Photo editing

A colorized version of originally black and white photo, colorized using GIMP

Original black and white photo: Migrant Mother, showing Florence Owens Thompson, taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936

Photo editing or image editing is the changing of images. These images can be digital photographs, illustrations, prints, or photographs on film). Traditional editing, such as airbrushing, is done by hand. Now photo editing is done by programs such as Photoshop, Gimp and Microsoft Paint.

Photo editing is done for many reasons. Many photos of models are edited to remove blemishes or make the model "better". This is usually called retouching, airbrushing or Photoshopping, even if Photoshop or airbrushes are not used. Other reasons to edit a photo include fixing errors (red eye, contrast, brightness, etc.), practical jokes, and to trick people. Photo editing is also used to make completely new images. Photo editing is sometimes called photo manipulation, a term which sounds negative.

History

The first known example of photo editing happened in the 1860s to a photo of President Abraham Lincoln. Before the invention of computers, people had to edit images by hand. Some editing was done by pasting photos together. People also used tools like ink, paint and airbrushes. Enlargers made bigger pictures, and allowed adjustments such as brightening or darkening different parts.

In the 1980s, photo editing computer programs for personal computers were made. The first version of Adobe Photoshop was released in 1987. In 2011 the first photo editing mobile apps were released on App Store Other apps have been made for other mobile operating systems. These apps allow editing and photo sharing by smartphone and tablet computer.