About Photo Manipulation

Image manipulation

Images usually are in need of some correction, modification or development to be better and flawless. In many cases images have some lacking or limitations, specially when they are going to serve any certain purpose. An image has the potentiality to say more realistically than any other forms of expression. So, professionals in visual medium always rummage around for perfectly serviceable images. Photo Manipulation becomes the everyday means to meet up their thirst for a perfect image. 

Manipulation; now and before:

Photo manipulation was a hand-drawn process before we are endowed with computer. Retouching with ink, paint, double-exposure, over-exposure, cut photos or negatives, rearrange cuttings together, chromatographic, scratching Polaroid and repainting are some ways to manipulate photos manually.

But now, we all know that image manipulation has become a child’s play with computer aided tools. Anyone, even a non-professional, can bring magical changes in an image. It has more photographic and realistic effect rather than the manually done manipulations.

History of Image Manipulation:

Image and Image manipulation have been walking shoulder to shoulder since the prehistoric era from when men became able to do drawing and painting. Many evidences are there to speak for archaic image manipulation. 

Image manipulation, if we regard so, is observed in ancient societies. Then people used to paint their own faces to impose an extra effect on their personality, e.g. effect of power, affection, horror, anger, strength. In cave-art some peculiar images were found which were not fully realistic. Most of these were some fusion of man and animal or other species of animal, bird or fish. 

This sort of image manipulation has been evolving with the development of human civilizations. Ancient civilization of Indus valley, Inca, Maya, Greek, Roman, Egypt - everywhere numerous manipulation of real-things are remaining available in art and painting. But never was it a purposeless art that came out only as a will of mind of the artist. Always image and the art of image manipulation have a supplementary role in socio-political and socio-cultural issues. 

But when it is about photographs, manipulation adds further dimensions of impersonal truthfulness and mass-belief. So, image manipulation relates with some different issue other than merely art or painting.