Perception management of product photography through digital channel modifications

Product photography conveys information and influences consumer perception, and today, most product photographs are created through the reproduction of digital image data. The digital file—i.e., the product photograph—as a medium for transmitting information based on visual assessment, is something consumers tend to trust. Each reproduction of a digital file consists of blue, green, and red channels. This research paper explores the possibility of managing the perception of product photography by altering the blue, green, and red channels of the digital file, as well as the impact of these changes on the perceived acceptability of the product image. It also aims to determine the boundaries within which the realistic appearance is preserved and how these boundaries can be interpreted. The study is conducted on two groups of participants: expert evaluators and regular consumers, both of whom assess the acceptability of the images through visual evaluation. In addition to participant-based assessments, characteristic color tables are defined for each type of promotional photographic image, and CIE Lab color values and overall color differences (ΔE00) are determined. The research demonstrates that by intervening in the blue, green, and red channels of the digital file—i.e., by modifying them—it is possible to influence the perception of product photography. The results of the evaluations show varying thresholds of acceptability for changes in individual color channels of the digital image.