Flipped image

A flipped image is a static or moving image that is generated by a mirror-reversal of an original across a horizontal axis.

Uses

Many large format cameras present the image of the scene being photographed as a flipped image through their viewfinders. Some photographers regard this as a beneficial feature, as the unfamiliarity of the format allows them to compose the elements of the picture properly without being distracted by the actual contents of the scene. The technique is meant to bypass or override the brain's visual processing which normally sees what is expected rather than what is there.

Flipping is occasionally used as a trompe l'oeil effect in scenes which incorporate reflections in a body of water. The image is deliberately inverted so that people slowly discern that something is 'not quite right' with the picture, and come to notice that it is upside down.

Flipcharts are so called because the sheets of paper are secured on a horizontal axis and flipped to reveal the next sheet in succession.

The cover of the novel "Flipped" is a flipped image of a chick.

Other transforms

Flipping is regarded as a basic image transform, along with flopping (a mirror image across a vertical axis) and cropping, all of which can easily be done physically with a photographic negative in a darkroom. More sophisticated transforms are usually achieved via digital image manipulation.

References