I think I found a photoshopped photo in the NY Times

[Renew Deal]

A friend of mine sent this. What do you think?



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/27/world/middleeast/27morale.html?ex=1314331200&en=0fa38aa6a7cbbe08&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[Somnambulist]

1. Which part?

I don't see which part would be photoshopped. Except, the cord seems to reach up and then disappear.

[pepperbear]

5. whomever was holding that mic is gone, replaced by

miss. hottie mcleggison there.

[Cronus Protagonist]

42. Guy at the back has a GIANT head too :)

And there are three guys in front of mr. bighead that were obviously not in the room either, and perhaps another in front of them too. I even doubt that the main man to the left of the chick was there. He's not lit right adn the part of a guy at the far left of the picture, along with this guy in front with the prominent wedding ring have different camo patterns than the rest.

The chick on stage was definitely not in the room when the pic was taken - she should have white highlights on the picture left of her body as most of the men in the pic have from the open window/door to the left of the pic. Also, her shadows under her feet indicate being lit from behind, but the men around the stage are lit from picture left. All the fake men have no reflection of the light from the opening. And one guy to the right is watching with sun glasses on, which I doubt would be the case if there was even an ugly chick there... :)

Clearly a poor photoshop job.

[Tulum_Moon]

49. His head looks gigantic!

And the two little heads next to him on either side look alike.

[Renew Deal]

8. That's it.

Follow it up. Also a soldiers patch may have been modified.

[BrotherBuzz]

20. The V Corps patch looks OK, but the cammo looks odd

[Mabus]

37. It is also a different outfit than the rest of the entertainers

Jim Wilson/The New York Times
The Purrfect Angelz dancers recently visited American troops in Iraq.

The photo the solider is holding shows five dancers and there are five on stage wearing identical outfits including their boots. I suppose one could have come out in a different outfit and then her clothes and boots changed later.

[louis-t]

52. Isn't that Coulter holding the AK47?

:P

[Mabus]

57. LOL

on the other hand, that's a pretty scary thought. Coulter with a gun.

[Bake]

60. As if she'd really know what to do with it!

She's all talk. And dumbass talk at that.

Bake

[Mabus]

64. She'd just cut and run like she did on Hannity & Colmes last week

:rofl:

[BrotherBuzz]

53. I think that's a 4th Infantry Division patch...

and they are assigned to V corps. If the photo was clearer we would see unit patches from other units attached to V corps. Back in my 'Mean Green Fighting Machine' days, I often found myself, and my odd unit patch, the singular representative of my Battalion at meetings and briefings, and sadly, never met dancing girls. :shrug:

[newyawker99]

65. Hi Somnambulist!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[librechik]

2. hmm--there appears to be a force field surrounding the dancer

offbeat use of new weapons technology, I must say. But we can't have the GIs touching the girls, now can we?

[tridim]

3. Looks like they photoshopped out the mic cable

Very poor job IMO.

Wonder what the Gawdly Right thinks about all this?

[NashVegas]

7. And the Stand

..

[cspanlovr]

4. I like her boots. Did they fly hunks in for the female soldiers?

[Demit]

10. The story indicates no. Guess females don't need their morale kept "up".

[alfredo]

11. I had other commitments and couldn't make it.

sorry

[LA lady]

6. Lots of publicity for this tour

It was the Purrfect Angels. I read about it on several military blogs, there was a big fuss about it.

Why would you think it was 'shopped?

[Renew Deal]

9. Follow the mic cord up.

[LA lady]

32. No I mean Why??

They really were over there, other pictures are available online

[Junkdrawer]

12. I invoke "Lebanon Reuters" rules:

All photos from the NYT should henceforth be totally disregarded.

[xultar]

21. I agree. I remember all the Israeli war apologists who were all up @

arms as if no photos have ever been photo-shopped before and that the whole war should be a wash and civilian deaths on the Lebanese side should be forgotten cuz of the fucked up photo shops.

What they don't know is no reason to get up in arms. The media is and has been photo shopping shit for years now. No one believed the media then and no one believes the media now.

Let's talk about the Photo-shopping of OJ...Photoshopping of Condi's eyes, I'm sure ya'll could help me start a list...This shit has been going on for years. Why we have to disregard all Photos from Lebanon as a result of some photo-shops it is BULLSHIT.

[xultar]

13. WTF is reality too ugly to show. My GAWD it is just a MIC cable.

[endarkenment]

14. So shouldn't this be a major scandal?

I seem to recall that reuters got nailed for publishing a poorly 'shopped picture of Beirut burning, and as a consequence all reporting regarding Lebanon was instantly disqualified as Hezbollah propaganda and the idiot freelance photographer got canned. So when will the outcry, sacking, and discrediting begin?

Holding my breath.

[Atman]

15. It is a VERY obvious Photoshop job. Very poorly done, too.

The mic cord, as others noted, just disappears as it hits the soldier's arm...but if you look carefully, you can still see the poor use of the Clone tool where the Photoshopper attempted to re-paint in the background to match. A Photoshop newb could have done this one, it is so bad!

[Atman]

27. Well, I already wrote all the top brass and editors at NYT

Maybe I should have CC'd the Cabal News Networks, too? My letter...


----

In today's edition, at this URL...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/27/world/middleeast/27morale.html?ex=1314331200&en=0fa38aa6a7cbbe08&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

The photograph on the left of the dancer standing before the troops. Was this really a dancer? Or what she Photoshopped in? If she wasn't Photoshopped in, why was the mic cord so obviously and poorly Photoshopped OUT? And why didn't you at least call one of my children to do the job for you, as I assure you, either one of them could have done a more convincing retouching, and would not have left the trail going up the middle of the picture, as if a slug had crawled across it.

You should be ashamed! After the Reuters fiasco, what are you people thinking? This just makes me question everything I see on your web site...what other photos are fake, but perhaps better executed? BTW...this is already out on the message boards. The time for damage control may have passed.

Sign me,
Disgusted in Connecticut
(A NYT Online subscriber)

[Kickoutthejams23]

16. Stupid Stupid Stupid.

:spank:

[Ian David]

17. Which army unit has only one African-American in it?

Yes, it looks like they photoshopped out the microphone cable and/or mic stand.

[xultar]

22. Buhwawa!

[msongs]

18. typical american - killers and vixens united in doctored revery

did you notify the times? or was the photoshopping done after the times published the pic?


Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Renew Deal]

23. I only notified DU.

And we're not the only ones looking at this. The times will find out.

[NashVegas]

19. All of The Soldiers Eyes Are Pointing Towards Her Head!

That's wrong.

[Blue Belle]

25. That was my thought too...

Unless her breasts are on her chin, in an outfit like that she might as well have a bag over her head - most men in the real world, let alone a desert void of scantily clad women, wouldn't be staring so intently at her face.

[NashVegas]

34. I Guess This Is How We Can Tell Iraq Is Demoralizing Our Soldiers

Sad.

[Blue Belle]

59. That's funny...

:+

[displacedtexan]

24. It's the smudge tool. See it?

The cord has been removed, cloned with the background, and smudged
(very sloppy job, too.)

[keta11]

26. It is not a mike cable. It could be a speaker cable

that dropped off the stage. Who cares about mike cable anyway!
Nice legs!!

[Atman]

28. No, keta, it is a mic cable, and it is not dropping off the stage

It goes UP after leaving the stage. Then disappears as it intersects the soldier's arm.

[keta11]

30. Looks to me like the cable just

bent on the stage and then down at the edge.

[Atman]

35. You need a new monitor.

Maybe it's set too dark, as the cord is black, and it goes off into a dark area. But there simply isn't any question about the fact that the mic cord goes UP, and there is even a trail of retouching smudge tracing the path it took up to the subject's face. But it definitely, absolutely not dropping off the end of the stage.

[keta11]

40. That must be some really odd mike cable. If it was a mike cable

it wouldn't stretch that far away from the girl on the stage before beginning to rise!! Did I say nice legs already??

[Atman]

43. It isn't stretching anywhere...it is directly in front of her

Perspective must be throwing you off. The mic (it IS spelled "mic," btw...short for MICrophone) cable is no more than a foot in front of her. It isn't stretching anywhere. Part of why you might think it appears to be doing so is because of the incredibly poor Photoshop work.

[keta11]

45. I use mike for mic. I am still not convinced though

Anyway, thats just me

[Chiyo-chichi]

38. That's why they would TAPE THE CABLE DOWN,

especially if they are having DANCERS on the stage. They wouldn't run that cord across the stage like that unless it was going to a microphone.

It is Photoshopped.

[NashVegas]

33. And There's a Shadow Where the Should Be a Stand w/

cable wrapping around it.

[Atman]

29. Hey, that white guy closest to the camera...isn't that...could it be...

ED GILLESPIE?

[GeorgeGist]

31. Hands on their miniskirted hips...

Amber and Renee posed at each side. Dani stood behind and held the marine’s rifle as the camera snapped the photo. Some of the young marines who lined up for the memento were so mesmerized by the experience that they had to be reminded not to leave their weapons behind.

[rocktivity]

63. Why do they always have names like Amber and Renee and Dani!

:crazy:
rocknation

[stop the bleeding]

36. dumb question

but what did/does the real picture look like?

[longship]

39. It *IS* photoshopped.

You can see where they took out the mike cable. There is a discoloration in the wall behind the soldiers where you can see where the mike cable was before they editted it out.

[Crankie Avalon]

41. What do I think? Her ass is too flat.

:hide:

[readmoreoften]

44. definitely photoshopped

the mike cord just flies up into the crowd and disappears into a smudge. The question is who was photoshopped OUT and why.

[Atman]

46. I got a PERSONAL REPLY from the Editor, explanation from photographer...

In case you missed the new thread (I felt it deserved one, mods. Combine if you disagree...)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1997575&mesg_id=1997575

[Richard Steele]

47. That's not PhotoShopped. Some objects in motion are blurred, that's all.

Just a long exposure, not a fake.

[soothsayer]

67. Hey, you were right! ding ding ding ding!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1997575

[Beelzebud]

48. I don't think it's photoshopped at all..

It's just a blurry shot of a microphone cord in motion.

Occam's Razor. In this picture what would be the need to edit out the cord or mic stand? There really wouldn't be.

[stop the bleeding]

50. is it common to have the US Flag in red white and blue on BDU's?

I don't know, this is a question for military people.

I see only one soldier with the patch of the flag all bright and what not - does this make a difference?

[Burnsey_Koenig]

51. Letter from the Author and Photographer

I wrote a letter to the Author asking about this image and here it and it's reply is:

Why are you photoshopping images at the NYT?



Why is the opening phot in the article listed below photoshopped? It is painfully obviou that the image of the womans legs has been altered. What happened to the microphone whose cord disapears into thin air? What was in the image that caused your organization or your photographer to alter it digitally before publication. Or if you do not believe it to have been doctored, then can you explain where the missing microphone and the remainder of it's cord went? A copy of this question has been submitted to Reuters, since they would probably wonder why anyone is using altered images since their fiasco with the photoshopped Lebanon pictures. Your ethics are to be seriously questioned if you do not address this issue immediately.

Dancers Land in Iraq. Marines Offer No Resistance.

By MICHAEL R. GORDON

Published: August 27, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/27/world/middleeast/27morale.html?ex=1314331200&en=0fa38aa6a7cbbe08&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Robert Koenig Jr


Dear Mr. Koenig:

I received a query on this on Sunday morning, and we immediately checked with the photo editors and Jim Wilson. I have received 4 more e-mails about this picture and have answered those. So I am more than happy to respond to yours, which was just forwarded to me.

In fact, I am very glad you took the time to write us and ask about the photograph. I wish others had done so before posting inaccurate information.

The simple answer is: We do not alter or doctor photos at The New York Times. But a more thorough answer from Jim is below. As soon as we alerted him to the accusations, he replied to our senior photo editor. His note reflects the dedication he has to his work and the commitment he has to upholding the standards of The Times.

Feel free to share this with anyone who has questions about the photograph.

With best regards,

Greg Brock
Senior Editor.


From Jim Wilson, photographer for The New York Times:

I did no modify this picture in any way.

If you look carefully at the frame, you will see a slightly wide band of dark area that runs from the head of a marine with dark hair in the back row up to the singer. Look carefully at the wall from that marine's head up to the top of the frame and you will see the blurred cable that was in motion because the dancer was moving it as she spoke to the marines. The full cable is in the shot but is blurred. The reason it isn't sharp is because the frame was shot at 1/6 of a second in a room that was dark. The flash filled in the frame but wasn't the main light, the room light provided the main light for the frame. The long exposure balanced the light from the strobe on my camera with the ambient light in the room. The cable was moving as was the singer and the marines. If you look carefully at the frame, you'll see that nothing in the frame is tack/crisp sharp. I looked in the paper that I got out here and know that the reproduction left the wire virtually invisible.

The reason the cable on the platform is readable is because that length of cable wasn't moving. The dancer's body wasn't moving alot but her upper body was moving enough to blur the cable in the shot. Had the dancer not been moving ( or had I shot with a higher shutter speed which would have presented a whole other set of issues) the cable would have been sharp at that point. I chose to shoot this way because I didn't want the picture to have the look that a direct flash frame shot at high speed would have had (the dancer would have been lit and the rest of the frame would have been completely dark).

I wanted to picture to look like the performance actually appeared instead of like a moment frozen with just a enough light on the performer to illuminate her and not the rest of the frame. I wish I could have set the room with lots of lights to evenly illuminate it but I had only the strobe gear (one 580) that I carried in my bag. It wasn't nearly enough to properly light the room. There were no spot lights of any sort on the stage, just a few florescent lights in the ceiling of a room that was probably 30-40 feet tall and approximately the size of a gym.

I can understand how a reader might look at this and conclude what these readers concluded but absolutely no modification, manipulation or photoshop tricks took place on this or any other images I shot.

[walldude]

62. Uh.. BULLSHIT!

There is at least 12 inches of mic cable that are off the floor. If as the photographer says, the cable was moving, then all the cable off the floor would have been moving, there wouldn't be 12 inches of cable off the floor that magically held steady while the rest of the cable was moving enough not to show up in the image. This explanation is a crock of shit, trying to fool people with his talk of exposures and frame rates and his denial of the laws of physics saying that only a portion of the mic cable was moving. I'm supposed to believe that a portion of the mic cable was moving enough for it not to be seen in the photo but the rest managed to stay perfectly still for the shot??? Yeah, and Iraq was involved in 9/11...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

66. Absolutely 100% Correct Explanation. I'm Glad He Provided It.

That is exactly what happened here. Though we love to think we found gotcha's, and the real explanation is no fun, there is no doubt whatsoever that is what occurred.

I was just analyzing the picture in photoshop prior to reading this explanation and came to the same conclusion. To see the matter of fact response from the person responsible seals it for me.

The photo is authentic.

[Atman]

54. Still doesn't explain what Ed Gillespie is doing there!

[madokie]

55. the guys are looking like they are looking at her face

I doubt that would be the case.
I'll vote for photoshop too, the focus on the wire indicate it turns up, where does it go? is she that hot as to be melting it?

[VOX]

56. Wow -- this photo evokes a scene from "Apocalypse Now" (pic) ...

Boots and all. Amazing. :crazy:

[Atman]

58. You mean...

[rocktivity]

61. VERY unprofessional

What's going on at the Times?

:shrug:
rocknation