Adobe Photoshop Forensics (Paperback)

by Cynthia Baron (Author)
Key Phrases: new adjustment layer, custom channel, tourist guy, Library of Congress, Photographs Division, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Thanks to TV's crime scene investigation shows, forensic technology has entered popular culture. Combining puzzle solving and a dramatic storyline, these shows fascinate audiences as high-tech procedures uncover the truths hidden in seemingly insignificant clues. What many people may not realize is that forensic teams also use items they probably have in their own homes – digital cameras, computers, and Photoshop image editing software. "Adobe Photoshop Forensics: Sleuths, Truths, and Fauxtography" shows you how Photoshop is used to create many types of fakery and fraud, including scientific, counterfeiting, art, journalism, and political propaganda. You'll discover that with some basic training in Photoshop's manipulation capabilities and a critical eye, you too can see through photographic hoaxes. Follow along as each chapter explores a different genre of real-life frauds, both historical and current, and explains how the fakery was or could be detected. A featured case file in each chapter carefully deconstructs a faked image so you can see the methods and processes followed by the image editing professionals who solve - and the perpetrators who commit - a variety of crimes. Even if you've never considered altering an image or becoming a crime scene investigator, you'll get a kick out of discovering the how and why behind both famous and common acts of image fraud with "Adobe Photoshop Forensics!"

About the Author
Cynthia L. Baron is Associate Director of the undergraduate Multimedia Studies and graduate Digital Media programs at Northeastern University in Boston. She was formerly the Technical Director for the Department of Visual Arts. She holds an MBA with a concentration in Marketing. Cynthia has been active in the creative community for most of her professional life. She has consulted for corporations and non-profits, and has published several articles in newspapers and periodicals. She was the editor of the DesignWhys series for Rockport Publishers and former contributing editor to Critique Magazine, one of the most important design publications of the ¿90s.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (October 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598634054
• ISBN-13: 978-1598634051
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #508,550 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable overview of the topic, December 4, 2007

By	George Reis (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This book is an enjoyable treatment of this topic for the general reader. When reading it from that perspective, it provides a great overview of what any of us might see in our day-to-day lives - altered political photos, actresses on the Photoshop Diet Plan, falsified documents on the internet, etc. Seeing the examples in Baron's book can make us a little more aware and a little more skeptical of what we see in advertisements, newspapers, magazines, and the internet.

This book is not, however, a technical book for the forensics professional - nor does it claim to be. As an expert in imaging forensics, I was careful when reading this book to not judge it from the wrong perspective - this book isn't intended to be a reference for those in my field. But, it still is an enjoyable read with some good information. I didn't care for some of the anecdotal treatments, and I disagreed with some of the content - but since it was written for a broader audience, those became minor points. If this were a technical text, these would have been more important issues.

Does the book belong on the shelf of every forensic image analyst? Probably not - but it will be enjoyed by anyone who is curious about this field, or who wants to be a bit more savvy regarding the photos and documents we are confronted with every day.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable, great for all Photoshop users, November 20, 2007

By	Chris Perry (Burlington, MA) - See all my reviews

This was a fun read: a very interesting blend of historical (such as forensics on Civil War era images) and/or real life situations (such as counterfeit money) blended with a compendium of Photoshop tricks and tips. I use Photoshop frequently for work and in college classes, and as always I'm amazed at how many features are packed into the program. The author is able to bring many of these features to bear in clearly worded, step-by-step examples (such as modifing the a model's image to remove blemishes and punch up the photo's visual qualities for a magazine cover). The book will appeal to multiple levels of Photoshop users, from beginner to advanced, and will also go down well with anyone with an interest in history. Nicely done.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lightweight and disappointing , September 28, 2008

By	David Wilson (Northville, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a quick, easy, and mildy entertaining read. It just doesn't deliver much of what the title would lead you to expect.