BP: Before Photoshop

[ricktas]

We often hear the term 'that is photoshopped' as a derogatory remark suggesting the image presented as been edited 'unnaturally'.

But editing of photos is not something that began with the digital era. So here I present some photos that where 'photoshopped' before photoshop even existed.

Mary Todd Lincoln's portrait with the ghost of her husband, Abraham Lincoln was taken in the early 1870s.


The series of five photographs were taken by two young cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths between 1917 and 1920. These were used by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to illustrate his article about fairies. This made the pictures world-famous. In the early 1980s, the old women confessed they've used cardboard figures. Cottingley Fairies (1917-1920)




Skiing in Egypt, 1938


So when someone says your photo has been photoshopped, what will you tell them now?

[Glenda]

I usually just refer them to how much Ansel Adams did in the dark room. One of my peeves is people who say they only shoot images straight out of camera. I like the analogy I heard ages ago. If you mean you shoot jpegs it's like giving me an apple pop tart. If you mean an unprocessed raw image it's like giving me all the ingredients for a beautiful apple pie but not bothering to combine and bake them.

[Mary Anne]

Very interesting, I knew photos could be fiddled with in the 1950's though I had no idea it could be done more than half a century earlier.

[ameerat42]

It goes back even further. Here is surely an early example of image stacking!

[farmmax]

Nearly anything was possible in the dark room. Photoshop was originally created to try and simulate effects long used in dark rooms, on the new digital photos. Don't forget people were also employed to directly shade with pencils directly on negatives to alter photos. You don't think the beautiful skin tones on all the early movie stars were real do you? They were simply subjected to the pre digital "skin smoothing" techniques.

I think everyone should go and look at this link, particularly scrolling down the bottom for examples. http://petapixel.com/2013/05/08/how-...-back-in-1946/

[arthurking83]

Very interesting, I knew photos could be fiddled with in the 1950's though I had no idea it could be done more than half a century earlier.

Do a search on Frank Hurley!

[Mark L]

We often hear the term 'that is photoshopped' as a derogatory remark suggesting the image presented as been edited 'unnaturally'.

Do photogs say that? Or do people that don't know about photography say that?
Photogs shouldn't be worried about this comment?
I'm learning to hate but need PS (substitute preferred pping software for PS) to make digital photos presentable.
Could "was that shot in jpeg" become more derogatory? (no offence to those shooting jpeg, but the camera photoshopped the photo for you!)