Have these photos been enhanced?

Victor

WARNING contains blood: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/2009/0310/1224242572490_1.jpg?ts=1236683985

This was posted over on Emergency Services: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055512731

I'm wondering if the red colours in these photos have been enhanced - some of the reds seem over done and the blues and greens underdone, no just the blood, but for example the red circles on the nightdress(?)

GhostInTheRuins

To me, the one of the girl looks like the white balance is off so the picture looks redder than it should be so it's not necessarily enhanced. If it is enhanced I'd like to think the Gardaí would employ someone capable of enhancing specific reds in a photograph instead of doing it like they did.

I don't know if it'll be possible to tell for definite unless you got you hands on the originals, but my guess is the white balance is off.

Victor

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

I'd like to think the Gardaí would employ someone capable of enhancing specific reds in a photograph instead of doing it like they did.

Its not the Garda - its the GRA, the Garda union.

the white balance is off.

What does that mean. :embarrassed:

njburke

Does it matter if the image is manipulated?
To me, the images are accurate, that is what you look like soon after you been thumped.
When I first saw it got my attention, as an ad I think its quite effective , it stops you and delivers its message.
Then again,I liked the ads in Dudley Moores Crazy People.

White balance can be used to manipulate the colours in the image, too much red and a white object will have a red tinge to it. Photos can be 'warmed' and 'cooled' for example.

DotOrg

they actually look like they were shot on film and then not printed very well.

No camera or process prints photos in the same colours that the human eye percieves colours anyway

Calina

Victor,

in my view, neither picture was enhanced in such a way that something which wasn't already there was put in. I have some doubts as to whether they got much (expert) treatment in post processing with respect to colours. To be honest, the one on the right was lit by very harsh light, and the one on the left, as mentioned, the white balance is a bit weird looking - this is how the camera adjusts available light depending on lighting conditions (ie, is it cloudy, is it very sunny, is it being lit with a flash, etc).

For the most part, when you ask us whether the photographs were enhanced, I would concentrate on whether stuff was added in or made to disappear, particularly if there is some question as to the veracity of what is in the image. Would you be asking this if the photographs depicted the exact same violence but were in black and white?

For the purposes of the discussion, I assume you're wondering if the pictures were altered for political reasons - ie to drive a particular view point - my view is that your two victims looked as though they got a proper going over; the exact shade of red of the blood is not going to change that, nor is some colour cast on the clothing. The question I'd want an answer to is "were those blood cuts added after" and not whether the light is the right frequency.

My view is that the injuries are genuine and that any enhancements to the photographs are not so much enhancements, if they exist but corrections to the colour casts. As has been pointed out though, they are really not great photographs. I doubt they got very much if any treatment at all. I'm guessing they were cropped and that's about it.

longshanks

they're not posed shots. they were probably used as evidence in court cases. i doubt the photographer in question was worried about white balance or post processing.

Victor

Calina wrote: »

For the purposes of the discussion, I assume you're wondering if the pictures were altered for political reasons - ie to drive a particular view point - my view is that your two victims looked as though they got a proper going over; the exact shade of red of the blood is not going to change that, nor is some colour cast on the clothing. The question I'd want an answer to is "were those blood cuts added after" and not whether the light is the right frequency.

My concern is that the left picture in particular is more red than would naturally be there - every spot on her face looks completely unnatural. Its as if to make it look as if she has more than one injury.

I'm not suggesting the injuries aren't real, merely emphasissed so as to get an emotional reaction for political purposes.