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Posted on 22/12/09 05:09:12 AM |
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tat
* Posts: 29 Reply  |
Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1237468/Wildlife-Photographer-year-winner-allegedly-faked-wolf-image.html Ok, experts, what's your take on this above? Let's not get carried away by discussing wolf habits - yes, they actually do hunt solo, they do jump (although some expert who works with wolves said teh wolf'd rather crawl under the bar). All that aside - can anybody spot if this was a composite? I personally am very concerned about the light/absence of shadows behidn his ears. I did a photoshoot few weeks ago like that - I needed absolutely flat image, no shadoes..... I had strobes hunging even from the ceiling, really. I've done A LOT of night photography (my specialty). My concern is that if it's night, there is too much ambient light for the shot exposure that would freeze him in motion. I don't know.... just few things do not make sense...... To me, it looks like a badly composited montage, really....Or, let me put it better - not seamlessly done composite..... The image is under investigation at the moment and the photographer coudl be stripped off his award (it was the best nature shot OF THE YEAR!). However, investigators' main concern is that photographer had a setup and expected the wolf to appear or used domesticated animal on somebody's farm (full details are in the article). But really, I would like to hear what any of you have to say whether it is manipulated. |
Posted on 22/12/09 09:47:15 AM |
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redsnapper
*** Posts: 134 Reply  |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
well, concerning the photograph i do not think it is manipulated. he used indirect flash i guess which explains the soft shadows. it is of course shopped but only with techniques that are available in a darkroom (dodge and burn) and would have been a lot more work and a lot more chemicals involved. is it a tame or wild beast? i could not care less, really. it looks very much like what a wolf would do if it wanted access to whichever kind of food there is for the taking. the wolf that lies in bed being fed by little red riding hood is a misconception. there were fake pics in history that were widely accepted as true (wmd) that led to worse results than wrongly awarding a price to a photographer. great snap. _________________ Mein Freund, die Kunst ist alt und neu. Es war die Art zu allen Zeiten, durch Drei und Eins und Eins und Drei Irrtum statt Wahrheit zu verbreiten. |
Posted on 22/12/09 10:48:24 AM |
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redsnapper
*** Posts: 134 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
as a postscriptum i take the liberty to point to some other moving pictures that in italy are now being discussed as being fake. the widely broadcast attack on the italian prime-minister. some think it is a publicity stunt. reasons: - single camera always on the guy pans away seconds before the alleged cathedral becomes airborne. - bodyguards remain extremely cool, no yelling about, no attempt to silence the media (cover the camera etc.) - guys face is instantly covered by a bag or blanket - the mafia friend disappears into car where someone holds a device in front of his face - emerges from car with a bloodied face, surprisingly with a spotless shirt - is driven to a hospital 10km away even so the nearest facility was 3 km away. all this just after gianfranco fini, his rightwing coalition partner announced breaking the coalition agreement and the release of documents that would have broken the prime-ministers neck politically. result: possible enforcement of internet censorship, restrictions on demonstrations (free speech) and miraculously rising approval of the head of the italian government. fry me a wolf _________________ Mein Freund, die Kunst ist alt und neu. Es war die Art zu allen Zeiten, durch Drei und Eins und Eins und Drei Irrtum statt Wahrheit zu verbreiten. |
Posted on 22/12/09 11:29:33 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6997 Reply  |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
The accusation is that the wolf was a tame one, not that the picture was created in Photoshop. However, if it really was a montage, then it would have been much more convincing if the wolf had its back legs behind the gate - and that's what makes me think it's real. |
Posted on 22/12/09 4:23:56 PM |
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tat
* Posts: 29 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
Thanks for your opinions. Thanks Steve - I guess I under estimated the effort and I'd totally trust your experience with composites. Yes, I did indicate in my initial post that they are questioning whether it was a tamed one, etc. Now I think if Photoshop was in question, it is as easy as requesting the original RAW file. Well, if it is not a fake, then it is indeed a striking shot and got first place for a reason, although the wolf does look "staffed" to me for some reason still. |
Posted on 24/12/09 07:56:21 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
The shot is stunning and it would be such a shame if it turned out to be faked. The exposure with the ambient light is possible because the shutter speed takes care of that aspect, while the apature caters for the flash. So, the exposure could be 1 to 2 seconds and the flash freezes the action. The fact that the depth of field is so wide would indicate a very wide angle lens was used, stopped down to F16 / 22. As such, I would guess that ambient light was brighter than it actually appears in the shot. Nick |
Posted on 25/12/09 04:24:18 AM |
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tat
* Posts: 29 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
There are three articles now in circulation that appear to speculate on a subject that investigators are now trying to see if this is authentic actually. Yes, the shot is stunning, and I realize it would be absolutely possible to have done naturally, it's just so many variables and all that noise around it that it is tempting to look at it from a critical point of view. Well, I think this one was easier to carry out - it was day light: 
Happy holidays! |
Posted on 25/12/09 09:23:14 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3972 Reply  |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
Well, I think this one was easier to carry out - it was day light:
Excellent Tat. I had a good laugh at that one. Happy Christmas _________________ If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you ever tried. |
Posted on 25/12/09 11:56:54 PM |
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redsnapper
*** Posts: 134 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
just added a link to another part of the forum, stupidly the sand in the vaseline one, buggers---------  _________________ Was auch immer geschieht: Nie dürft ihr so tief sinken, von dem Kakao, durch den man euch zieht, auch noch zu trinken! |
Posted on 25/12/09 11:58:51 PM |
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redsnapper
*** Posts: 134 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
just added a link to another part of the forum, stupidly the sand in the vaseline one, buggers---------
but your pic is a laugh, tat. excellent. still i believe the other dog was not stuffed. _________________ Mein Freund, die Kunst ist alt und neu. Es war die Art zu allen Zeiten, durch Drei und Eins und Eins und Drei Irrtum statt Wahrheit zu verbreiten. |
Posted on 21/01/10 11:07:46 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
There was an article in the Daily Mail this norning about the Wolf image. Short and sweet without much detail, but it seems the photographer has been stripped of the winners title and will not receive the prize money. |
Posted on 21/01/10 1:55:07 PM |
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redsnapper
*** Posts: 134 Reply |
Re: Staffed Animal, PHotoshop or Genius Photographer that bent rules of lighting?
why not provide the link to the article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1244741/Wildlife-Photographer-Year-stripped-award-using-model-wolf.html "...judges ruled the picture was probably faked" "...,critics say the subject is a captive wolf,..." "...wolf was remarkably similar to a tame animal from a zoo..." "...the countryside resembles..." "The judging panel was reconvened and concluded that it was likely..." "...at a range of evidence..." "...considered the responses to specific questions..." "Mr Rodriguez strongly denies that the wolf in the image is a model wolf." very fuzzy use of vocabulary i must admit. one should still give proper answers to the most obvious of `w´ questions. and now i know what those spin-doctors who cheated the public into believing there were wmds do for a living. carry on judging photographs. pah! _________________ Mein Freund, die Kunst ist alt und neu. Es war die Art zu allen Zeiten, durch Drei und Eins und Eins und Drei Irrtum statt Wahrheit zu verbreiten. `mephisto´ |