Tracking changes to your PJ images

[KdLaneJr]

Just picked this up on a CNET email.

http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-96...ml?tag=nl.e776

I'm not sure why this is necessary with Canon already having the Data Verification Kit available for forensic level work.

I can't see why Reuters would need to know anything more than that an image has been altered, not the details of how it has been altered.

PJ's can you shed some light on this?

Mod's, If this shouldn't be in the PJ sub-forum, please move. I think this is a discussion worth having. If I were a regular image poster, I wouldn't want some software out there telling an editor how I achieve my "magic".

Thoughts?

Ken

[Daniel Bates]

A crop is different than a clone job. At least, that's what I think they're trying to do with this technology...

[mike_sax]

But just how much is really allowed before it is considered altered? Is any color enhancing, contrast, etc. even allowed. Seems like a lot of pictuers would be extremely drab if these minor items were not allowed in PJ.

[KdLaneJr]

Cropping, like cloning, can change the entire context of an image depending on what is cropped or cloned.

Agreed, Color balancing, tone corrections, pulling detail out of the shadows and highlights are all things that help an image to be more representative of the original scene.

What happens if your adjustments are not just determined to be beyond some new abitrary amount of acceptance and hence your image not used, but further images submittals from you end up being denied based on it?

Perhaps they decide to limit the parameters you use on USM.

What next?

How much larger might your file be even after you flatten layers to include information on your editorial changes, or will it be simply be some flags that are set saying you've exceeded PJ editorial parameters on the image?

This is something that I think you should sound off on directly to Adobe so you at least have a remote chance of affecting the final outcome.

How many times has Microsofts office products track changes come back to haunt corporations? Is this comparable or not? (not looking for an answer, just asking the question, ie., food for thought)

[JPalmer]

Technically....the photojournalist shouldn't be the one who color manages the photo for publication.

Not on the scale of the AP, Reuters and such. They have people in their offices that are supposed to do that before they hit the wires. Even if it as simple as hitting an "auto-correct" button.

What that does is protect the photographer from any questions of unethical altering. The less you alter it yourself, the less "paper trail" will be left to lead to your potential firing.

[Casper]

Interesting point Jason; do lesser publications expect the PJ to color manage/edit their photos?

Steve

[KdLaneJr]

That's why I mentioned Canon's data verification kit in the OP. I haven't checked to see if nikon has something similiar, but would expect so.

So..., with data verification already available and most large new organizations controlling editorial changes to the images "Even if it as simple as hitting an "auto-correct" button.
" as you've pointed out; Where does the perceived necessity for tracking photoshop image changes by embedding the data in the image come from?

Again; is it really necessary?

[Casper]

Ken,

OT from PJ. I work in the forensic field, so tracking PS image changes is important. My work should be repeatable by someone with the same software/equipment and come to the same conclusion.

Steve

[KdLaneJr]

Steve,

Perfectly understandable, although I thought that the purpose of Canon's data verification it was to prove that zero changes to a digital image had occured proving it an un-edited version of the image.

Sounds like what you do might benefit far more from the ability to track workflow than what Reuters does.

Ken

[JPalmer]

At our newspaper....and most from what I understand....there is a seperate department that specifically handles the pre-press image coloring.

They are trained to manage the colors into the color-space for our printing press. I could do it too, but that's not my job or responsibility.

Our boss encourages us to not to anything to the photo other than cropping and captioning so that the imaging dept. has as much jpeg info to work with.