April 1995 "Daily Herald Newspaper". (This article was written
when I was self-employed.)
Somewhere between reality and
virtual reality is the work of George
Merelos.
A self-employed photographer,
Merelos can take your standard
family portrait. He also can alter it.
Got a divorced spouse you want
out of your favorite family picture?
No problem. Maybe there's some
one you'd like to add. Or maybe
you' like to get rid of that late `70s
hairdo or, for that matter, add hair
entirely.
It's all possible, Thanks to digital or
electronic imaging. Merelos simply
scans the old photo into the computer,
the image appears on the screen
and he can cut and paste as he likes.
It's not unlike using a word processor,
only the medium isn't typed
words but images.
"This is something we're not used
to seeing," said Merelos, runs a photo studio, PHOTO GEMStm,
from his Warrenville home. "But it's
going to become commonplace
While some photographers and
photo studios aren't embracing the
new technology, Merelos sees it as
just another a advancement.
Today's technology can alter yesterday's
images but it also can
restore old photos to near new quality.
Merelos, for example, is working
on a black-and-white snapshot that
has cracked and faded with time.
Once scanned into the computer,
Merelos can fill in the cracks and
add clarity and contrast.
Merelos, who got bit by the photography
bug at Waukegan High
School, taking pictures for the year
book and setting up his own home
darkroom, is not threatened by the
new technology. In fact, Merelos
who holds associate degrees in both
photography technology and electronics
technology from College of
DuPage in Glen Ellyn and College of
Lake County in Grayslake, respectively,
is excited by the new frontier.
“Some people will pick it up and
others won't," he said. "I believe
there's a place for everything
Decades before photography,
images were captured and preserved
by painters. As photography
did not replace painting, Merelos
says digital imaging will not replace
photography
Because at the this point, computers
can’t take the pictures. "It's just
a tool," Merelos said. "If you give me
Hemingway's pen, would I be able to write?"
Still the possibilities seem endless.
Using the example of family portraits,
It's possible to switch poses
or heads to combine the best
expressions of all family members.
Removing a former spouse or `X
your-X’ is the most common of the
altering services, Merelos said. In
one instance, however, he was about
to x-out the ex, when the couple got
back together.
It's also possible to add and reposition
people, move this hand here
or there and shed extra pounds
while you're at it.
The same's true for wedding photos.
Thought your wedding cake looked a bit skimpy? Enlarge it.
Merelos even has a sample photo in
which the happy couple has their
own miniature image on top of the
cake.
Now, if you could only eat the cake
and never get fat.
______________________________________
George Merelos can be reached a by phone (630) 548 1709 or
through e-mail Merelos@cdnet.cod.edu
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