> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ APRIL 2020[ 122 ]
ANSWERS TO PHOTOSHOP AND GEAR-RELATED QUESTIONS
The most common “fakes” are images in which a face from
one photo (usually a celebrity) is pasted into an image of
another person’s body (usually unclothed). These days, how-
ever, we’re seeing doctored photos appearing everywhere
with varying subject matter. In addition to composites (com-
bining parts of two or more images into a single “photo”),
you might run across photos in which one element has been
digitally altered. You might also see images in which the
Clone Stamp was used to duplicate or relocate something
in the image, or perhaps a Distort filter has been used rather
obviously to enlarge or shrink part of an image (for example,
a politician’s hands).
Your eye is often naturally attracted to areas that
don’t “match” in an image. (In fact, this almost sub-
conscious evaluation may be what sparks your friends to
question whether an image has been “Photo shopped.”)
Here are some of the things that may be noticeable in an
altered photo:Shadows that don’t match: The angle of light falls differ-
ently on different parts of the subject or scene; for example,
a person added to a group shot might have his or her nose
shadow on the opposite side of the face than those of the
others in the picture. Look also for shadows that are missing.
Adding a person or object to an image without adding an
appropriate shadow is a sure giveaway. Likewise, something
added to an image may overlay a natural shadow, “breaking”
the original shadow. More subtly, the density or darkness of
one shadow may not match the others in a photo.Luminosity differences: Part of the subject or image
may be unnaturally brighter or darker than the rest of the
image. Perhaps the face is well-lighted, while the body is in
a well-defined shadow.Sharpness variations: You might see great detail in part
of an image, and other parts (that you’d expect to be just as
sharp) simply lack detail. If there are very large differences in
sharpness, look for variation among elements that are the
same distance from the camera’s lens.Pixel size: While every pixel in an image will have the same
size pixels, something added to a photo might have origi-
nated in a shot with much higher or lower resolution. Look
in areas of fine detail for this difference.
Remember that some of the perceived irregularities
in an image may be completely natural, and the result of
a specific camera or lighting technique. Say, for example,
that a subject’s face is in focus, but the body is not. The
photographer may have used a large aperture, producing
a shallow depth of field. Multiple lights aimed at different
parts of a subject can also produce effects that seem to
be unnatural. Such perceptual irregularities, whether they
were deliberately created by the photographic artist or are
the result of poor technique, are seen most commonly in
studio or portrait photography.
You’ll also want to keep these concepts in mind when
creating your own (non-nefarious) composites and image
alterations. The things that make images stand out as
“fakes” are the things you need to avoid in your own work.Tip: If you’re preparing a presentation for an audience (or
perhaps a jury or judge) to point out discrepancies in an
image, you can add arrows with the Line tool (each on a
separate layer, so that you can display them individually). nI often get asked by friends whether or not an image has been “Photoshopped.” What are some of
the things I should look for?—QuentinPETERBAUER
From the Help Desk