{"id":564186,"date":"2023-03-16T01:12:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T22:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2023-03-16T01:12:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T22:12:00","slug":"why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Every Photo You Take Is \u201cFake\u201d \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4ed1deea18f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4ed1deea18f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Every_Photo_You_Take_Is_%E2%80%9CFake%E2%80%9D_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Every Photo You Take Is \u201cFake\u201d \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/#The_Physical_Constraints_of_Phone_Cameras\" >The Physical Constraints of Phone Cameras<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/#Phone_Cameras_Use_Software_to_%E2%80%9CCheat%E2%80%9D\" >Phone Cameras Use Software to \u201cCheat\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/#This_Is_Nothing_New\" >This Is Nothing New<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake-review-geek\/#All_Photos_Are_%E2%80%9CFake%E2%80%9D_and_Its_Not_a_Big_Deal\" >All Photos Are \u201cFake,\u201d and It\u2019s Not a Big Deal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Every_Photo_You_Take_Is_%E2%80%9CFake%E2%80%9D_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Every Photo You Take Is \u201cFake\u201d \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-145741\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ecc0d16b-1.jpg?width=1200\" alt=\"Someone taking a photo with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smartphones are under fire for &#8220;faking&#8221; or &#8220;cheating&#8221; high-quality photos. But every photo in existence contains some fakery, and it&#8217;s not a bad thing.<\/p>\n<p>Artificial intelligence has invaded your smartphone camera with a singular goal\u2014to ruin your photos and fill your head with lies! At least, that\u2019s the idea you might see in some headlines. Smartphone camera <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> is advancing rapidly, leading to some confusion about what\u2019s \u201creal\u201d and \u201cfake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, I\u2019ve got good <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>; every photo in existence is \u201cfake.\u201d It doesn\u2019t matter if it was shot on a smartphone from 2023 or a film camera from 1923. There is always some trickery going on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Physical_Constraints_of_Phone_Cameras\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">The Physical Constraints of Phone Cameras<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you stuck a full-sized camera lens on a phone, it would be a monstrosity. Smartphones need to be small, compact, and somewhat durable, so they tend to utilize incredibly small camera sensors and lenses.<\/p>\n<p>This teensy-weensy hardware creates several physical constraints. While a smartphone may have a 50MP sensor, the sensor\u2019s size is actually quite small, meaning that less light can reach each pixel. This leads to reduced low-light performance and can introduce noise to an image.<\/p>\n<p>Lens size is also important.\u00a0Tiny camera lenses can\u2019t bring in a ton of light, so you end up with a reduced dynamic range and, once again, reduced low-light performance. A tiny lens also means a small aperture,\u00a0which cannot produce a shallow depth of field for background-blur or \u201cbokeh\u201d effects.<\/p>\n<p>At a physical level, smartphones cannot take high-quality photos. Advancements in sensor and lens technology have greatly improved the quality of smartphone cameras, but the best smartphone cameras come from brands that utilize \u201ccomputational photography.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phone_Cameras_Use_Software_to_%E2%80%9CCheat%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Phone Cameras Use Software to \u201cCheat\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131163\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/653304d2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The best smartphone cameras come from Apple, Google, and Samsung\u2014three leaders in software development. This is no coincidence. In order to push past the hardware constraints of smartphone cameras, these brands use \u201ccomputational photography\u201d to process and enhance photos.<\/p>\n<p>Smartphones use multiple computational photography techniques to produce a high-quality image. Some of these techniques are predictable; a phone will automatically adjust the color and white balance of a photo, or it may \u201cbeautify\u201d a subject by sharpening and brightening their face.<\/p>\n<p>But the most advanced computational photography techniques go beyond simple image editing.<\/p>\n<p>Take \u201cstacking,\u201d for instance. When you press the shutter button on your phone, it takes multiple images within the span of a few milliseconds. Each image is made with slightly different settings\u2014some are blurry, some are overexposed, and some are zoomed in. All of these photos are combined to \u00a0produce an image with a high dynamic range, strong colors, and minimal motion blur.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-148383\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8b55fd4e.png\" alt=\"An example of night photography on the iPhone 11.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Stacking is the key concept behind HDR photography, and it\u2019s the starting point for a large number of computational photography algorithms. Night mode, for example, uses stacking to produce a bright nighttime image without a long exposure time (which would introduce motion blur and other problems).<\/p>\n<p>And, as I mentioned earlier, smartphone cameras cannot produce a shallow depth of field. To get around this problem, most smartphones offer a portrait mode that uses software to estimate depth. The results are pretty hit or miss, especially if you have long or frizzy hair, but it\u2019s better than nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Some people believe that computational photography is \u201ccheating,\u201d as it misrepresents your smartphone camera\u2019s capabilities and produces an \u201cunrealistic\u201d image. I\u2019m not sure why this would be a serious concern. Computational photography is imperfect, but it allows you to take high-quality photos using low-quality hardware. In many cases, this brings you closer to a \u201crealistic\u201d and \u201cnatural\u201d image with a sense of depth and dynamic range.<\/p>\n<p>The best example of this \u201ccheating\u201d is\u00a0Samsung\u2019s \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/3\/13\/23637401\/samsung-fake-moon-photos-ai-galaxy-s21-s23-ultra\">moon controversy<\/a>.\u201d To advertise the Galaxy S22 Ultra\u2019s zoom capabilities,\u00a0Samsung decided to create a lunar photography algorithm. Basically, it\u2019s an AI that makes crappy pictures of the moon look <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inverse.com\/input\/reviews\/is-samsung-galaxy-s21-ultra-using-ai-to-fake-detailed-moon-photos-investigation-super-resolution-analysis\">slightly less crappy<\/a>\u00a0by adding details that don\u2019t exist in the original image. It\u2019s a useless feature, but if you need to take a photo of the moon with a camera that\u2019s smaller than a penny, I\u2019d reckon that some \u201ccheating\u201d is necessary.<\/p>\n<p>That said, I am concerned by the misleading ways that some companies market their computational photography tools. And my biggest gripe is the \u201cshot on iPhone\u201d or \u201cshot on Pixel\u201d nonsense that phonemakers peddle out each year. These advertisements are made with million-dollar budgets, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?\">big fat add-on lenses<\/a>, and professional editing. The idea that you could reproduce one of these advertisements with nothing but a smartphone is a stretch, if not an outright lie.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_Is_Nothing_New\"><\/span>This Is Nothing New<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/31527\/everything-you-need-to-take-better-photos-on-your-phone\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-136854 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/11\/9b66b3c6.png\" alt=\"A very broken camera.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/kuala-lumpur-malaysia-december-2016-photo-534726034\" data-credittext=\"umarazak\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Some people are unhappy with computational photography. They argue that it misrepresents reality, and therefore, it must be bad! Cameras should give you the exact image that enters the camera\u2019s lens\u2014anything else is a lie!<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the thing; every photograph contains some level of \u201cfakery.\u201d It doesn\u2019t matter if the photo was shot on a phone, a DSLR camera, or a film camera.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at the film photography process. Camera film is coated with a photosensitive emulsion. When the camera shutter opens, this emulsion is exposed to light, leaving an invisible chemical trace of an image. The film is dunked through a series of chemicals to produce a permanent negative, which is projected on an emulsion-lined paper to create a printed image (well, the photo paper also needs a chemical wash, but that\u2019s the gist of it).<\/p>\n<p>Every step in this process affects how an image looks. One brand of film may oversaturate reds and greens, while another brand may have a dull appearance. Darkroom chemicals may alter an image\u2019s color or white balance. And printing an image to photo paper introduces even more variables,\u00a0which is why many film labs use a reference sheet (or a computer) to dial in color and exposure.<\/p>\n<p>Most people who owned a film camera were not professional photographers. They had no control over the printing process, and they certainly didn\u2019t choose the chemical composition of their film.\u00a0Doesn\u2019t that sound familiar? Film manufacturers and photo labs were the \u201ccomputational photography\u201d of their day.<\/p>\n<p>But what about modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras? Well, I\u2019m sorry to say, but all digital cameras perform some photo processing. They may adjust an image for lens distortion or reduce the noise in a photo. But the most common form of processing is actually file compression, which can totally alter the color and white balance of an image (a JPEG only contains a few million colors). Some cameras allow you to save <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/396606\/how-to-take-good-raw-photos\/\">RAW image files<\/a>, which are minimally processed but tend to look \u201cflat\u201d or \u201cdull\u201d without professional editing.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"All_Photos_Are_%E2%80%9CFake%E2%80%9D_and_Its_Not_a_Big_Deal\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">All Photos Are \u201cFake,\u201d and It\u2019s Not a Big Deal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-144645 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/c5f54bdf.jpg\" alt=\"Person using the 100x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Justin Duino \/ Review Geek\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Reality is an important part of photography. Sometimes we want a photograph that accurately represents a moment in time, flaws and all. But more often than not, we ask our cameras to capture a\u00a0<em>good<\/em> image, even in unfavorable circumstances\u2014we ask for fakery.<\/p>\n<p>This fakery requires technological advancements beyond the camera lens. And computational photography, despite its imperfections and marketing spin, is the technology we need right now.<\/p>\n<p>That said, companies like Google, Apple, and Samsung need to be more transparent with their customers. We\u2019re constantly bombarded by advertisements that stretch the truth, leading many people to believe that smartphones are comparable to full-sized or professional-grade cameras. This simply isn\u2019t true, and until customers understand what\u2019s going on, they\u2019re going to keep getting mad about computational photography.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/148335\/why-every-photo-you-take-is-fake\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Every Photo You Take Is \u201cFake\u201d \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Justin Duino \/ Review Geek Smartphones are under fire for &#8220;faking&#8221; or &#8220;cheating&#8221; high-quality photos. But every photo in existence contains some fakery, and it&#8217;s not a bad thing. Artificial intelligence has invaded your smartphone camera with a singular goal\u2014to ruin your photos and fill&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":564187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ecc0d16b-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-564186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=564186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}