevant help for that point.  The info. there seems fairly clear - and I know that some folk will get upset when questions are asked that are readily available in help files.  Just saying... ;) :)

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Thanks all for your comments. Always good when people try to help.

 

I have a good understanding of what you should and shouldn't take out but kept coming across pictures that had obviously been tweaked a lot but still didn't have the d/a box crossed.

 

I have zero idea why people give out red arrows and frankly couldn't really care but would say I thought they were there to mark down nasty, devious, underhand type comments etc.

 

Ah well ! Just some sad lonely anonymous person out there probably ;-)

 

But thanks for the green ones, appreciated.

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I have images with Corbis (and elsewhere) that look like record shots/casual snaps but have been carefully constructed. Because they are not in a documentary or press collection there is no need to point out that they are 'digitally altered'. 

 

What  counts as 'digital alteration' outside of Alamy is dependent on whatever category the image falls under:

 

Commercial and/or 'Fine Art': just about anything goes

 

Regular stock: most buyers won't throw a tantrum if it turns out that skies have been added or piles of rubbish removed,  and the description is generic

 

Documentary: changes that accentuate mood might be acceptable but nothing should be removed /added.  Great documentary photography often contains some dissonance anyway

 

Press:  people have been fired for applying mood altering changes.

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Just as a guide as to my personal take on this:
Two similar images I have up

  • I have classed as not digitally altered
    DA6EBC.jpg
  • I have classed as digitally altered
    DA6EBJ.jpg

The alterations are far from being extreme, in my view.  All I have done is exaggerate what was already there - deepen saturation, brighten areas, etc. [the flare was in camera, not added afterward], but it is enough to lend a slightly unnatural feel and - I feel - is most definitely digitally altered.

 

A lot of folk might well disagree were this their image, I don't know, but there are certainly many out there who really don't give a monkey's uncle about checking the boxes which clearly and correctly classify their images, whether that be number of people / digitally altered / model or property releases and so on.

 

Just do what you feel is the right thing. :)

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I would not have marked that as altered. All you did could have been done in the darkroom. I've done as much to some images.

A matter of opinion as you say but in that case it may be assumed that you have added the flare as it's commonly done, often badly.

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