Tricky
Tools
These
images were created by separately photographing each animal’s body parts as well as the props in the picture. Then artists
used a computer program called Photoshop to “cut-and-paste” the images together. The Photoshop programme has a
lot of tools. The “blur” tool makes things appear to be in motion, while “distort”
functions stretch or squash images. Want to make pictures bigger or smaller? One solution is to use the “scale”
tool. To bring out details, hit “sharpen.” And when one orangutan isn’t enough, use the “clone”
tool - no scientists necessary!
Serious
Changes
Computer
artists use photo manipulation for many reasons. Some may fiddle with colour to make flowers on a greeting
card look extra-bright. Others are just having fun. Sometimes, though, people will use photo manipulation to fool you.
As
for these silly pictures? There’s no question that they’re just for fun. Here are some secrets to what makes them
so tricky.
Picture
1: Dog Bowl
The
shoes were photographed at the bowling alley—without the dogs in them. “I shot the shoes dogless,” says
John Lund, who took the photograph and did the digital manipulation. To get the belly pictures, one dog lay on his back, while
the other was held up under his front legs. Humans originally held the bowling balls—but the people
were replaced by the dogs.
Picture
2: Tweety’s Revenge
This
bird didn’t have to worry: The cat was never near him. “The cat was added to the cage on the computer in parts,”
says Lund, who photographed the bird on an empty cage. To make the fur seem as if it were poking out of the cage, Lund leaned
an oven rack against the cat’s side.
Picture
3: Mouse Slide
How
do you photograph a speedy mouse? “We constantly put him in the shoe until he sat still for a split second,” says
photographer Chris Collins. “As I took the picture, he tried to push himself out, which is why his front paw is on the
shoe.” The other paw and the blur were added later.
Sometimes it can
be hard to tell if a photo has been manipulated, but these clues will help you spot a fake.
Part
of the Picture Stands Out
“If
the photographer used the sharpening tool too much, the subject will look almost like a sticker that’s been slapped
onto a background,” says photographer Jill Enfield of TakeGreatPictures.com.
Everything is Too Detailed
“Whatever
the photographer focused on—a building, for instance—should be the most detailed part of the picture, and the
background should be a little out of focus,” Enfield says. “If they’re both in sharp focus, that could be
a giveaway that multiple photos were combined.”
The
Light is Wrong
“Look
at the shadows,” says photo editor Steve Larese of New Mexico magazine. “Are they all going in the same
direction?” If they’re not, you can bet something was cut-and-pasted.”
It
Couldn't Happen in Real Life
Even
if it wanted to, a dog couldn’t hold a bowling ball. “If it looks impossible, it probably is,” Larese says.
Choose the correct answer.
1. The phrase in motion
in paragraph 1 means
A.
moving
B.
not moving
C. moving slowly
D. way of moving
2. The word fiddle in paragraph 2 means
A.
play the violin
B.
be dishonest
C. play with something
D. difficult to manage
3. The word originally in paragraph 4 means
A.
in the beginning
B.
in a different way
C. new and interesting
D. not a copy
4. The word multiple in paragraph 9 means
A.
involving many people
B.
to become greater
C. to increase
D. many; more than one
5. Photoshop has the following tools:
A. blur
B. sharpen
C. clone
D. all of the above
6. Computer artists manipulate photos in order to
A.
have fun
B.
fool people
C. both (A) and (B)
D. neither (A) nor (B)
7. Which of the following statements is true?
A.
The dogs wore shoes for the photograph.
B.
The dogs held the bowling balls for the photograph.
C.
Both dogs were made to lie on their backs for the belly pictures.
D. Only one dog was made to lie on its back for the belly picture.
8. The bird did not have to worry because
A.
the cat was inside the cage
B.
the cat was outside the cage
C. the cage was actually empty
D. the bird was on top of the cage
9. The mouse was photographed
A.
sitting inside the shoe
B.
sitting outside the shoe
C. trying to get out of the shoe
D. trying to get into the shoe
10. You can
tell a photograph is a fake if
A.
the subject looks like it has been slapped
B.
the background is slightly out of focus
C.
all the shadows are in the same direction
D.
it looks like it could happen in real life
Answer
the following questions.
11. What is your opinion about photo manipulation? Is it a good
or a bad thing?
12. Have you ever tried to alter photographs using Photoshop? What did you do? Why
