Adobe Photoshop Forensics

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 Â- 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!"

Image editing of both scanned and digital photographs is being used to alter photographic reality for anything from scientific fraud to political propaganda to advertising; Photoshop is the primary tool for these fakes. Photoshop Forensics describes actual frauds committed with Photoshop techniques and explains how they were (or could be) detected. These case studies provide fascinating historical tidbits about related pre-Photoshop fakery and procedural, CSI-like stories on the fakes' unmasking. Photoshop Forensics also deconstructs a final photograph that is structurally and thematically similar to the fraud, showing how techniques are combined. This book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in learning how to detect fraudulent images.

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.

Introduction: If its too good to be trueÂ… Counterfeiting And The Law Chapter 1: Show me the money Chapter 2: Admissible in court Chapter 3: Arti-fakes Professional Misconduct Chapter 4: Cast your blends on the water Chapter 5: Editorial license revoked Chapter 6: Send in the clones Body of Evidence Chapter 7: Returned to life Chapter 8: Body by fissure Chapter 9: The skinny on celebs Chapter 10: Pimp my body parts The Outer Limits Chapter 11: The medium is the mess Chapter 12: Absolutely fabulous Chapter 13: Further Readings