DailyDirt: Digital Photography Magic (aka Photoshopping)
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Altering a few pixels here and there in a digital photo can have remarkable effects. Sometimes the result is unexpected and hilarious, but sometimes it's simply amazing what can be done to photos. Perhaps you've used software (eg. photoshop) to remove "red eye" from your favorite selfies, but there are some even more advanced algorithms that can make your photos look much better... than they otherwise would.- If you've ever tried to take a picture through a window (from a train/bus/skyscraper/etc), you've probably encountered the problem of seeing your own reflection obscuring your shot. However, don't delete those photos just yet -- if the window was double-paned, you might be able to save them with an algorithm that removes reflected images under certain conditions. [url]
- It's possible to de-blur some cellphone-take photos by using the front-facing camera to track motion information while the rear-facing camera snaps a shot. Algorithms can make it possible for cameras to get even smaller, as imperfections in small lenses can be compensated for with software. [url]
- There will be an ever-growing number of selfie filter options in the near future. The more advanced ones will combine facial recognition with other effects to generate more stylish photos. [url]
- Maybe you want your outdoor photography to look like it's winter. Or autumn. Or raining. There might be a editing tool for that soon -- from some researchers at Brown University. [url]
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Filed Under: algorithms, cameras, cgi, de-blur, filters, photography, photos, photoshop, photoshopping, reflections, selfie
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Call It A “Photomanip”
They do “photomanipulation”. The product of same is often described as a “photomanip”, plural “photomanips”.
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I don't consider myself an artist, but I like to occasionally try my hand at image editing, and it's always disappointed me that the only two practical options for most advanced editing are Photoshop (ridiculously expensive and reportedly confusing to use) and GIMP (free, but confusing to use).
A couple years ago I started a project to produce a digital version of a copy protection map (black printing on dark blue paper) included with an old C64 game. It didn't scan very well and it was recommended that I use GIMP to improve the scans. I tried, but couldn't get anything approaching a usable image out of it. I'm sure it's capable of doing what I needed, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.
I ended up processing the images in Irfanview, which is much more intuitive (if more limited) and then tracing them in Ultimate Paint, which is the most intuitive drawing program that I've yet found for Windows.
I don't have Photoshop (nope, not even a pirated copy) and trying to use the drawing tools in GIMP was a pain in the ass.
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Re:
Unlike many software packages, the difference is that Photoshop has been a kind of industry standard in a space that has a lot of interest - everything from 'simple' filter effects on photos by budding photographers to multi-layered animated matte paintings for use in feature films all get done in the package.
The price tag in part supports research and development which provides features that push the state of the art which sells more licences. Sure, often what is researched ends up patented, but I find it hard to begrudge them that.
The great part is, for its ubiquity ("Ah, bet that's a 'shop" - it's so common we don't even say the full product name!), there is a wealth of information available on the concepts involved, and how-tos for learning how to get stuff done. And, with some exceptions, that knowledge remains constant from package to package.
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Re: Call It A “Photomanip”
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De-bluring photos
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Reflection removal
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