Photoshop and the princess

A handout photo released by Kensington Palace on March 10 of Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, with her children, had various inconsistencies in alignments. — AFP

THE release of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales’ photo with her children, and the subsequent revelation that it was altered, make for an intriguing case study of how photography is perceived, practiced, processed, and performed during our time.

Supposedly taken by Prince William, the photo of the princess with their three children must have been intended to be, in the words of a Times of London report, “a heartwarming posting to the public on Mother’s Day, providing an ideal opportunity for the princess to thank the public for their support and good wishes and provide some public reassurance about her health as she continued her recovery from abdominal surgery.”