If your content was rejected with “Editorial content with post-production alterations, such as adding or removing objects from a scene, cannot be accepted,” it is most likely because your submission had one of the following issues:
Elements were either added or removed from the image/footage clip (e.g., replacing an unattractive sky with a more attractive one, adding a person or object to the scene, etc)
Faces and/or objects were obscured using an editing tool (e.g., blurring an individual’s face in post-production)
Nontraditional adjustments were made (e.g., adding a digital tilt-shift effect, lens flare effect, artificially blurring the background, etc.)
Excessive adjustments were made (e.g., extreme changes to saturation, contrast, red eye removal, etc).
The submission was a composite or collage
The image below would be rejected with the Altered Editorial rejection because the woman in the foreground was not actually present when the image of the bridge was taken; she was added to the image using a photo editing program.
As you can see the image is a composite of the two images below, which is not acceptable per our editorial guidelines:
We Recommend
The content of a photograph or footage clip should never be digitally manipulated or altered in any way. Documentary editorial content must always be factual and true to life.
Keep post-production adjustments minor and subtle. Only traditional adjustments such as cropping, dodging and burning, color and tone adjustments, etc, should be made.
If you don’t understand the reason for the rejection of your images or if you need additional clarification, you can always contact contributor support.