Untouched Original Photo Business?

Dacino · Sep 28, 2010

In these days of photoshop, I came up with an idea I'm moving forward on. Certify with a logo that an image is original, untouched, and/or taken on a date and time. What I'm wondering is if anyone out there would be interested in such a product. My original thought was for before and after product use pictures to certify that they are untouched and 30 days apart. Can you think of others who would be interested? Would people need this?

THANKS FOR ANY INPUT!

skieur · Sep 28, 2010

The only untouched photograph is RAW format and that is rather difficult/impossible to show or print without processing it in Photoshop or a like program.

skieur

ghache · Sep 28, 2010

what a great idea!!!

not

Dacino · Sep 28, 2010

haha thanks ghache (subtle), and I would think to change file types would be a non-issue as long as images are unaltered.

I see so many people complaining that anyone can pick up a camera and edit images on photoshop to look proffesional with no thought to composition and such. I'm not going to tell you how I will certify that they are untouched but I think people would love this. Even imagine magizines with celebrity pictures, are they real or fake, this way you know.

ghache · Sep 28, 2010

The thing is, people loves re-touched picture! i dont think of any magazine that would like to publish photos of models or fashion pictures that has not been re-touched to death.

we are in the digital era and we cant wave post-proccessing.

skieur · Sep 28, 2010

No such a thing as an unaltered image. It is altered by the lens, the sensor, in-camera processing, the scene choices on the camera and the limitations of the digital technology particularly in trying to reproduce the dynamic range in the original scene.

skieur

Dacino · Sep 28, 2010

Thanks for the critisizm and thoughts. I absolutely realize this is the digital age where EVERYTHING is altered to death. Do you think there are photographers/magazines/websites that say "If only I could prove my photo has not been edited on photoshop." What got me going on this was before and after photo's for products (acne or workout). A company would sell more if there photo's were certified as untouched taken so many days apart.

I do realize you can run effects through your camera/lens. Maybe to clarify, certify that the image put onto your memory card does not get altered through any other means.

Chris Stegner · Sep 28, 2010

Can you give us a real-life example of what this would be used for? Not to be argumentative but I just don't get it. Maybe for some sort of legal work, but beyond that, what?

Millie.T.Cook · Sep 28, 2010

Chris Stegner said:
Can you give us a real-life example of what this would be used for? Not to be argumentative but I just don't get it. Maybe for some sort of legal work, but beyond that, what?

I think his acne treatment is a good example.

There's lots of photo work for authentic images, but as an art, I would say you're right in there with the pin-hole camera types where it's more of an accomplishment than an artistic statement?

So yes, you're right that there's a market, but I don't think it's big.

Perhaps a dating website where you've taken all the pictures so everyone is honest? I'd like to see it, but that would be almost impossible, unless you made it a method and certified a bunch of people around the world to take the pictures?

Overread · Sep 28, 2010

Dacino said:
What got me going on this was before and after photo's for products (acne or workout). A company would sell more if there photo's were certified as untouched taken so many days apart.

At which point however you are only changing the possible point of the illusion present in advertising. If you provide the certification that the photos are unedited and taken 30 days apart (or however many) its still possible for manipulation to be applied - makup to the actor in question etc.... Just because you can justify one part of the process does not make it any more or less of an advertising illusion.

Furthermore when Skieur mentions converting RAW to regular its not a case of simply converting the file format but a case of taking the RAW data from the camera and setting parameters for the values its captured. Either the camera does this in producing a JPEG (at which point a machine applies common values and edits the shot) or the user provides those values when processing the RAW data into a usable image.
In addition whilst the use of photoshop has made it possible for the layman to understand the depth of editing possible its not actually changed the use of editing - most of the photoshop features are direct ports from darkroom methods. Even during the film age editing was going on.

Finally you point is more to create editing as a point of contention regarding photography when in fact any photo is the resulting product of both capture and editing - at any point during that phase choice can be made that will significantly alter the perception of the final shot that results from it. From selective framing and settings choice by the photographer at the time through to their choices in editing.

KmH · Sep 28, 2010

Dacino said:
In these days of photoshop, I came up with an idea I'm moving forward on. Certify with a logo that an image is original, untouched, and/or taken on a date and time. What I'm wondering is if anyone out there would be interested in such a product. My original thought was for before and after product use pictures to certify that they are untouched and 30 days apart. Can you think of others who would be interested? Would people need this?

THANKS FOR ANY INPUT!

My input is - Don't quit your day job. If there is any market for this at all :scratch:, it will be a small part of a small obscure niche, and I doubt you could even make beer money from it.

At best, it would be a small microstock photography niche. Microstock pays just pennies for each license sold, and it gets worse by the day as the stock photography market continues to flood with images.

How do you think you might identify a target market for a product having such a narrow use?

The stuff that sells well, sells because ot can be used in many different ways, by many different kinds of user.