1
00:00:02,090 --> 00:00:05,870
When you capture a digital photograph, you don't really need to worry about
2
00:00:05,870 --> 00:00:10,244
whether the image is backwards. Unless you flip it, it's going to appear
3
00:00:10,244 --> 00:00:13,988
in the correct orientation. But with an analog image you don't have
4
00:00:13,988 --> 00:00:16,858
that assurance. It's very easy to print an image
5
00:00:16,858 --> 00:00:20,930
backwards, for example, or to have a copy inverted in some way.
6
00:00:20,930 --> 00:00:24,410
And so whenever possible it can be a good idea to look for clues that might
7
00:00:24,410 --> 00:00:28,470
indicate that an image needs to be flipped.
8
00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:32,758
For example, with this photo, we can see that there was some writing, probably on
9
00:00:32,758 --> 00:00:36,854
the original print or perhaps on the glass plate, and that indicates 435, but
10
00:00:36,854 --> 00:00:41,980
it's written backwards. Immediately, you might assume that the
11
00:00:41,980 --> 00:00:45,130
image needs to be flipped and you'd actually be correct in this case, but its
12
00:00:45,130 --> 00:00:48,970
a very good idea not to jump to that conclusion.
13
00:00:48,970 --> 00:00:54,330
Because you don't necessarily know on which side of the image that writing was written.
14
00:00:54,330 --> 00:00:57,441
For example, on the glass plate it could've been written on the back of the
15
00:00:57,441 --> 00:01:02,896
image and simply be showing through. For this image, fortunately, we have
16
00:01:02,896 --> 00:01:08,230
another very obvious clue that lets us know the image in indeed backwards.
17
00:01:08,230 --> 00:01:12,065
If you look at the tent in the background here, you'll see US for United States,
18
00:01:12,065 --> 00:01:16,062
and that is backwards. So obviously we do need to flip this
19
00:01:16,062 --> 00:01:19,700
image horizontally, so that that will appear correct.
20
00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:23,236
But again, keep in mind that just because you see some writing on the image doesn't
21
00:01:23,236 --> 00:01:27,280
automatically indicate the proper orientation for that photo.
22
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,525
So in this case we do know that we want to flip the image horizontally, and
23
00:01:30,525 --> 00:01:33,924
that calls for one of the Transform commands.
24
00:01:33,924 --> 00:01:38,725
But we're not able to apply the Transform commands to a locked Background Image layer.
25
00:01:38,725 --> 00:01:42,053
And so I'm going to start off by creating a copy of my Background Image layer by
26
00:01:42,053 --> 00:01:45,641
dragging the thumbnail for the Background Image layer down to the Create New Layer
27
00:01:45,641 --> 00:01:51,650
button, that blank sheet of paper icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
28
00:01:51,650 --> 00:01:54,482
Now I could have just as easily double-clicked on the thumbnail for the
29
00:01:54,482 --> 00:01:58,430
Background Image layer and then clicked OK in the New Layer dialog.
30
00:01:58,430 --> 00:02:01,360
That would have converted the Background Image layer to a normal layer.
31
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,045
But I'm taking the extra step of creating a background copy, which actually also
32
00:02:05,045 --> 00:02:08,400
doubles the file size, so that I can always go back to the original if I have
33
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:14,110
any questions of if I decide that the transformation was not necessary.
34
00:02:14,110 --> 00:02:18,880
So it's just an extra layer of caution. With this Background Copy layer created,
35
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:25,490
I can now go to the Edit menu and simply choose Transform followed by Flip Horizontal.
36
00:02:25,490 --> 00:02:30,100
Notice that we can flip horizontally, left to right, or vertically, top to bottom.
37
00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:32,850
But in this case I need a horizontal flip.
38
00:02:32,850 --> 00:02:36,095
So I'll go ahead and choose flip horizontal from the transform menu and
39
00:02:36,095 --> 00:02:41,000
you'll see that the image is flipped. I'm essentially looking at a reversed
40
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,820
version, at least in the horizontal aspect, of this original photo.
41
00:02:45,820 --> 00:02:50,020
So, now you can see that the numbers 435 at the bottom are now correct.
42
00:02:50,020 --> 00:02:54,150
But more importantly, the actual elements within the photo are correct.
43
00:02:54,150 --> 00:02:58,308
So, the tent now shows US rather than a backwards SU, and we could also look in
44
00:02:58,308 --> 00:03:01,810
other areas. Now in this case, we're not able to get
45
00:03:01,810 --> 00:03:04,649
enough detail. We don't have, for example, name badges
46
00:03:04,649 --> 00:03:07,623
on these soldiers. But if there were other elements, maybe
47
00:03:07,623 --> 00:03:10,938
an inscription on the cannon, that we could use as the basis of our evaluation,
48
00:03:10,938 --> 00:03:14,760
so much the better. We want to try to make sure that we're
49
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,948
orienting the image properly. Sometimes a person might have an obvious
50
00:03:18,948 --> 00:03:21,964
blemish on their face for example, perhaps a mole that's on one side of
51
00:03:21,964 --> 00:03:27,260
their face that we can use as the basis of determining that orientation.
52
00:03:27,260 --> 00:03:31,352
But whenever possible the key is to check the image for those clues and then flip
53
00:03:31,352 --> 00:03:33,010
as needed.