Ethical Photo Alterations

According to DoDI 5040.07 policy, any alteration to DoW imagery that misinterprets or changes the scene or object is unethical and not permitted. However, it allows for corrective techniques that help achieve an accurate recording of an event or object. You must note any corrective or alteration techniques used in the caption and archive the original, unedited version of the image. 

Use the tools below to create accepted image alterations in accordance with the techniques outlined in DoDI 5040.07. 

• Dodge Tool: lightens areas of an image; a technique referred to as dodging
• Burn Tool: darkens specific areas of an image; a technique referred to as burning
• Color Balance Adjustment: changes the overall mixture of colors in an image and is used for color correction; a technique referred to as color balancing
• Spot Healing Brush Tool: retouches flaws in the finished image; a technique referred to as spotting or brushing
• Reduce Noise Filter: reduces digital noise in an image by analyzing tonal differences in pixels and adjusting them to the averaged color values based on neighboring pixels
• Sharpen Filter: emphasizes contrast at the edges between different elements in an image; a technique referred to as sharpening
• Brightness/Contrast Adjustment: adjusts the values of the highlights and lowlights of an image; a technique referred to as brightening or contrasting
• Crop Tool: trims and resizes unwanted areas in an image; a technique referred to as cropping or enlargement

Click through the slideshow to see before and after images that use authorized corrective or alteration techniques.