Well you will have the pleasure of playing around with Photoshop CS3 over the next two weeks , and will understand  many of the processes and tools that you have access to that enable you to alter photographs in may ways. These should include the use of the following tools:-

1. Clone Stamp Tool
2. Masks
3. Layers / Layer Masks
4. Lasso Tools
5. Blur Filter
6. Layer Blending Modes
7. Free Transform
8. Healing Brush
9. Brush Selection
10. Defining/Creating a Brush
11. Dodge Tool

As usual Dr Tech will provide you with a set of basic printed tutorials. You should also use Miro to download the following shows as they have excellent video tutorials on so many different skills:-

• Pixel Perfect – How to Give Someone Bruises –  April 21st, 2008, Secrets of Cloning Tool –  March 31st, 2008
• Photoshop for Digital Photographers – How to Whiten Teeth – March 2nd 2008, Taking a Few Pounds Off – June 06th 2008
• Photoshop Killer Tips – Quick Hairtouch, December 14th, 2008, Crop and Rotate – September 17th 2008
• Undertstanding Adobe Photoshop – Healing and Patch Tools – September 23rd 2008, Blend Modes and Filters – February 28th, 2008

More tools than you thought..huh. You should at least watch and trial the 8 videos suggested above – to get a better understanding of the abilities of Photoshop. For some of you this will take longer than others to come to terms with the basics of Photoshop. When you have practiced with them (Dr Tech will ask for samples for different skills) it is time to use them to change some photos to see what you believe is the difference between ethical and unethical. You must first take your own digital pictures of as many teachers and students around the campus as possible. This could be group photos, portraits, action in fact whatever you would like to take. As a group from the photographs, choose three that you will all use to manipulate. From these photos you need to change and manipulate at least two photos in an ethical and then unethical way according to your researched ideas on the ethics of photographic manipulation. Pheww that is more complicated than it seems:-

• Place the teachers/students selected within a setting, scam, position etc that would be considered unethical in YOUR UNDERSTANDING of the way you have manipulated them.
• Manipulate a photo subtly so that it changes mood, style etc which you would consider enhances a photo but does not impinge on the integrity/authenticity of the photo according to YOUR RESEARCH and definitions.
• Write an explanation of the photoshop manipulations explaining how they sit within YOUR UNDERSTANDING of the ethics of photo editing, and then link this to your rules for how to control or provide policies and standards for digital photography. To help you please read Ethics in the Age of Digital Photography and Digital Imaging Ethics along with NPAA Code of Ethic.
• Present your work, showing before and after photographs, along with a discussion of the ethics with conclusions. All works used should be cited correctly.

You will need to use as many of the skills that you have practiced that are listed above ad maybe need to practice or improve with new skills. Remember Photoshop has untold features and power. Both the photos should on initial glance look untouched, the more professional the better grade you will receive. Be original and creative…and have fun!

P.S. To get you thinking further take the hoax test, and then think about which stakeholders of these photographs might have found the fakes as unethical (thanks to Coolness 16 (who is she you ask?) for the website)?