UPDATE: Reuters admits altering Beirut photo
Reuters withdraws photograph of Beirut after Air Force attack after US blogs, photographers point out ‘blatant evidence of manipulation’
A Reuters photograph of smoke rising from buildings in Beirut has been withdrawn after coming under attack by American web logs. The blogs accused Reuters of distorting the photograph to include more smoke and damage.
The photograph showed two very heavy plumes of black smoke billowing from buildings in Beirut after an Air Force attack on the Lebanese capital. Reuters has since withdrawn the photograph from its website, along a message admitting that the image was distorted, and an apology to editors.
In the message, Reuters said that “photo editing software was improperly used on this image. A corrected version will immediately follow this advisory. We are sorry for any inconvience.”
Michelle has posted this facinating discovery. Take a look and see what you think!
Charles Johnson raises questions about possible manipulation of this Reuters photo:
Charles points out that the photographer of the image, Adnan Hajj, is responsible for another familiar image from the past week. And Allah points out an Adnan Hajj iconic image highlighted here in February.
Analysis from Left and Right, Ace, and Photoshop deity Allah Pundit, who writes:
Half the time you spend when you use the clone-stamp tool is spent on undoing those repeating patterns to make the image look more realistic. Rarely are they as noticeable or as numerous as they are here, though, even before retouching. And for such a cheap effect too: generating more smoke.
Right. What’s bizarre is why someone would want to blow such crudely simulated digital smoke when there are plenty of photos out there are of the real thing. Via AP:
Professional photographers are debating the Hajj photo at SportsShooters.com and they smell something funny, too.
That is a good question: Why manipulate a photo when there are plenty of others? Perhaps it is because the Isalomfascists, along with their allies on the Left, do not draw any distinction between lie and truth. Kind of like the Klinto9ns, who made things up freely and lied even when there was no apparent reason to do so.