Good Morning Everybody,We can all use a good giggle now and then and what better place to find those giggles, over and over, than by watching the political news reports. OK, you guessed it, this post is not about wedding or portrait photography today. AHHH!!! But it is about Photoshop - the politics of Photoshop.
In our photography businesses we use Photoshop all the time - to remove a wrinkle, improve a complexion, slim a tummy, and even swap expressions in family portraits as needed. Well, no big deal right? Well so you would think till this picture appeared on the Huffington Post. The Huffington Post just happens to be the top political blog in the world. The latest political explosion is of vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, wearing only a American flag bikini wielding a rifle [link] - please scroll down to see the "before" picture.
Now before you get all fired up, please read on. You would think this is all just good ol' American politics - the kind many of us really find distasteful, but now you have to read the rest of the story to find the truth behind the fiction. Jim Goldstein, of JMG Galleries, has a fascinating post where he located the maker (Naomi) of the Palin bikini picture, and conducts an in-depth interview with her. Here is the link to the interview. What comes through in the conversation is how so many things in our world today get blown out of proportion, especially in the political context.
It seems Naomi posted it on a private Facebook blog with full disclosure that it was a Photoshopped image. She further explains that it is the result of a boring Saturday afternoon with Photoshop at her fingertips. One friend picked it up and sent it to another - in 48 hours it was around the world.
Now before you get all fired up, please read on. You would think this is all just good ol' American politics - the kind many of us really find distasteful, but now you have to read the rest of the story to find the truth behind the fiction. Jim Goldstein, of JMG Galleries, has a fascinating post where he located the maker (Naomi) of the Palin bikini picture, and conducts an in-depth interview with her. Here is the link to the interview. What comes through in the conversation is how so many things in our world today get blown out of proportion, especially in the political context.
It seems Naomi posted it on a private Facebook blog with full disclosure that it was a Photoshopped image. She further explains that it is the result of a boring Saturday afternoon with Photoshop at her fingertips. One friend picked it up and sent it to another - in 48 hours it was around the world.
The political blogs picked it up and spun the story in any number of directions. Surprise, surprise. Ahh, the Internet, full of fact and full of fiction!! Jim has an earlier post discussing image manipulation for the sake of politics right here. Check out his article link,"Photo Tampering Throughout History" - you will be surprised to see this stuff has been going on for quite a while - like even in the 1860's! For a few more political Fotoshop Phunnies, click right here.
Anyway, were does this leave us? How about some less political "rib-tickling" images for a Friday giggle. You can find them over at Snopes.com Fauxtography section right here. Oh, did you hear the one about twelve wedding guests were critically injured Saturday night in a dance-floor pileup blamed on new-versus-old Electric Slide confusion. Here is the whole story right here.
Anyway, were does this leave us? How about some less political "rib-tickling" images for a Friday giggle. You can find them over at Snopes.com Fauxtography section right here. Oh, did you hear the one about twelve wedding guests were critically injured Saturday night in a dance-floor pileup blamed on new-versus-old Electric Slide confusion. Here is the whole story right here.
Maybe it's time we don't take ourselves too seriously and just stop now and then for a giggle.
Interestingly, every mention I've seen of the Palin photograph identified it as a composite. I didn't read the original Huffington Post article, but I think they also identified it as such.
ReplyDeleteThe strong interest in Sarah Palin across the political spectrum explains why this picture went far and wide.
Ya seems silly. If people don't like Palin they have that right, but why dig up dirt for for small things that are irrelevant to her current state. Especially photo's which can be doctored, and doctored, and doctored again.
ReplyDeleteThat photo editing throughout history link was a nice read. Interesting. Must have been a LOT harder to mod a picture back then.
Gav
seimeffects.com
Just goes to show the damage that a person with a little knowledge of photoshop and even fewer morals can do. I'm not even a Palin fan, but to see anybody hurt in this way just because someone is "bored" is a sad comment on my hobby.
ReplyDeleteSteve
Just a warning to folks, there's some not so funny stuff on that fauxtography website as well.
ReplyDelete