Photo Manipulation
Photo manipulation though articulates the process effectively, seems to have a negative connotation, the most popular and oft used term would be photo editing or photo enhancement. It is more manipulation though, greater so in professional photography, where in most photographers choose to shoot in the RAW format, where in all the elements are captured as seen and perceived by the camera. Though these files are larger and heavier, these images are a true depiction of the subject and the whole frame that was shot. In the RAW format all the colors, tones, the ambience etc is captured as is. In the post shoot editing phase, the experts who enhance the image, have all the elements to work on and then can go about manipulating the components, pick some drop some, edit some and so on. So in many ways photo manipulation is the correct term. Rightfully thinking there ought to be no more a negative sense to the term than the terms editing or enhancing, sadly not the case most times. Anyways here we use the word since it captures the process aptly and appropriately and no negative connotation is meant intentionally or otherwise.
In photo manipulation of product photographs, Product Photo Clipping is a reasonably critical process almost a mainstay of product photo enhancement. Where in for explanation purpose we broadly break the photograph into two parts the product image and the rest lets term as the background. Now in clipping the outline of the product is traced- the process is called “Tracing Pictures” and then cut. The image of the product is removed and perfected. The contrast, the color, the tone , the texture all of it is enhanced to ensure that the product image is perfect and attractive. Then the background is worked on, here in there lies many options, one used most often is the “Remove Photo Background” where in the background is completely removed and replaced with ones more suitable. Else the background is also worked upon and perfected. Then the two enhanced versions of the product image and the background image are married to create the perfect image. Apart from this many product marketing images have not only the product but also a model who is equally significant to the overall communication. Like in garments, lingerie, beauty products and so on. In such cases many other process are involved in perfecting the photograph of the model. Then it could be a three step process, perfect the image of the model / person, the product and the background. Add to that one need to perfect the color combinations to ensure that the product gets effectively highlighted. So the art of creating that one image which then highlights the product and communicates the features and the superiority by the sheer elegance of the image encompases the art of product photography and product image editing and enhancement..
Little wonder then that product photography and product image manipulation and enhancement are very critical to selling products in the online world. Enough reason for e-commerce websites to focus and perfect the images of their product offerings. The need is so critical that it has led to specialization not only in photography but in the field of image enhancements and editing. It is every likely to today to see that in team of image editors in an image enhancing company, few specialise in product photo enhancement more so in clipping. With the critical specialised need is born a team of people who provide and service that need hence more specialization in photography and in image enhancement field
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Photo Enhancement
Photo Enhancement Services in India is field of work that is growing at a fast rate and segment that services the global markets more so the western markets. Photo editing is vast field and caters to varied requirements of different industries. The real estate industry, products sales and the e-commerce websites, branding companies, content websites all form a large base that uses images and the image enhancements services. Professional photographers servicing some of these varied segments also use the services of image editing and enhancing companies in India so as to give their clients a finished product – a perfect image that they all seek.
The services rendered are varied and many given that the requirement is equally varied and many. Image clipping, Background removal, Change background, remove or add people, color balancing, grey scale balancing, exposure correcting, red eye correction, converting to color, portraits in black and white, designer portraits, portrait retouching, wedding photo editing services, dynamic blending, image stitching, panoramic stitching are some to name a few. These are all specialized and critical processes.
Why is it a good idea to outsource this function? This is a question many may ask, many have asked and some have experienced the benefits and hence are convinced. The fact there are so many who break the function of shoot and post shoot is testimony enough to say that the outsourcing model works. Point remains that the softwares involved to edit and enhance images are not specialised ones they are also costly, the cost apart, one needs to be very proficient and deeply involved to keep abreast the changes in the field and the know which tool and which software works best for a given function. This knowledge is one key component the other being the trained and skilled professionals who are proficient and fast. The training and the knowledge not only make them fast but also good. Further this becomes their competency and a function they carry out day in and day out. Increasing the overall productivity and the increased efficiencies drive the cost down
Why Outsource to India and an Indian company? Few key reasons why India is emerging as a desired destination for photo editing and enhancing services being outsourced. The overall reason for
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Photo Retouching In India
We have seen in previous pieces how India is a fast emerging centre to which image editing and enhancement work is being outsourced to. Within the many image editing and enhancement services that exist portrait based services are of high value. When it comes to enhancing portraits is it lot like make up or sprucing up. Photo Retouching Services is among the services that is in high demand when it comes to portraits. Retouching Services in India are not only of very high quality, but are also carried out at extremely high quality and very quick turnaround times. One other significant bit to producing the perfect portrait is professional photo cropping. This is very important to the final image and its look. In today’s time one has many choices in theme for a portrait, there are designer themes with names scrawled across, the black and white portraits,Ones that capture the quaint and old look and feel, the light and airy feel. Which ever the option it is critical to crop the image and have right proportion and position of the image of the person and the spaces. this in totality provides the overall look and feel to the portrait. Which needs to match with requirement based on where and for what it is being used.
Retouching services like mentioned earlier is lot like professional make up, not drastic changes but subtle changes that make a world of a difference. Covering up and smoothing marks, acne, freckles, tan lines and so on. Enhancing the appeal of the portrait by editing and enhancing the nose, making a tad bit sharper maybe or round it off a tad bit. Working on the lips. Removing frown line, dark lines, the crow feet around the eyes and so on. Touching up and removing these marks and lines go on to make memorable portraits that one is happy to keep and flaunt. These touch ups apart many a times we shoot portraits and realise that we did rather have a different background, the experts and professionals who work on the images ensure that the ideal background is used to ensure that the portrait highlight the person effectively. There are times we shoot these pictures in less than ideal conditions, leading to many flaws like the red eye, flawed contrast and exposure, either too bright or too dark. The flash up close could lead to lense flares, shadows and unwanted light. All these are corrected, red eye correction, contrast correction, color balance, grey scale balance and so on. All these service go on to ensure that final portrait is perfect and accentuates the good looks and highlights the subjects personality in the photograph. These services are times carried out on older photographs too, they would ideal fall into the category of restoration services, yet tend to get clubbed with services related to portraits given the old photograph being restored is a portrait and the techniques used to tend to be similar and overlap. All these services add a lot of value to the photograph and more importantly to lives itself as the go on create and help reminisce old times and helps in storing away precious moments that one dips and remembers from time to time in their passage of life. In those terms the services provided are invaluable.
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Photographs Colours & Restoration
With the advent of Digital images and digital image editing and enhancement, one huge blessing has been that now we have the capability of restoring with relative ease old and aging photographs. If not the original photograph itself (the science behind that is quite different) the image in the old aging photograph can be sure restored to its old glory and maybe even made better with enhancement tools and techniques. Professional photo restoration has been a boon for many, who have had old photographs that are fading and dying so to say, with it goes many memories and many stores that many will love to pass down.Today Professional Photo Restoration service providers are relatively easily accessible and available across the globe to service your requirement where ever you might be. The internet has sure made it a lot easier and feasible. Photo restoration services has many techniques and functionalities, one would want to convert images, the older black and white images into color or some of the older color photographs that tend to have color casts or an overshadowing amount of a primary color in such cases one would use the service to rectify it the service called on or used will be the ‘photo colour balance’ which would ensure that the photograph has the color cast removed and it looks natural and appealing. Photo restoration services also work in rectifying flaws in exposure, contrast, fadings, color casts, localised damages that happen with time and age and the likes.
The basic process involves to start with scanning the photograph that needs to be restored, a high dpi scan that ensures the finer and minute element of the photograph and image are captured. After which advanced algorithms and softwares are used to carry out these processes by personnel who are trained and skilled in using the different softwares and tools to carry out the different functions that help rectify each of the flaw and restore the photographs to its old glory. Some of the tools that are used are the level tools, curve tools, digital editing workflows and so on.There are various softwares available, from the professional version that have advanced features to some cheaper option with limited features and options in shareware. Like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Digital image, microsoft picture it, photoplus, picasa, and many more. This whole process is in equal measure art and science combined.
It takes lot experience and practice to be able to use the tools and softwares. One of the reasons why experts providing photo editing and enhancement services are on the rise and more so experts who provide photo restoration service. They restore photographs, it is their core function they work with hundreds of images on a regular basis and with time and experience coupled with their professional training these experts not only restore your old aging photographs to look new, fresh and appealing at very high qualities and at amazing speeds.The photo editing and enhancement experts are not only trained and in the know of the science behind images and imaging technologies but they are also at heart artist with a very keen aesthetic sense
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Image Element Manipulation
Image manipulation in India, rather image manipulation services in India is a very competitive field and India is fast growing into a global hub for image manipulation or more popularly called image editing and enhancement services.There are many reason and causes why one needs to manipulate elements in a photograph. How many times has one had to wonder, how did that head pop into the image, how did i not see the person passing by in the back ground. Or how i wish i can remove that person in the background of the photograph, or small part of someone’s leg in the corner or a face just about leaning into the the frame. Such examples would be many. The one’s in the corner of photographs are relatively easier. To edit images for distractions in the edges and corner the simple way would be to crop if it one could afford to loose the elements in the edges. If not the process gets a tad bit more complex where in removing objects from images is involved. Here in the editors work the image layer by layer and make the modifications required, they remove the unwanted elements without spoiling the overall space and composition of the frame. There are also services where in people could be added and removed from the photograph. How often have we wished that we had that one person in the snap, maybe that person went to grab drink when the group photo was taken, or maybe some thing took them away at the moment, yet a memory for a lifetime is marred by the absence. Well now one can rest assured that a person can be added to the photograph. Conversely if some barged in uninvited into a photograph or by accident was passing by, the solution exists in the form of removing people from a photograph Today in digital imaging technology the capability to edit and enhance is so high that one can manipulate each element in the frame of the photograph how ever big or small. The element can be manipulated to the extent that it can be removed, or an element added. At other times each element can be edited and flaws rectified and the element perfected. In terms of color, contrast, texture, tome and so on. Once each element is perfected they are married in the frame to ensure they compliment and highlight the main subject in the photograph. Ensuring that one creates picture perfect.
In a globalised market landscape one sees that the images are shot in one place and the photographer send the image files, mostly in the RAW format to the experts who might be sitting at a distant point in the globe in a very different time zone. Then the image experts work on the Photographs shot thousands of mile away from him or her. Once is has worked and perfected the images based on the brief received. The finalised perfected image files are transmitted back to the photographer who then is ready to use to or give it to his client for use, be it on a website, hoarding or a magazine. The technologies that exist in digital imaging and the leaps made in communication technologies and the ease with data can be moved from point A to point B thousand of miles away has made all this a possibility, which a few decades back must have sure seemed impossible and a figament of imagination of a fertile mind most suited to churn out science fiction