In Perspective, Planet: Hopefully, the Talks are of Some Value, but Please, no Photoshopping!

[Asher Kelman]

BBC reports the funny appearance of appearance of apparently doctored images of the leaders at the Obama led peace attempts between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The Picture in Al Ahram, The Egyptian Semi Official Daily Newspaper.​

The unaltered original taken at the white house, however, shows President Mubarek was, after all not actually leading the others, LOL!

Original​

What's remarkable is that the authorities think that in this day and age, they can get away with this sort of silliness! Truth be known that Mubarak could indeed have earned his the place in front, as he has put a great deal of his efforts into trying to help resolve the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians and also between the Hamas militant faction in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank.

Asher

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

What is puzzling me, in these cases. Like in every cases of obviously alteration, is that there's a lot of talented retouchers or compositing technicians around the planet and - no doubt there is some Egypt as well. Why it have to be so badly done?.I remember one image that made a buzz few years ago about a great fire (caused by bombs in some country in war, if I remember well) I was so badly photoshopped, that it was a shame. Maybe editors point this out because they are bad spotters, and image technicians doesn't bother to spot because it's not part of their job to spot for others. Maybe there many others around the news everyday that nodody care about because they are well done.

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

I was talking about this one:

The bloody photographer that made that (I doubt this is a retoucher) is bloody well paid probably. AAArrrGGGhhh (well,maybe, not anymore


But we, the public have the thirst for dramatization, knowing the one who leads the march, pretending that the bigger the fire, the viler the enemies. The form moulding the sense. The photo-editing is just the acceptance and the result of the demand for sense (more obvious sense at least). The legend beneath the photo is no longer sufficient.


If you have a point of view on he question, Can you express it on this dead-born thread ?
Visa pour l'image vs photoshop

 

[Joachim Bolte]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation

see under 'political' and 'journalism' use.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Is there political significance to the fact that President Mubarak's tie is on the left in one shot and on the right in the other?

It is astounding what was done to his right (or in Egypt, left) arm!

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Kevin Stecyk]

The bloody photographer that made that (I doubt this is a retoucher) is bloody well paid probably. AAArrrGGGhhh (well,maybe, not anymore

"...bloody well paid..., I doubt it. Most are struggling. News media companies are struggling. Many have laid off all their photographers and just use freelance or the wires. News photographers have been deciminated. It's an extraordinarily difficult business and a difficult way to make a living. I do not envy them.

If you follow Strobist Blog, even David was laid off from his job and is now freelancing.

And if the news media business weren't challenging enough, the world economy isn't doing so hot either. So many of these photographers are having difficulty with freelancing.

Here's an interesting link showing job losses in the U.S. since WWII: http://bit.ly/cgYjTh

From the U.S. government Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos264.htm

Photographers held about 152,000 jobs in 2008. More than half were self-employed, a much higher proportion than for most occupations. Some self-employed photographers have contracts with advertising agencies, magazine publishers, or other businesses to do individual projects for a set fee, while others operate portrait studios or provide photographs to stock-photo agencies.

Most salaried photographers work in portrait or commercial photography studios; most of the others work for newspapers, magazines, and advertising agencies. Photographers work in all areas of the country, but most are employed in metropolitan areas.

The numbers working for news organizations, where they get benefits etc., are going down.

In terms of salary:

Median annual wages of salaried photographers were $29,440 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,620 and $43,530. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,920, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,430. Median annual wages in the photographic services industry, which employed the largest numbers of salaried photographers, were $26,160.

Salaried photographers—most of whom work full time—tend to earn more than those who are self-employed. Because most freelance and portrait photographers purchase their own equipment, they incur considerable expense acquiring and maintaining cameras and accessories. Unlike news and commercial photographers, few fine arts photographers are successful enough to support themselves solely through their art.

The median is less than $30K, and that's for salaried photographers, the ones who typically earn more. 90% of all photographers earn less than $63K.

 

[John Angulat]

Is there political significance to the fact that President Mubarak's tie is on the left in one shot and on the right in the other?

It is astounding what was done to his right (or in Egypt, left) arm!

Best regards,

Doug

Hi Doug,
It's actually a completely different image (the one "pasted").
Notice in the original he is walking, right leg leading his left, arms swinging in motion.
The "Photoshopped" paste-in seems all the more ridiculous.
All individuals are in apparent motion, while his pose is standing stock still.
Are we to assume in the next 2 seconds the other 4 men piled into him?

 

[Mark Hampton]

Hi Doug,
It's actually a completely different image (the one "pasted").
Notice in the original he is walking, right leg leading his left, arms swinging in motion.
The "Photoshopped" paste-in seems all the more ridiculous.
All individuals are in apparent motion, while his pose is standing stock still.
Are we to assume in the next 2 seconds the other 4 men piled into him?

its beautiful - he has been flipped on a Horz plane !! it could have a deeper meaning !