Photograph Editing

This passage is about editing photographs.

Lexile Level: 1020L

Categories: Art & Music

A picture tells a thousand words, or so we think. There are old sepia-toned photographs that show families dressed in finery looking stoically at the camera. These ancestors rarely seem to be smiling in these photographs. With new digital technology, it's not difficult to turn those frowns upside down. There are computer programs with various filters for changing colors, removing scratches, and even for turning frowns into smiles. With the existence of these tools, it is difficult to look at a picture and be certain that it is a true recording of an event. Since people can be added or removed from photographs with skillful use of technological tools, it begs the question of how far is too far? If wrinkles are removed and skies are made blue, is a photograph still a visual record or has it become visual art? Look closely at photographs; things are not always what they seem.