Without a doubt, the technology that exists today for photography and visual effects means that we can no longer distinguish between reality and montage. There are montages so well done in such advanced programs, like Photoshop, which they outsmarted more than one. Or even not so advanced programs, but very tenacious editors and experts who know how to manage them well.
Editors who have the talent and precision to make a fantastic photo montage that can fool even the most judicious of photographs.
This has proven to be a problem at times when we fall into deception. Likewise, when we really need the veracity of the photo, but it looks so well done that we couldn't tell if it was retouched even with our good eye.
However, there is more than one trick and even one program and an online application that can help us and ease these problems. Next, we will provide you with some solutions and methods that you can use to verify the veracity of a photo. And that way, you see if you have any filters, tweaks or montages.
How can I check the details of the photo?
The first and simplest thing you can do is to check the metadata of a photo. If you have downloaded a photo, transfer it to your PC. Right click on the photo and see the properties. In the window that appears, click on the details tab. This will show you a long list of image details.
The resolution, date of acquisition and modification among many other things distributed in different sections. The direct section that interests us is "origin" since if the photo was edited or exported from a program, it will necessarily appear there. Note that you may find the metadata removed from the images, but it is still an effective booby trap as many are unaware of this relevant clue.
Which pages help me see if a photo has been edited?
Another more specialized way is found on the page photo forensics. This page allows for a more direct and accurate analysis of photos and can easily unmask a montage. You need to upload a photo from your computer or copy the URL of an online photo. The page will also show you the more advanced metadata of the photo.
However, the peculiarity of this page is that subjects photos to a special dark filter. The way to find out about editing a photo is as follows.
When you pass the photo through the dark filter, if it is real, it will need to be seen evenly in the filter. The edges should be symmetrical and everything should look the same; black and white pixels that don't stand out. If there is any change in the photo, this will be noticed because we will see the modified part with purple pixels.
This is because a photo is edited or filters or montages are added, the original pixels are altered. This way, adding disparate values and colors that don't match the original environment.
This difference will coincide in the photo with some flashes of light of that purple color. The margin of error for this is that in very bright photos, even flashes of natural light can be highlighted in the filter.
However, it comes down to analyze logically and see if it is normal for those flashes to be in the photo or in that area of the photo. If there has been some pixel manipulation, the filter is ideal for unmasking a montage.
How can I compare or see the origin of a photomontage?
Likewise, other simpler methods when they pass you an edited image is to Google it. Open the section Google Images and drag the photo you want to test from your computer there. Hopefully, the results match the photo where it came from, which page it came from and who took it. A similar photo shoot is provided in the other section of Google Photos.
Likewise, you will find the original version if you think it has been modified. Other pages where you can use these specialized searches are Image Viewer and TinEye by Jeffrey. These pages also help you find results from the source of the photo. When was it released, where and if it was released.
