Is this photo real?

[gbundersea]

blacknet once bubbled...
Hello,
I contacted the site and told them this is a photoshop job plain and simple. Any 1st year photo students can tell this one is a fake. I did receive a reply stating they are looking into this matter and will take action accordingly.
Ed

Which site did you contact? If it's fordseahorses.org, you must have missed my earlier posts on this thread. I first emailed the judges at fordseahorses.org about this on May 7, and corresponded with them several times since. I posted the relevant replies on the thread. In short, the photograph was discussed at length, and they maintain their position that the photograph is real. I heartily disagree.

Now, if they are taking yet another look, that's great news, but it was only 4 days ago (May 13) that they emailed to say their decision was final.

 

[RSdiver]

This photo is definitely a composite as it violates Depth of Field rationale and lighting angles which should be the same on adjacent items.

While I don't believe the judge's comments about "digitizing caused these effects", I could understand that the judge(s) would have a very difficult time retracting a win, admitting they were wrong, and then announcing mea culpa.

I'll bet they are waiting for this embarassment to pass on by and will refute any allegation in order to preserve their (ahemmmm) dignity.

....and I had heard that you couldn't fool a fool!

 

[Marvintpa]

It would appear this issue is not about to go peacefully. On a mailing list for underwater photography it was posted that someone found a HIGHLY similar photo
http://212.227.185.211/st/deutsch/fotowett/graphics/2002/u_p11.jpg
which was allegedly submitted to another contest.

Not quite the same as the contest entry this thread is about
http://www.fordseahorses.org/_photo_contest/_fsupc03/high/SGC.jpg

 

[jonnythan]

It's the same picture....

At least two of the layers are.

Where's the surface ripple in this one?

 

[Dee]

I would say it was the same picture! The second may be cropped a litle more than the first but if you compare the same placement points of the sponge in relation to facial features of the fish, etc. you'll find them to be exactly the same.

 

[gbundersea]

It's the same photo, at a lower resolution. It was mentioned (maybe on this thread) that the picture was also entered in another contest (EPIC, I think?)

I started a discussion of the infamous picture over on Rodale's, where someone mentioned the EPIC contest, and that it had been discussed on the uw-photo mailing list. Dee also got some input from the folks at Digital Diver. The 4 groups have all reached the same consensus - that the image is a fake.

 

[gbundersea]

This just came in on the uw-photo email list:

"The Ford Seahorse Underwater Photo Contest has withdrawn the entry titled Hawkfish submitted by Burkhard Ohlendorf from its Grand Champion winner category as well as the prize awarded this position. This decision is not an accusation of not meeting our entry rules, it is simply our inability to validate the entry".

I guess there IS some justice in the world!

 

[Marvintpa]

I know that must have been a difficult thing for the Seahorses to do. I'm guessing that not awarding the prize to the second place photo is indicative of how serious they take this.

 

[MantaRey]

superimposed, as in different objects in separate pictures cropped and pasted together to make a new shot. didn't so a good job that's ffor sure, the lighting doesn't match. and no camera could have that kind of aperature. the foreground sharp, mid very blurred, and background somewhat clear. haha. what abuse to photoshop :-(

 

[Dee]

Thanks Greg! Enough bad publicity will have any contest handing out justice!