Night Photo Battle: Two Questions

[tamlin]

The design brief for the Night Photo battle states:

The best unmodified night photo wins ! Photoshop cheaters will be eliminated !

So my questions are:

1. What is classed as "Photoshop cheating"? Sharpening? Subtle tweaking of curves/levels/colour balance? Removal of dust-specks with the Clone or Healing tools?
2. If any or all of the above are deemed "cheating", how are you going to detect it?

Just curious.

[supertackyman]

won't the EXIF(?) data show that?
what camera was used, lens settings, and if i'm right, last program to change the image?
I dont have my pc in front of me or id check myself.

I am thinking that cropping/rotating would be the only acceptable thing.

[tamlin]

As far as I know, EXIF data only contains information related to the original camera settings.

Furthermore, you can get software to edit EXIF data: Opanda PowerExif Editor free download. Features: <BR>* Support to all EXIF 2.21 standard tags <BR>* Add or modify GPS information into images <BR>* Maximum 60,000 characters record, s...

You can get forensic software that will analyse an image and report on changes that have been made, but I think that's a bit over-the-top for a BioRUST battle.

[unleash]

Hey Tamlin,
I'm not sure if the maker of the battle has the software to do so, but adobe has developed software to detect changes in a photograph after it has been saved as jpeg.

This software was developed to keep journalist (and their photographers) from "cheating" by making subtle changes to the photo and with that change the mood of it.

I think that the maker doesn't have access to this program/ software but you never know

[tamlin]

Originally Posted by unleash

Hey Tamlin,
I'm not sure if the maker of the battle has the software to do so, but adobe has developed software to detect changes in a photograph after it has been saved as jpeg.

This software was developed to keep journalist (and their photographers) from "cheating" by making subtle changes to the photo and with that change the mood of it.

I think that the maker doesn't have access to this program/ software but you never know

Yeah, I'm aware of that - I was just questioning the point of the condition "Photoshop cheaters will be eliminated" - I mean, this is "a BioRUST win" we're talking about, not the Pulitzer Prize for Photography. I just think it's unnecessary.

[supertackyman]

yeah. it does seem a bit that way......
.........what about GIMP cheats?
paint shop pro?
illustrater?
ms paint?
corel?

i know, ....im just being an a

[turvas]

Just an SS? Just a doublesnake? 2 headed snake? Double licker? Reptile? Brown? Too (2) brown?

[tamlin]

Originally Posted by supertackyman

.........what about GIMP cheats?
paint shop pro?
illustrater?
ms paint?
corel?

That's another very good point.

To give the guy the benefit of the doubt, however, I'm wondering if he just meant that the entries had to be actual photos taken at night rather than daylight scenes turned into "night" via this sort of Photoshop technique: Photoshop Tutorial: Turning day into night at All Day I Dream About Photography

[stiney51]

Wow you guys are harsh... You know what, cheaters never prosper (except in the US where MLB players prosper all the time bu cheating, and all over the world where people cheat in school and don't get caught... hmm maybe they do prosper).

Either way, take it for what it is. Submit your photo and don't modify it. If you do minor corrections mention it in your submission.