Image editing has always been practiced. It allows certain elements in an image to be emphasized or hidden. Through image manipulation, even ordinary and seemingly neutral photographs can be used to convey messages that only those in the know understand and can interpret.

One of the best-known examples of manipulated photographic postcards are moonlight postcards, which gained popularity in the early 1900s. In these cards, a photo taken during daylight was altered in the printing process by adding a full moon and clouds to create a nighttime effect. Moonlight postcards were typically printed on bluish cardstock.

In Finland, the popularity of moonlight postcards coincided with the intensifying Russification efforts. These postcards were quickly adopted for political use. Finnish moonlight postcards often featured national symbols placed within snowy, moonlit landscapes. People at the time knew how to read these cards as metaphors for political oppression.

Today, more image manipulation is done than ever before. Generative AI has made photo editing easy and widely accessible. Have you come across fake or manipulated photographs? How can you tell the difference between a real image and a fake one?