Photo-Editing Before Photoshop: Conclusions

Investigating the history of photo editing before the existence of Photoshop has been an insightful experience. Not only have I learned about creative uses of photomontage in the past, but I’ve come to realize how similar the thoughts of early photomontage artists are to many users of Photoshop today. While photo-editing tools such as Photoshop are certainly used by some entities for personal interest, the spirit of photomontage artists are alive and well due to this same technology.

                As I showcased in my reading reflection on Photomontage, the art of photo-editing is significant because it reflects reality using real-life images and encourages reproduction of the original edit. Dadaists and Constructivists encouraged thinking beyond the traditional view of art as something private and utilizing unique materials, instead advocating the how art can be an social and accessible activity (Ades, 1986). Photoshop, in combination with the Internet, has been a catalyst for these philosophies to grow. Individuals have lower technical barriers to perform editing because of Photoshop, while the Internet encourages sharing and reproducing these works.

                This leads to an important observation; while Photoshop certainly has done much to enhance the activity of photo-editing, it has not replaced most of the aspirations and purposes of photo-editing. John Durham Peters explains, “New media do not replace old media; they rearrange older functions and sometimes provide them with even more powerful platforms” (Peters, 2008). Photoshop has not changed why people photo-edit, but rather has made the activity much easier to perform. My identity badge could have been created before Photoshop existed, but it would have required so much work that I probably would have chosen not to make it. Though it hasn’t revolutionized the purpose of photo-editing, we should still value Photoshop for how it has made the hopes and practices of early photomontage artists more accessible for everyone.

                This concludes my segment on the history on the early history of photo-editing. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Next, I will be exploring the ethical concerns Photoshop has created by making it easier to alter reality. Thanks for reading!

Bibliography:

Ades, D. (1986). Photomontage. London, UK; Thames & Hudson

Peters, J.D. (2008). “The Oldness of New Media”.  B. Aubrey Fisher Memorial Lecture at the University of Utah (2008)