The official wording of Qualification #2:
“The photograph was left exactly as recorded
except for the effects of newspaper-acceptable*
cropping;
sharpening;
changes to ‘light’-related aspects
(brightness, contrast, hue, saturation); and
changes to “surface” aspects of the photograph that
were not part the scene that was photographed.”*The phrase “newspaper-acceptable” is just a reminder that the result of these
actions must meet Q3 if the photograph is to qualify as TrustImage.Summary
Almost all photographs put before the public — including newsphotos — are “manipulated” in some way (cropping, resizing, sharpening, adjusting contrast, etc.). The four kinds of “manipulations” that TrustImage allows for in Qualification #2 are the only four allowed by every newspaper in the world. (Many newspapers allow more, but none allow fewer.) [Why is Q2 so strict?]
The third of the four kinds of manipulations allowed for in Q2 involves changes to “light”-related aspects (see “C” below). That leaves only three kinds of non-“light”-related changes that do NOT disqualify photographs from TrustImage: cropping, sharpening, and the effects of changes to “surface” aspects that were not part of the scene that was photographed.
Qualification #1 reflects the role of “time” in photography; Q2 reflects the role of “light” {link temporarily disabled}
How does limiting non-“light”-related changes help a photo’s trustworthiness? {link temporarily disabled}
A. “Cropping”A photograph that is cropped can meet all three qualifications and can qualify as TrustImage as long as the result meets newspaper reportage standards for non-misrepresentation. (Cropping and sharpening are the only non-“light”-related manipulations allowed by every newspaper in the world to deliberately affect specific things pictured within a photograph.)
Note: A photograph will be disqualified from both Q2 and Q3 (and the result cannot qualify as TrustImage) if it incorporates cut-out backgrounds or cropping to any shape other than a rectangle or square. (Newspaper reportage photographs do not incorporate cut-out backgrounds, and they are always square or rectangular.)
The inability of any photograph to fully capture “the whole picture” is discussed on {link disabled}; the difference between “cropping” and “deleting” is discussed in FAQ #417. {link disabled}
B. “Sharpening”
Photographs that are sharpened can qualify as TrustImage as long as the result meets contemporary newspaper reportage standards for non-misrepresentation, as per Q3. (Among sharpening effects that would always disqualify photographs from newspaper reportage and thus from TrustImage are changing the apparent zone of focus, reducing the apparent depth-of-field, and excessive oversharpening.)
Sharpening and cropping are the only non-“light”-related manipulations allowed by every newspaper in the world to deliberately affect specific things pictured within a reportage photograph. Newspapers can’t realistically prohibit all sharpening because many cameras do not even permit sharpening to be turned completely off, and most professional digital cameras are configured with the expectation that post-shutter sharpening will be performed, either in-camera or in post-processing.C. “Light”-related aspects
This refers to brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation, any and all of which can be changed in TrustImage photographs as long as the result meets “contemporary American newspaper reportage standards” for non-misrepresentation of the subject pictured (as per Q3).
A good portion of the material on this website deals with changes to “light”-related aspects of TrustImage photographs. See guide to those changes {link disabled}D. “Surface” aspects of the photograph that were not part of the scene that was photographed
The term “surface aspects” refers to all aspects of the photograph itself that were not part of the scene that was photographed. (See the page on presentation {link disabled} for aspects of TrustImage photographs that are not “part of the photograph itself.”)Some examples of “surface” aspects as the term is used in Qualification #2:
• The size of the photograph (before and/or after cropping)
• The surface of the photographic print (e.g., matte vs. glossy)
• Surface flaws of the photograph that are NOT part of what is depicted (e.g., a piece of lint on the camera sensor, digital noise, a scratch on a negative, a piece of lint on scanned slide, the random faulty pixel)
• The format of the photograph (jpg, print, RAW, negative, tif, scan, transparency)As noted in Q2, in a TrustImage photograph, “surface” aspects of the photograph that were NOT part of “the scene that was photographed” may be changed to the same degree a newspaper would allow them to be changed if the photograph were used in a reportage context. {link disabled}
But importantly to note, in a TrustImage photograph, the depiction of surface aspects “that were part of the scene that was photographed” — dirt, scratches, lint, texture, marks, blemishes, and other surface flaws on the subject — CANNOT be changed or removed from the photograph except as they are affected by the four kinds of manipulations that are specifically allowed for in Q2. (TrustImage obviously isn’t well-suited for flattering close-up portraits of people who aren’t wearing makeup!)
_____________________
For more on the four kinds of manipulations discussed on this page, see What CAN Be Done to TrustImage Photographs.
< To return to previous page, use browser’s Back button
Keyboard shortcut is usually Backspace [Windows] or Delete [Mac]