In the camera's eye

[mbarker]

The morning news here in Japan had a short piece about new cell phones. Among the various features was an example of a new camera mode. Basically, the built-in camera can take a regular picture. But if you switch it into this other mode, when you take a picture of a person -- in particular a young girl's face -- her eyes will be enlarged and her makeup enhanced. You end up with a picture that is identifiably that person, but adjusted to suit the current Japanese style.

I think of this as the "artistic vision" mode. One of the differences between a photograph and a painting or artist's sketch has been the photo-realism of photographs. Now, with this new mode, the picture is no longer perfect. Instead, it is subjective! It interprets the subject. Imagine the policeman getting a picture from witnesses -- except he has to ask what mode the camera was in so that he can decide how accurately it reflects the person.

I wonder just how far this will be extended. For example, could an improved camera clean up the scenery, perhaps removing unsightly trash, telephone poles, and similar distractions? Adjusting people? I'm certain that it could add dramatic lighting, perhaps even adjust the framing? We've already got cameras that take the picture when the subject smiles, so clearly they can track and select what to take. How much automated photoshopping could it do?

Actually, an obvious possibility for the teenage male crowd would be the x-ray camera -- I'll bet it could reasonably easily provide naked bodies for people in pictures. Although that mode might have to be sold in the back of magazines rather than on the national news.

What happens when pictures aren't simply reflections of reality, but rather interpretations? Would you like the Monet mode, or perhaps the Gauguin mode? Van Gogh or Picasso?

Comments

[jinkang.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of all those sticker photo stores... They usually have so much 'touch' up that some of the pictures I took didn't even look like me. (Yes, I scanned and showed them to girls I had never met. No, I didn't get any one's phone number. Yes, my other half was on that picture too...hmm...wonder that's why?)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I haven't tried the sticker photo machines here in Japan, so I didn't know they had built-in touchup. This is existing technology that they are building into the cell phones -- which means it's going to be extended very quickly. Beware of cell phone pictures, they don't tell you the truth?

[jinkang.livejournal.com]

No, it should be: don't trust photos, be it cell phone or camera. :)

There is an interesting research where people were shown a picture of a wedding some years in the past. The picture was photoshop'd with another person added in--he couldn't make it that day.

Turns out, everyone who was at the wedding saw the picture then came up with interesting stories about this missing guy at the party. Memories, based on the photoshop'd image, told tales of funny anecdotes of a guy who wasn't even there.

Here is another study: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ju84441735125225/ I'm sure you can google other such results.

Pretty soon, not on the touch up, you can probably 'add' in yourself to the photo.. hehe. Pretty scary, actually.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I could see that being added so easily. After all, how many times do people want the photographer in the picture, but it's hard to find a tripod or good place to put the camera? So ... take one picture of the photographer, then use our new "in the picture" feature to put him right in -- without having to set the timer and run around? Great feature -- and then people start using it for other uses. Unintended results galore!