Delete a background? Easy. Smooth out a face? Seamless. Digital photo manipulation is now mainstream

Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Bridge program windows are seen on a computer screen in New York. In a world where the spread of technology makes photo manipulation easy, a photo can sometimes raise as many questions as it was meant to answer. That was seen in recent days when controversy swirled around an image of Kate, Princess of Wales, and her three children. — AP

NEW YORK: It’s been a common refrain when seeking proof that someone’s story or some event actually took place: “Pics, or it didn’t happen.”

But in a world where the spread of technology makes photo manipulation as easy as a tap on your phone, the idea that a visual image is an absolute truth is as outdated as the daguerreotype. And a photo can sometimes raise as many questions as it was meant to answer.