When Alexey Ivanov and his future wife, Marina Kiseleva, were dating, she gave him a memorable gift: a photograph of himself that looked as if it were hanging in the Tate Modern in London.
To create the image, she used a simple photo-editing program. And it gave the couple the idea for their Web site, Photofunia.com, which allows users to upload a photograph, select an image from dozens of templates showing a scene, and then merge the two photographs. It is just one of many Web sites for enhancing photographs that are becoming easier than ever to use.
The Web sites cater to novices, unlike sophisticated software packages like Photoshop, making it possible to create a greeting card, make photo collages, design new images for a Web site and tweak personal photographs without doing much more than clicking a button.
Some sites, like Photofunia, which is based in Ukraine, merge or mash up images. Others are aimed at transforming pictures to look as if they come from another time or place. Some sites have a more commercial aspect, selling products like lipstick by letting you try it by painting a virtual copy of the makeup on a photo of yourself.
Photofunia contains dozens of templates — of art galleries, urban scenes and locations like the Sphinx in Egypt. For example, users can put a picture of themselves into a scene from Times Square so that it looks as if the user’s image is on a billboard. The site also has tools to digitally detect a person’s face, extract it from a picture and graft it onto the head and body of another image, like Santa Claus or the Mona Lisa.
A similar site, based in Russia, is Photo505.com. It offers a wide array of templates, and can place a face in a wanted poster or the cover of a magazine like Cosmopolitan.
“We experiment and realize every idea we have in mind,” said the site’s founder, Vasily Giharev. “Even the most insane ones.”
Mr. Giharev said he was inspired to create the site after seeing the film “Forrest Gump,” which sliced film of the actor Tom Hanks into historical images from the 1960s, making it seem as if the character was present at the important events of that era.
Other sites — like Aviary.com, Pixlr.com, Splashup.com, and Citrify.com — are competing to offer simple tools for cropping an image, fixing red eye or making other tweaks to an image.
“The typical user is not a professional, but a step below, a beginner,” said Ola Sevandersson, the Stockholm-based founder of Pixlr.
While Pixlr itself is meant to be easy to use, Mr. Sevandersson also created an even simpler version that does most of the work with the push of a button.
Pixlr includes another feature that allows users to modify the colors in a photo. For example, effects named Melissa, Sophie or Tony (to make them easier to remember) will mute colors and change the focus to imitate the film and lenses commonly used in different eras. The vintage ’60s effect, for instance, amplifies the red tones and mutes the blues, effectively producing more yellows and purples, and imitating the way that films and photographic paper of that time reproduced light from the scene.
Other sites take photo editing into different realms. Taaz.com, for instance, allows people to test various colors of makeup.
“Our main positioning is not as a photo modification site,” said Deepu John, vice president of marketing at Taaz, which is based in San Diego. “It’s a site where women can try on thousands of different makeup colors on themselves.”
Users upload a photo of themselves and can then modify it by trying on foundation, lip gloss, blush and other cosmetics. Cosmetic companies pay fees to the company to include their products. Making the images look realistic was a challenge for the company’s software designers, Mr. John said. “We have to focus on light interacting with surface. That’s part of the key to realism.”
The makeup test is licensed by Taaz to other Web sites like People.com and Esteelauder.com.
Mr. John said more than a quarter of a billion tests of makeup products were performed each month on all the sites.
Yet another site is Bighugelabs.com, where users create badges, jigsaw puzzles and art work meant to emulate the styles of Andy Warhol or David Hockney. John Watson, the site’s founder, said it had almost a half million registered users.
The most popular service, he said, produces images that imitate a popular line of black-matted, motivational posters often found in office hallways. The site matches a picture with a caption and produces an image with the correct typeface. Many of the people visit the site to produce posters that are sarcastic, not inspirational.
“I think most people can be creative but not everyone is going to learn to play guitar,” Mr. Watson said. “But there are other ways for people to be creative. You can give them tools that allow themselves to express themselves in ways they couldn’t before.”
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當阿裏克謝.伊萬諾夫和他的未婚妻瑪麗娜約會時,她給了他一個難忘的禮物:一張照片,其中伊萬的照片似乎被懸掛在了倫敦泰特現代美術館裏。
瑪麗娜使用了一個簡單的照片編輯軟件來生成這張圖片。這讓這對新人產生了一個想法:辦一個網站,Photofunia.com,讓rang用yong戶hu上shang傳chuan照zhao片pian,從cong數shu十shi個ge背bei景jing模mo板ban中zhong選xuan擇ze一yi個ge模mo板ban,並bing將jiang照zhao片pian和he模mo板ban融rong合he在zai一yi起qi。現xian在zai有you不bu少shao這zhe樣yang的de網wang站zhan,讓rang圖tu片pian處chu理li比bi過guo去qu簡jian單dan了le不bu少shao。
這類網站迎合菜鳥的需要。和複雜的軟件,如Photoshop相比,這類網站可以讓你隻需輕點鼠標,即可製作賀卡、照片拚貼、設計網站圖片,或調整私人照片。
有些網站,比如設在烏克蘭的Photofunia,可(ke)以(yi)將(jiang)圖(tu)片(pian)進(jin)行(xing)融(rong)合(he)或(huo)混(hun)搭(da)。有(you)的(de)網(wang)站(zhan)可(ke)以(yi)讓(rang)你(ni)將(jiang)照(zhao)片(pian)整(zheng)得(de)像(xiang)是(shi)來(lai)自(zi)另(ling)外(wai)一(yi)個(ge)時(shi)空(kong)。有(you)些(xie)則(ze)商(shang)業(ye)味(wei)更(geng)濃(nong)點(dian),比(bi)方(fang)說(shuo)通(tong)過(guo)在(zai)你(ni)上(shang)傳(chuan)的(de)照(zhao)片(pian)上(shang)塗(tu)抹(mo)虛(xu)擬(ni)的(de)口(kou)紅(hong)來(lai)進(jin)行(xing)口(kou)紅(hong)的(de)銷(xiao)售(shou)。
網站Photofunia包含數十個模板,有藝術館、城(cheng)市(shi)景(jing)觀(guan),以(yi)及(ji)像(xiang)埃(ai)及(ji)獅(shi)身(shen)人(ren)麵(mian)像(xiang)一(yi)類(lei)的(de)景(jing)點(dian)。打(da)個(ge)比(bi)方(fang),用(yong)戶(hu)可(ke)以(yi)將(jiang)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)照(zhao)片(pian)放(fang)到(dao)一(yi)個(ge)時(shi)代(dai)廣(guang)場(chang)的(de)背(bei)景(jing)裏(li),看(kan)上(shang)去(qu)就(jiu)像(xiang)是(shi)其(qi)照(zhao)片(pian)出(chu)現(xian)在(zai)時(shi)代(dai)廣(guang)場(chang)的(de)廣(guang)告(gao)牌(pai)上(shang)了(le)。該(gai)網(wang)站(zhan)還(hai)提(ti)供(gong)工(gong)具(ju),可(ke)使(shi)用(yong)戶(hu)將(jiang)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)臉(lian)嫁(jia)接(jie)到(dao)另(ling)一(yi)幅(fu)圖(tu)片(pian)中(zhong),比(bi)如(ru)聖(sheng)誕(dan)老(lao)人(ren)或(huo)蒙(meng)娜(na)麗(li)莎(sha)的(de)頭(tou)上(shang)或(huo)身(shen)體(ti)上(shang)。
另一個位於俄羅斯的類似的網站叫Photo505.com,提供內容廣泛的模板,可將一張臉移植到通緝令上,或者像《大都會》這樣的雜誌封麵上。
網站創辦者瓦西裏說:“我們把腦子裏想得到的所有東西都拿出來試驗,包括那些最瘋狂的東西。”
瓦西裏說他是看完《阿甘正傳》這部電影後受啟發才創辦的這個網站。在電影裏,湯姆漢克斯的影像被移植到了60年代的圖片中,效果看起來就好像阿甘這個角色就出現在了重要事件的現場。
其他網站,像Aviary.com,Pixlr.com,Splashup.com和Citrify.com,都競相提供照片微調的簡單工具,如裁剪、修紅眼等功能。
奧拉.賽萬德斯是位於斯德哥爾摩的Pixlr網站的創辦者。他說:“典型的用戶都是非專業的,菜鳥類型。”
Pixlr網站就是為了便於用戶使用。賽萬德斯先生還製作了一個更簡單的版本,隻要按個按鈕就可以完成大部分工作。
Pixlr網站還有另一個特色:可以讓用戶修改照片的顏色。打個比方,圖片效果阿貓、阿狗、阿朱(隻是為了好記)可ke以yi去qu掉diao顏yan色se,讓rang照zhao片pian模mo仿fang不bu同tong時shi期qi的de膠jiao片pian和he鏡jing頭tou的de特te點dian。舉ju例li來lai說shuo,六liu十shi年nian代dai的de經jing典dian效xiao果guo就jiu是shi誇kua大da紅hong色se調tiao,淡dan化hua藍lan色se調tiao,效xiao果guo看kan上shang去qu偏pian黃huang偏pian紫zi,並bing模mo擬ni那na個ge時shi代dai的de現xian場chang光guang。
有的網站將照片處理代入了不同的領域。拿Taaz.com來說,它讓人可以試驗不同顏色的化妝。
“我們的定位不是照片修飾”,迪普.約翰是這家位於聖地亞哥市的網站的市場部副經理,他說:“我們目的是讓女性可以在她們自己身上試驗上千種不同顏色的妝扮。”
用戶將自己的照片上傳後,可以試用不同的粉底、亮唇膏、胭yan脂zhi及ji其qi他ta化hua妝zhuang品pin。化hua妝zhuang公gong司si要yao上shang他ta們men的de產chan品pin的de話hua需xu要yao向xiang網wang站zhan付fu費fei。對dui公gong司si的de軟ruan件jian設she計ji者zhe來lai說shuo,挑tiao戰zhan來lai自zi於yu如ru何he讓rang畫hua麵mian真zhen實shi。約yue翰han先xian生sheng說shuo:“我們的重點是光線和麵的交互作用。這是真實感的關鍵。”
Taaz將化妝測試的證書頒發給了其他網站,如People.com和Esteelauder.com。
約翰先生說,每個月在網上進行的化妝品測試有2.5億次。
還有一個網站叫Bighugelabs.com,它可以讓用戶製作徽章、迷宮和模仿安迪沃霍爾和大衛霍克尼風格的藝術品。該網站的創辦者約翰.華生說他已經有了近50萬的注冊用戶。
他(ta)說(shuo),最(zui)受(shou)歡(huan)迎(ying)的(de)服(fu)務(wu),是(shi)製(zhi)作(zuo)一(yi)排(pai)啞(ya)光(guang)的(de)勵(li)誌(zhi)海(hai)報(bao),就(jiu)像(xiang)貼(tie)在(zai)辦(ban)公(gong)室(shi)走(zou)道(dao)裏(li)的(de)那(na)種(zhong)。該(gai)網(wang)站(zhan)為(wei)照(zhao)片(pian)配(pei)上(shang)圖(tu)題(ti),並(bing)生(sheng)成(cheng)一(yi)幅(fu)帶(dai)正(zheng)確(que)字(zi)體(ti)的(de)圖(tu)片(pian)。許(xu)多(duo)人(ren)訪(fang)問(wen)該(gai)網(wang)站(zhan)製(zhi)作(zuo)海(hai)報(bao)倒(dao)不(bu)是(shi)為(wei)了(le)勵(li)誌(zhi),而(er)是(shi)為(wei)了(le)諷(feng)刺(ci)。
華生先生說:“我wo覺jiao得de大da部bu分fen人ren都dou是shi有you創chuang造zao力li的de,但dan不bu是shi每mei個ge人ren都dou會hui去qu學xue彈dan吉ji他ta。但dan是shi人ren們men可ke以yi找zhao到dao發fa揮hui創chuang造zao力li的de辦ban法fa。你ni可ke以yi給gei他ta們men一yi個ge工gong具ju,讓rang他ta們men用yong以yi前qian從cong未wei試shi過guo的de方fang式shi表biao現xian自zi己ji。”
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