Special Effects

When it comes to photography, special effects cover a wide range of after-the-shoot editing. These "enhancements" can be as subtle as adding a bit more vibrance to an image or as elaborate as a total, "head to toe" makeover. It used to be said that photos don't lie. Today that statement couldn't be further from the truth. An experienced photo editor can enhance, add, remove, or combine various components to produce an image that could never be captured through the lens of a camera (or cell phone).

Editor's Note: The most popular enhancement software is the Apple product "Photoshop." While Photoshop has many competitors, much like the brand name Klennex is used to refer to any facial tissue, Photoshop is likewise used to refer to any photo editing software. (I have often been questioned why I don't use Photoshop, to which I half-jokingly reply that I refuse to be a member of  the Apple cult.)

Now that AI is becoming more and more prevalent, images (and videos) are being circulated on social media and elsewhere that depict people, places, and events that were never captured with a camera. Unfortunately, while many AI generated images are simply created for artistic and/or entertainment purposes, far too many are created for malicious or/or unscrupulous intent.