Soldier Picture Follow-Up

image This is good. Some guy has created a program that lets you put whatever text you want on the sign held by those kids posing in the desert with an American soldier.
Also, Salon.com recently had an article about this picture, although I didn't think it was a particularly well researched article. The author tried to argue that the new ease with which images can be manipulated somehow poses a dangerous threat. It contains statements such as:

There was a time when photographs were synonymous with truth -- when you could be sure that what you saw in a picture actually occurred.

Oh, really? What period in history was that? Images have always been manipulated, and people have always known it can be done.

Then he warns that a doctored photo might be used for political dirty tricks, going on to state:

If a doctored photo ever does lead to the defeat of a political candidate or some other disaster -- puts the wrong guy in jail, say -- one immediate consequence might be a quick decline in the trust we have in pictures.

Reading this, I can only assume he doesn't know anything about the history of photography. What about the Tydings Affair, when Senator Tydings lost his 1950 Senate reelection bid because of a doctored photo? And William Randolph Hearst, of course, was notorious for using fake (or misleading) pictures in his newspapers for political purposes.

Military Photos

Posted on Tue Apr 27, 2004



Comments

Why is it that people have it in their heads that if they never thought of it before, then no one else has either?
You'd think that a journalist would do a little more research...I mean really...does this person really believe in jackalopes?
Posted by Gee  on  Tue Apr 27, 2004  at  12:01 PM
I think the idea of that salon article was mostly saying that it is alot easier now to doctor pictures. Then it was a while ago... that picture you referred to in "The Tydings Affair" was don't very poorly, just look at the picture. http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/photos/tydings.html
As the person posting that picture even says, the lighting is horrible and stuff.

The article in question just talks about the fact that nowadays that picture in the tydings affairs could be made even MORE realistic looking, and i dont think you would disagree.
Posted by scwscorpion  on  Mon Feb 26, 2007  at  10:53 AM
Jackelopes are real. I captured one here in Korea.
It's not a hoax. I'm an aviator, officer, no kiddin.
Surprised me.
They are not rabid, just horney as hell.
This one, logs onto 411 sites when I'm gone flying.
Posted by jack  on  Sun Sep 02, 2007  at  12:14 PM
yep...a shame.
Posted by becker  on  Wed Feb 20, 2008  at  03:31 PM
too bad the URL is not working anymore. famous internet picture lol
Posted by sevenpics  on  Sat Mar 22, 2008  at  04:34 PM
The article in question just talks about the fact that nowadays that picture in the tydings affairs could be made even MORE realistic looking, and i dont think you would disagree.<a >Downtown Toronto lofts</a>
Posted by Rick  on  Sat Jun 07, 2008  at  12:53 PM
It is a shame in some cases that you can not always believe the photos you see are not what they originally were.
Posted by Water Damage  on  Fri Nov 28, 2008  at  07:09 AM
oo bad the URL is not working anymore. famous internet picture lol
Posted by Toronto condominiums  on  Wed Dec 03, 2008  at  08:14 AM
A photo can be manipulated using the latest technology and seem 100% untouched and original. Photo manipulation has become a huge problem because in many cases there is little to no evidence of the manipulation ever taking place!
Posted by Seo tactics  on  Sat Dec 13, 2008  at  03:20 AM
Are you kidding me. The movie stars and models would just die if they couldn't manipulate the photo!
Posted by hdtv antenna  on  Thu Jan 22, 2009  at  06:36 PM
Are you kidding me. The movie stars and models would just die if they couldn't manipulate the photo!
Posted b
Posted by  on  Sat Feb 21, 2009  at  04:54 PM
Yeah... That's sad that nowadays we can't trust photos((
Posted by Alex Velickyi  on  Wed Feb 25, 2009  at  08:56 AM
A wounded Pittsburgh soldier's fight against the military has now become a national debate, and tonight, it is part of the race for President.
Posted by paying guest in mumbai  on  Thu Mar 05, 2009  at  04:54 AM
The movie stars and models would just die if they couldn't manipulate the photo!
Posted by grang  on  Thu Mar 12, 2009  at  12:00 PM
The article in question just talks about the fact that nowadays that picture in the tydings affairs could be made even MORE realistic looking
Posted by markedone  on  Thu Mar 12, 2009  at  12:03 PM
I can only assume that i doesn't know anything about the history of photography. 😏
Posted by Girls Mats  on  Mon Mar 16, 2009  at  03:39 AM
The author tried to argue that the new ease with which images can be manipulated somehow poses a dangerous threat. 😊
Posted by Shutters  on  Thu Mar 19, 2009  at  12:37 AM
Images always manipulated, and people always knew it. People want to be better.
Posted by Viktor  on  Thu Mar 26, 2009  at  04:45 PM
Good post. Thanks for information., I liked this post.
Posted by ams779  on  Sun Jun 14, 2009  at  05:31 AM
The picture is so small.. it seems of Afghanistan.
Posted by Indie  on  Thu Jul 23, 2009  at  11:58 AM
gr8 work thanks alot my friend
Posted by aflam  on  Fri Jul 24, 2009  at  05:29 PM
I feel image is too little to watch out.
Posted by Thiru  on  Thu Sep 10, 2009  at  12:44 AM
Great post. I liked it. Keep it up.
Posted by pankajtheviewspaper  on  Fri Oct 09, 2009  at  11:18 PM
there are some sweet gems in here Shel. Thank you.
Posted by Odesa  on  Fri Oct 30, 2009  at  04:01 AM
Great post. Thank you!
Posted by squeem  on  Fri Nov 20, 2009  at  04:37 AM
It is a shame in some cases that you can not always believe the photos you see are not what they originally were
Posted by Odesa  on  Wed Nov 25, 2009  at  05:05 PM
"The movie stars and models would just die if they couldn't manipulate the photo!"
I agree.
Posted by torpedo gratis  on  Wed Dec 16, 2009  at  07:58 AM
You would think that people know better in this era of special effects. I for one do not believe any more on everything I see.
Posted by Sam Green  on  Sat Jan 09, 2010  at  01:59 PM
thnx
Posted by Dergi  on  Mon Jan 11, 2010  at  05:13 AM
My son is a photographer and he says that you could have a poster on the background and make look like you took the from anywhere.
Posted by Sam Green  on  Sat Jan 23, 2010  at  02:32 PM
Although a lot of people are smart to distinguish a photo shopped photo, still many are easily fooled. Great post!
Posted by SEO Nottingham  on  Sun Feb 14, 2010  at  02:28 AM
i really like this info
Posted by Cebu  on  Mon Feb 22, 2010  at  06:57 AM
Image manipulation has always been a good tool for counterfeiters, and now as it becomes more seamless, it becomes less detectable.
Posted by Agile  on  Tue Mar 16, 2010  at  03:01 PM
Alex, you do bring an interesting perspective though. I don't think I ever considered that photography has always been a doctored art. Surely people have not only misused photos to represent another meaning (without true context), as well as having been manipulated, staged, and faked.

Thanks for this viewpoint, something that I might not have considered.
Posted by Mused  on  Wed May 12, 2010  at  06:43 PM
That is amazing!
Posted by shifter kart  on  Wed Jun 09, 2010  at  03:59 PM
The picture looks real but really how easy to make look like in todays tech world.
Posted by sam  on  Fri Jun 11, 2010  at  06:06 PM
yeah .. very difficult to trust the photos today. With image processing software that everyone can manipulate photos
Posted by waden  on  Thu Aug 26, 2010  at  10:15 AM
Is this really the original picture? <a >Ftc Trust</a>
Posted by FTC Trust  on  Thu Sep 09, 2010  at  01:40 AM
There are still ways to spot fake pictures: look at the shadows
Posted by ivan thalasso  on  Thu Nov 04, 2010  at  06:29 AM
I am so fed up with seeing manipulated images.
Posted by Londra Hakkinda  on  Fri Dec 03, 2010  at  08:51 AM
The author tried to argue that the new ease with which images can be manipulated somehow poses a dangerous threat.
Posted by İslam İlmihali  on  Fri Dec 17, 2010  at  12:45 AM
We can't trust only photos.(
Posted by davetiyeleri  on  Tue Feb 08, 2011  at  06:24 AM
I use Photoshop a lot, and it's amazing how realistic you can make things look with some of the tools they have. Add to that all the online Photoshop tutorials, and just about anyone can doctor photos.
Posted by Mike  on  Thu Mar 03, 2011  at  03:10 AM
thanx :D
Posted by ugur  on  Thu Mar 24, 2011  at  07:41 PM
Awesome post about Soldier Picture Follow-Up! I think it is a disgrace in some belongings that you can not until the end of time believe the photos you see are not what they in the beginning were. Thanks guys!
Posted by Anderson Pole  on  Tue Mar 29, 2011  at  08:35 AM
Too much photo modification will make the exiff data gone.. Dunno if someone can fake it too though...
Posted by Lonnie  on  Sun Jul 24, 2011  at  03:44 AM
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