NEW MEDIA & ART

Manipulating Paintings and Images Using Computer Software

by Paul Birkeland-Green on March 3rd 1999

During the meeting the process of transferring a photograph to a computer digital image was demonstrated and discussed. Methods discussed included the use of flatbed scanners, digital cameras and video cameras. The technical jargon used for the definition of computer imagery was explained through the use of projected images that made the technical aspects clear.

Adobe's Photoshop software was used during the session as an example of commercial software in use in the printing and graphics industry. It is possible with this software to produce photo-real imagery which is indistinguishable from what would be termed a real photograph. The complex set of filters and effects that software such as this can produce in one way allows delicate retouching of damaged photographs to be repaired, but it also enables images to be doctored to contain anything the user wishes. "The camera never lies" is no longer true; if it ever was? The possible implications of this was discussed briefly and a lively and interesting debate followed.

Questions about file formats, image colour depth and file sizes brought some practical advice to individual questions.

Carol Baker