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The attention of modern media research in the last decade has been focused on the truth value of images: within the field of manipulated photographs, portrait photographs represent a special group, since the human face is a specific visual stimulus that plays an important role in the perception of beauty. The present research investigated portrait photographs that have been automatically retouched by an artificial intelligence-based image editing software, using an online questionnaire. Accordint to the results, viewer’s perception of artificial intelligence based (AI-based) image retouching is not influenced by the gender or age of the photo model, nor by the gender or age of the recipients. However, the beauty judged by the recipients does affect the viewer’s attitude towards both the model and the photograph. The study points to new potential research directions in the field of AI-generated beauty ideals and automated AI-based retouching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Politics & Society / Polityka & Społeczeństwo is the property of University of Rzeszow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bone retouchers were part of the human toolkit since the Lower Palaeolithic. These tools are essential to the understanding of lithic technology and raw materials exploitation in cultural complexes associated with both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. They are also considered to be among the oldest bone tools ever made. On account of their great morphological variability and the lack of any standardised shaping, bone retouchers are often classified as expedient tools rather than as a true bone industry. The present work proposes a new approach to the use-wear study of bone retouchers through the application of 3D imaging microscopy. The results show several advantages in the identification and description of retouch-induced use-wear. The comparison with current methodologies suggests the need to rethink approaches to this bone industry. Through a more in-depth technological and functional study procedure, bone retouchers can potentially play a crucial role in understanding the subsistence strategies of hominin groups throughout the Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Madonna with Child by Andrea Mantegna owned by the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan is painted on canvas with an unusual distemper technique. During the period of 1863–1865, the painting was restored by Giuseppe Molteni. The identification of potential retouchings by Molteni, possibly covering part of the original layer, was the object of this work carried at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. To evaluate the extent of both Molteni's intervention and Mantegna's original layer, the MA-XRF spectrometer developed by CHNet-INFN was used to discriminate between the two paint layers and identify the materials and the extension of both "artists". Indeed, the elemental maps showed that Molteni's work entirely covered the mantle of the Virgin, even changing the fold of the draperies and enriching the red robe with shell gold highlights, giving a different appearance to the painting. Moreover, MA-XRF also revealed that the original Mantegna was still mostly intact underneath Molteni's layer, thereby providing a decisive guide for conservation works. These results indeed formed the basis for the technical decision to remove the varnish and Molteni's version, unveiling the original Mantegna. A second MA-XRF campaign was then carried out to fully characterise the materials of this unusual painting technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the investigation of six microsamples collected from the vault of the San Panfilo Church in Tornimparte (AQ). The aim was to detect the composition of the pigments and protective/varnishes, and to investigate the executive technique, the conservation state, and the evidence of the restoration works carried out in the past. Six microsamples were analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The investigations were carried out within the framework of the Tornimparte project "Archeometric investigation of the pictorial cycle of Saturnino Gatti in Tornimparte (AQ, Italy)" sponsored in 2021 by the Italian Association of Archeometry (AIAr). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account the issues associated with climate change and reliance on external sources of energy, among others, the European Union and its commission have developed a strategy for transitioning to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. In this sense, a wide-ranging package was adopted to ensure the EU meets its climate and energy targets for the years 2020, 2030, and 2050. Hence, energy efficiency is a key principle of the European Union, as is energy saving and the development of new and renewable forms of energy. The most evident force is the European Efficiency Directive, adopted in 2012, which embraced a set of measures such as legal obligations to establish energy-saving schemes and/or alternative measures in the Member States. Concerning final energy consumption, the industrial sector is the second biggest consumer of final energy and one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Some publications have studied the effectiveness of European policies, but they generally focus on a macro perspective. Few present case studies in specific industries, especially in intensive energy industries such as the ceramic industry. In this context, its higher consumption forces it to find solutions. From a challenge posed by the company, this paper presents a case study in the Portuguese ceramic industry. This study is motivated by the high energy consumption and associated costs. The main purposes of this study are to check the effectiveness of the applied measures resulting from the audit carried out in 2018, to improve energy efficiency, and to study the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. This work consisted of four phases: (i) studying the significant impacts of energy costs on the company; (ii) verifying if the energy indicator goals were achieved, using the 2018 energy audit as a reference; (iii) suggesting actions to improve energy efficiency and checking their effectiveness; and (iv) studying the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. The measures taken not only contributed to the achievement of the company's goals established in the Portuguese National Energy and Climate Plan but also enabled them to meet the annual and end goals for 2024 outlined in their energy rationalization plan. This was a consequence of the mandatory energy audit conducted in 2018 under the Portuguese Intensive Energy Consumption Management System (IECMS). In this sense, this case study provides a practical demonstration of how mandatory European policies and regulations at the member state level can help enterprises improve their energy efficiency. It also highlights the importance of evaluating renewable energy constraints rather than adopting them directly as a panacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the investigation of six microsamples collected from the vault of the San Panfilo Church in Tornimparte (AQ). The aim was to detect the composition of the pigments and protective/varnishes, and to investigate the executive technique, the conservation state, and the evidence of the restoration works carried out in the past. Six microsamples were analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The investigations were carried out within the framework of the Tornimparte project “Archeometric investigation of the pictorial cycle of Saturnino Gatti in Tornimparte (AQ, Italy)” sponsored in 2021 by the Italian Association of Archeometry (AIAr).

Analyzing digital images to reveal modifications is called image forensics. Digital images are now becoming incredibly popular due to the availability of several inexpensive image-capturing gadgets. These images are frequently altered, either unintentionally or intentionally, which causes the image to convey false information. Since digital images are frequently utilized as evidence in court proceedings, media, and for preserving visual records, approaches to detecting forgeries in these images should be designed. This paper thoroughly analyzes several image forgery detection strategies, including comparisons of the strategies, advantages, disadvantages, and experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservar Património is the property of Associacao Profissional de Conservadores-Restauradores de Portugal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We investigate image retouching algorithms for generating forgery Earth remote sensing data. We provide an overview of existing neural network solutions in the field of generation and inpainting of remote sensing images. To retouch Earth remote sensing data, we use image-inpainting algorithms based on convolutional neural networks and generative-adversarial neural networks. We pay special attention to a generative neural network with a separate contour prediction block that includes two series-connected generative-adversarial subnets. The first subnet inpaints contours of the image within the retouched area. The second subnet uses the inpainted contours to generate the resulting retouch area. As a basis for comparison, we use exemplar-based algorithms of image inpainting. We carry out computational experiments to study the effectiveness of these algorithms when retouching natural data of remote sensing of various types. We perform a comparative analysis of the quality of the algorithms considered, depending on the type, shape and size of the retouched objects and areas. We give qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the efficiency of the studied image inpainting algorithms when retouching Earth remote sensing data. We experimentally prove the advantage of generative-competitive neural networks in the construction of forgery remote sensing data.

Taking into account the issues associated with climate change and reliance on external sources of energy, among others, the European Union and its commission have developed a strategy for transitioning to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. In this sense, a wide-ranging package was adopted to ensure the EU meets its climate and energy targets for the years 2020, 2030, and 2050. Hence, energy efficiency is a key principle of the European Union, as is energy saving and the development of new and renewable forms of energy. The most evident force is the European Efficiency Directive, adopted in 2012, which embraced a set of measures such as legal obligations to establish energy-saving schemes and/or alternative measures in the Member States. Concerning final energy consumption, the industrial sector is the second biggest consumer of final energy and one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Some publications have studied the effectiveness of European policies, but they generally focus on a macro perspective. Few present case studies in specific industries, especially in intensive energy industries such as the ceramic industry. In this context, its higher consumption forces it to find solutions. From a challenge posed by the company, this paper presents a case study in the Portuguese ceramic industry. This study is motivated by the high energy consumption and associated costs. The main purposes of this study are to check the effectiveness of the applied measures resulting from the audit carried out in 2018, to improve energy efficiency, and to study the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. This work consisted of four phases: (i) studying the significant impacts of energy costs on the company; (ii) verifying if the energy indicator goals were achieved, using the 2018 energy audit as a reference; (iii) suggesting actions to improve energy efficiency and checking their effectiveness; and (iv) studying the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources. The measures taken not only contributed to the achievement of the company’s goals established in the Portuguese National Energy and Climate Plan but also enabled them to meet the annual and end goals for 2024 outlined in their energy rationalization plan. This was a consequence of the mandatory energy audit conducted in 2018 under the Portuguese Intensive Energy Consumption Management System (IECMS). In this sense, this case study provides a practical demonstration of how mandatory European policies and regulations at the member state level can help enterprises improve their energy efficiency. It also highlights the importance of evaluating renewable energy constraints rather than adopting them directly as a panacea.

This paper draws inspiration from the observation that Byzantine icons in Greek museums are exhibited in an unrestored state, with traces of damage and loss kept visible, in contrast with the majority of painted artworks. To identify the reasoning behind this approach to public presentation, research based on interviews with scholars in the field was conducted. The main issues they raised are summarized and discussed. Conservation ethics, the interests of scholars of the Byzantine period, ideological ferment in Greece between the two world wars, the impact of historical events and the role of religion as a living tradition in Greece are themes that recurred throughout the interviews. It appears that along with scientific and rational developments, broader ideologies and aesthetics that derive from evolving social influences also influence conservation decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the use of the interpolation method for the sequential calculation of the Fourier spectrum (IMSCS) for retouching and restoration of missing (shaded) image fragments. The proposed approach can be used with any form of a missing image fragment. Such image processing can give good results even at a significantly high percentage of missing image fragments. The method of digital virtual image reconstruction proposed here is strictly based on a scientific approach; as the source data, it uses all the data available (the image itself is the object to be recovered). Therefore, it is free from the human factor, because of which subjective changes can be introduced in the image under processing. The results presented indicate a significant increase in the quality of digital images (increasing the information content), which can offer helpful auxiliary tools for professionals using these images for their practical purposes.

Copyright of Journal of History / Habaršy Tarihi Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, original photographs were sent to publishers so that they could be reproduced in print. The photographs often needed to be reworked with overpainting and masking, and such modifications were especially necessary for low-contrast photographs to be reproduced as a letterpress halftone. As altered objects, many of these marked-up photographs were simply discarded after use. An album at The New York Public Library, however, contains 157 such photographs, all relating to the Jackson–Harmsworth expedition to Franz Josef Land, from 1894 to 1897. Received as gifts from publishers, the photographs are heavily retouched with overpainting and masking, as well as drawn and collaged elements. The intense level of overpainting on many of the photographs, but not on others, raised questions about their production and alteration. Jackson's accounts attested to his practice of developing and printing photographs on site, testing different materials and techniques—including platino-bromide and silver-gelatin papers—to overcome the harsh environmental conditions. In this context, sixteen photographs from the album were analyzed through a combination of non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). This analytical campaign aimed to evaluate the possible residual presence of silver halides in any of the preliminary and improved photographs. The detection of these compounds would be one of several factors supporting a hypothesis that some of the photographs in the album were indeed printed on site, in the Arctic, and, as a result, may have been impacted by the extreme environment. Additional goals of the study included the evaluation of the extent of retouching, providing a full characterization of the pigments and dyes used in overpainted prints, and comparing the results with contemporaneous photographic publications that indicate which coloring materials were available at the time. Further analyses shed light on the organic components present in the binders and photographic emulsions. This research has increased our knowledge of photographic processes undertaken in a hostile environment such as the Arctic, and shed light on the technical aspects of photographically illustrating books during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When writing the final report, conservators-restorers are often faced with a lot of indecision on how to describe the colour mixing used in retouching process. The reports may sound somewhat incomplete, especially if the technical data is completely left out. The recorded information are usually restricted to the type of paint with indication of the brand and the type of binder and pigments used. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a measurable system that could help the students and the professionals to describe the use of colour mixtures during the chromatic reintegration treatment.

This article will be focusing on a retouching conservation and restoration treatment, of two figurative ceramic tiles panels belonging to the Baroque artistic period. The ceramic tiles of blue and white colors dating from the final of the 18th century are inserted in a relevant historical period for the Portuguese tiles art entitled Grande produção Joanina. The purpose of the intervention was the return the readability of the scenes in the panels, without hiding major signs of degradation. This conservation treatment was made within a rehabilitation project of the building that holds them, which had its own intervention criteria and in which the conservation criteria had to fit. One of the issues during this case study, was to find a commitment between the conservation ethical approaches, considering the panels will continue to be exposed outdoors and there are soluble salts present on the wall where they are settled. The intervention criteria chosen was made, using diverse solutions within materials and techniques such as the application of new ceramic elements, filling gaps with lime mortars and al fresco retouching. A capillarity and permeability based method was used to fill the glazed gaps. Retouching methods were tested including neutral tone or continuing the shapes and tones. In the end al fresco retouching method was chosen and the preparation of the new ceramic elements supported by a study of graphic and photographic documentation, completing the big gaps in the panels. The results of the chosen al fresco technique show a satisfactory level of mimicry, enough to return the readability of the panel. This technique revealed to be suitable for the retouching of ceramic substrates affected by soluble salts. The reading of the scene panels became passively also, by completion the missing parts, with the introduction of new elements what, was achieved with success too.

When the restoration of archaeological metal artifacts is considered, the reconstruction and chromatic treatment of the gaps often determine the correct reading of the object, by suggesting its original morphology and external coloring as linked to the degraded surfaces.However, for such a kind of artifact, it is particularly frequent to deal with a remarkable diversity of reconstructions and integrations related to conceptions usually based on opposing principles ranging from mimetic integrations up to a strict rigorism. The purpose of the present work is to contribute to the definition of a conservative intervention protocol based on the reversibility to get a correct and widely perceptive presentation of the restoration work for this kind of artifacts, aimed at their formal reconstruction and aesthetic retouching.

Bone retouchers are an important behavioural marker in the definition of several Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic cultural complexes. However, their relationship with the assemblages of knapped stone artefacts is still to be investigated particularly in specific but not uncommon lithic contexts of the Middle Palaeolithic in Europe. This paper offers insights to evaluate the use of bone retouchers in a context of Discoid lithic technology, a significant cultural expression largely spread in many regions during MIS3. The study case is the lithic and osseous assemblage of unit A9 at Fumane Cave, in north-eastern Italy. A detailed analysis of the bone retouchers is presented for the first time; their technological features are then correlated with the characteristic of the retouch observed on the lithic tools recovered in the same unit. The study contributes to complete a picture of Neanderthal economic behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a part of a research project on retouching gelatin glass plate photographic negatives, its intentions, impact of the practice on the image and object and its current state of conservation. This is a case study on the use of retouching techniques on a scientific collection belonging to the former Dr. Mendes Correia Anthropology Institute, of the Natural History and Science Museum - University of Porto (MHNC-UP). In scientific photography there is a need for a rigorous record and true representation, which sets apart this type of photographic collection from others. Any alterations, such as retouching, should therefore have little or none aesthetic intentions. Retouched negatives were identified in this scientific and academic collection, and allowed to ascertain the purpose of their use and support the need for its preservation.

The conservation treatment of a telescope belonging to the collections of Cavour Castle in Santena, Italy, is described. It is valuable both as a material testimony of the diffusion of scientific progress and as a rare example of a japanned telescope, providing evidence for the use of this decorative style in Piedmont between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Historical research was necessary to solve some questions regarding the manufacture and dating of the telescope. Comparison of the data and information collected with those of similar scientific instruments indicated with manufacture in northern Italy in the eighteenth century. The pigments and binder were identified, confirming the Western origin of the red lacquer that embellishes the outer tube of the telescope, applied on a leather support. Three-dimensional mock-ups were used to select the methodology and products for the conservation treatment, including the adhesion of lacquer lifting from leather and the infilling of losses in the japanned layer. The treatment aims were preservation of both the instrument and the traces left on it by time and events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of lacunae in the restoration of the recovered mural paintings of the Văcărești Monastery Church. The Văcăreşti Monastery was the foundation of the first Phanariotic rulers, the Mavrocordats, erected in the first half of the 18th century, a splendid ensemble with a dual function of residence - princely and monastic. The magnificent architectural ensemble, the decorations in carved stone, as well as the mural painting style in the main church and the paraclis, point towards the Brancoveanu heritage. The Văcăreşti monastery was demolished in 1985, when several scenes were recovered from the mural painting of the church. The management of the mural paintings extraction via the stacco method (the painted and the plaster layers, together, not separated) was the ideal solution for its stability and conservation in good conditions. Separated from the support they were created for, and which they were fundamentally connected with, having been in the impossibility of returning in situ, the Văcărești Monastery Church mural paintings are displayed nowadays as being incomplete, an aspect which can be described by observing it from two angles: on the one hand, from the fact that a small part of the iconographic ensemble has been recovered, and on the other hand from the discontinuity of the image caused by local losses in the painting layer. Thus, our stylistic and iconographic reading turns into something more difficult to approach. The much-needed restoration process, although slow, has contributed in the salvation and enhancement of many of the extracted mural paintings fragments, thus presentable to the public. These fragments, were then transposed on new supports, receiving customized chassis, consolidated, chemically treated via biocide, cleaned; witnesses of the historical repainting intensions were kept as well, the lacunae have been closed and chromatically reintegrated, so that the painting could be regarded as unaltered. Complying with the restoration principle according to which the materials introduced in the work of art must be compatible with the original material, the completions at the painting's most basic level were made by grouting with lime mortar. Both the lacunae larger in size and those located in areas where the image could no longer be reconstructed have been grouted beneath the painting layer's level, thus no longer chromatically integrated. The lacunae's chromatic integration (retouching) was done with watercolors, in different shades of grey, in the technique of velatura for the lacunae found in the color layer, and by creating a texture of colored lines based on the optical decomposition principle in the tratteggio technique for the lacunae in the supporting layer grouted at the painting level. The unity of the painted image is restored by using these techniques of chromatic integration of the lacunae. The materials used respect the restoration principles, such as the reversibility and the distinctive intervention. The purpose was to highlight the original painting, taking into account the historical and artistic value it bears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Triptych of the Life of Christ", belonging to the church of Saint John, the Baptist, in Tomar (Portugal), is dated from the early 16th century and attributed to the workshop of Quentin Metsys. When the current intervention of conservation and restoration started, it featured large retouching, significantly altered, which posed several ethical questions. What to do with these retouchings was the main problem, for which a solution was not evident. They must be assumed as part of the triptych's history and kept, despite the problems? Or should they be removed? All or just some of them? Ultimately, how to respect the authenticity, memory and profession's ethics? This is what we intend to discuss.

During the Late Pleistocene, Mongolia was probably a land of many population dispersals. The cultural shifts observed in archeological sequences document some of these events. Two lines of Upper Paleolithic development have been defined: industries rooted in the local Middle Paleolithic and intrusive assemblages from Siberia. At Orkhon-1, (Horizon 3 – Pits 1, 2) in Central Mongolia and Kharganyn-Gol-5, Horizons 7-6, in Northern Mongolia, transitional assemblages are characterized by the coexistence of Levallois with blade technology. The paper is devoted to stone tool kit analysis of cultural Horizons 4 – 7 from Kharganyn-Gol-5 site in Northern Mongolia. According to radiocarbon dating, the age of cultural Horizon 5 is older than 40,000 BP. The lower Horizons 6-7 contain the side-scrapers, Levallois retouched blanks and spur-like tools. Probably, these complexes can be related to Terminal Middle Paleolithic. Horizon 5 is characterized by combination of Middle Paleolithic Levallois tradition in primary flaking and Upper Paleolithic tool types, such as backed bladelets and can be determined as typical for Initial Upper Paleolithic. Tool assemblage of Horizon 4 is characteristic for the Early Upper Paleolithic. The assemblages of Kharganyn-Gol-5 site give the opportunity to define the complex of cultural attributes, which characterizes the Middle Paleolithic of Northern Mongolia.

Copyright of ARTis ON is the property of ARTIS - Instituto de Historia da Arte da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Correspondencias & Analisis is the property of Universidad de San Martin de Porres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highlights • We examined the behaviour of taking and posting "selfies" online. • The current study used an experimental design. • Posting selfies on social media resulted in worsened mood and body image. • Even posting retouched selfies resulted in harmful effects. Abstract "Selfies" (self-taken photos) are a common self-presentation strategy on social media. This study experimentally tested whether taking and posting selfies, with and without photo-retouching, elicits changes to mood and body image among young women. Female undergraduate students (N = 110) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: taking and uploading either an untouched selfie, taking and posting a preferred and retouched selfie to social media, or a control group. State mood and body image were measured pre- and post-manipulation. As predicted, there was a main effect of experimental condition on changes to mood and feelings of physical attractiveness. Women who took and posted selfies to social media reported feeling more anxious, less confident, and less physically attractive afterwards compared to those in the control group. Harmful effects of selfies were found even when participants could retake and retouch their selfies. This is the first experimental study showing that taking and posting selfies on social media causes adverse psychological effects for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining taxonomic-grade images is a vital part of probably every present-day morphological study of insects, even though the task itself is perceived as a "necessary evil" due to high investment of both time and effort to produce representable images. Cleaning the background and making it appear as a solid color of known properties is probably one of the most time-demanding tasks. Several techniques have been developed to reduce the time requirement; the most convenient and cost-effective one presumably being the chroma isolation. This method uses a green background that can be isolated and conveniently replaced with another picture or solid color, as used in the film industry. However, the main drawback of this technique is spilling of color onto the object, which is unavoidable and can be corrected only by sacrificing the true color of the object to some extent. Our improved Chroma+ method is based on classical chroma isolation workflow and helps to overcome this problem by taking an additional image of the object with a neutral color background and applying a selection obtained from the chroma-isolated picture on it. This technique is, in terms of the resulting image quality, superior to classical chroma isolation, while the time difference between these two methods is negligible. Furthermore, it does not require any additional equipment (hardware or software), thus being accessible to both employed taxonomists, low budget laboratories, and enthusiasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]