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| Super-reality of Gaza funeral photo due to toning technique says contest winner | Super-reality of Gaza funeral photo due to toning technique says contest winner |
| (4 months later) | |
| Something of a storm in a lightbox has blown up in the photo-journalism world over the revelation that the winner of the 2012 World Press Photo contest had a wee bit more than the usual darkroom techniques applied to it. | Something of a storm in a lightbox has blown up in the photo-journalism world over the revelation that the winner of the 2012 World Press Photo contest had a wee bit more than the usual darkroom techniques applied to it. |
| The great picture from the Swedish photographer Paul Hansen – of two Palestinian children killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza being carried to their funeral – looked a worthy winner. But it did have a feeling of cinematic super-reality adding to the inherent drama. | The great picture from the Swedish photographer Paul Hansen – of two Palestinian children killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza being carried to their funeral – looked a worthy winner. But it did have a feeling of cinematic super-reality adding to the inherent drama. |
| Some people even thought that the whole scene had been lit and staged for the camera. | Some people even thought that the whole scene had been lit and staged for the camera. |
| The photographer has explained the technique he used. He shot the picture as a "raw" file, straight or unprocessed from the camera's computer. | The photographer has explained the technique he used. He shot the picture as a "raw" file, straight or unprocessed from the camera's computer. |
| Using just the one frame he used software which produced several versions of the image with varying tonal ranges, some with more contrast, some with less, which when combined made a picture that overall had a much higher tonal range than the unprocessed "raw" image. | Using just the one frame he used software which produced several versions of the image with varying tonal ranges, some with more contrast, some with less, which when combined made a picture that overall had a much higher tonal range than the unprocessed "raw" image. |
| This is known as a high dynamic range or HDR photograph. Put simply, the highlights are not too light and bleached-out and the shadows still have detail in them. It feels like another form of reality, because our eyes and brain make all sorts of exposure compensations when we view a scene. | This is known as a high dynamic range or HDR photograph. Put simply, the highlights are not too light and bleached-out and the shadows still have detail in them. It feels like another form of reality, because our eyes and brain make all sorts of exposure compensations when we view a scene. |
| Referring to the dispute over this image, Hansen says that the photograph is "certainly not a composite or a fake". He said: "I have never had a photograph more thoroughly examined." | Referring to the dispute over this image, Hansen says that the photograph is "certainly not a composite or a fake". He said: "I have never had a photograph more thoroughly examined." |
| Usually this HDR technique uses more than one frame of the same subject, but crucially in Hansen's case only one frame was used. | Usually this HDR technique uses more than one frame of the same subject, but crucially in Hansen's case only one frame was used. |
| The chairman of the World Press competition judges, Santiago Lyon, director of photography at the Associated Press, has said of all the winners: "We are confident that the images conform to the accepted practices of the profession." | The chairman of the World Press competition judges, Santiago Lyon, director of photography at the Associated Press, has said of all the winners: "We are confident that the images conform to the accepted practices of the profession." |
| These accepted practices normally mean that photographers cannot alter the sense or the content of a photograph by moving any pixels in their images; a very easily understood rule. | These accepted practices normally mean that photographers cannot alter the sense or the content of a photograph by moving any pixels in their images; a very easily understood rule. |
| However, it does appear that more extreme post-production techniques, such as HDR, are now to be allowed in photo-journalism competitions – and they will probably creep into everyday publication. | However, it does appear that more extreme post-production techniques, such as HDR, are now to be allowed in photo-journalism competitions – and they will probably creep into everyday publication. |
| Roger Tooth is the Guardian's head of photography | Roger Tooth is the Guardian's head of photography |
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