Editing Pictures

Picture 1 - Brighton Pier




As you can see, the image on top is the original and the bottom picture is edited.

The editing has made the meaning of the picture change. I feel that the edited picture has a more retro feel towards Brighton Pier - possibly taken a while ago during better times.

In the picture, I changed the colour saturation as well as the sharpness of the pictures and a slight edge blur on the picture. I also changed the overall detail. This meant that there is less detail in a dark space, for example in the support beams underneath the decking.

Picture 2 - Brighton Pier

This picture is also of Brighton Pier. As with before, the picture on the bottom is the edited picture and the picture on the top is the original.

With this picture I changed the brightness of the picture, this then gave the appearance that the sun had momentarily been blocked by the clouds. As I edited the brightness it made the support beams under the decking lose detail, to fix this I changed the contrast of the overall picture. I chose not to add any particular effects like blurring.

I feel that the editing again changed the original meaning of the picture. I feel that it has a happier meaning and the brightness of the picture fits with the objects in the picture - a fareground is meant to be a happy place.

Picture 3 -

The original picture is on the top and the edited version is on the bottom.

To start off with, I changed the sharpness of the picture. This change is not able to be seen during the final product but it added detail to all area's of the picture including facial features and hair, particularly identifying the shine on an individual hair and adding more detail.

Secondly, I softened the portrait. This gave the overall picture the darker, tanned effect on the skin, as well as taking away the shine on an individual hair and blending the colours together.

Finally, I added a 'glow' effect on the picture. This gave it the final outcome, making the model look tanned, as well as adding some more light onto the picture. It also softened the skin tones as well as blending light well.

Picture 4 -

The original picture is on the bottom and the edited version is on the top.

It is clearly visible to see that I have cropped the picture to get rid of all of the empty space around the models. This brings the focus straight onto the people in the picture rather then having the eye wonder around the picture.

I then decided to sharpen the picture, this added detail into the picture and it also meant that it wasn't blurry and the shine on the envelope was reduced. I then removed red-eye from Harry. This makes the picture have a better effect and the eye of the viewer isn't drawn to the eyes instantly.

Finally, I attempted at reducing the noise in the picture, however I could only perform this once as a second time meant that the picture went blurry and lost detail in the hair and shirt/dress. the reduction of noise gave greater detail to the podium as well as the detail on the black dress.

Photo Theory

Capture: Reflected light from an object passes into a camera and then onto a light sensitive surface.
Process: The captured image is turned into something we can see.
Store: The image is put into something we can keep such as a printed photograph. I.E. an online photo album.

Analogue photography uses the 8mm or 35mm film.

USB & Removable Card: Both are possible to remove the data or footage from the device ready for possible storage on a computer.
WiFi & Bluetooth: Both are possible to remove the data or footage from the device ready for possible storage on a computer without the need for any wires.

RAW Files: files that have not been processed by the camera. RAW files are more likely to be a bigger size when storing them on the computer's drive. As well as this, not all editing programmes can edit or copy these pictures.

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group. Most pictures are stored as this because it saves space. However by saving space, it strips away the best quality of the image, as well as compressing it.
The Internet is most likely to have more JPEG quality pictures because of loading time because of lack of quality.


Bitmapped Graphics Format - .bmp: used initially by Microsoft Windows graphics subsystem.

PICT - .pct: introduced on the Apple Macintosh computers as its standard digital image format.

Tagged Image File Format - .tif: Best to store high colour digital images. Best for printed pictures.

Photoshop Document - .psd: edit pictures in adobe photoshop

Graphics Interchange Format - .gif: world wide web use.

Photo Ethics - Ways To Change A Picture

Changing a images perspective or meaning could be done through the context in which the photograph is given in will change the viewers opinions. By changing the the context, you are automatically changing the viewers perspective.



For example, the picture above may just show a crowd of people with a child holding a flag standing opposite a backdrop of a sea of soldiers. If someone was to show this picture during a lesson, the viewers point of view would be different to someone else's view if it was shown on a political campaign.

Another way of changing a picture would painting someone out or cropping the picture. If we look at the original picture to the one above, it would create a different meaning.



We can see that the original picture has G.W Bush standing on a podium creating a point for a political ad campaign. The effect of the picture has been changed due to the podium being there. It has more of an impact without G.W Bush in the picture.

Changing the frame of the image can completely change the way someone would see the exact same picture e.g cutting a particular person out for more of an impact on the viewer or cutting a particularly bad object out the image to make the subject seem less important as well as having less of an object.

Semiotics & Representation

Semiotics is the study of sign systems or images. Each person has a different view on what they see so the way one person sees an object/image, may be different to someone else's interpretation of the same object/image.

Semiotics allows media texts to be taken apart or de-constructed to show its meaning. Semiotics also shows that meaning develops at the simplest levels.

A signifier would be the word or object itself. A signified is the meaning to that particular person. This means that the signified would change from person to person. For example, 'rose' would be the signifier, where as a picture of the rose could be the signified.


A denotation is a single, basic or literal meaning from the original object, almost 'say what you see' points. A connotation is a suggested level of meaning from the object. The connotations often lead on from the denotations originally drafted from the object as well as having personal opinions involved. If someone sees an object negativity, this may come across or be reflected in the connotations.

Photo Journalism

Photo journalism is the idea of being able to create a still frame of reality, as it happens. This has meant that more and more people have been able to view what was happening at the same time.
Henri Cartier-Bresson is supposedly known as the 'godfather' of photojournalism. By being able to create stills in reality without pausing to think. Henri would see something that appealed and waiting for an extra character, i.e a bicycle, to pass through the frame which in turn gave the picture a sense of movement and freedom.
Henri Cartier-Bresson first used a Leica camera, which allowed one eye to see through the camera and the other being able to see what else was going on, possibly outside of the frame. This meant that Henri was able to see something appealing, and wait for the frame shot to be improved. One of his most famous pictures was the Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris. The movement and freedom shown in pictures is expressed here more then others, the movement of the person moving forward; jumping over the puddle is shown by the position of his legs as well as his second foot 'hovering' above the puddle. Freedom is shown by the ripple marks in the puddle, spreading out until the waters edge.





The decisive moment is where the shutter button is pressed at exactly the right time, to get the best picture from the surroundings and objects. This is partly influenced by the few seconds before the moment.