EJH, you have found some good examples. Thanks. I wish more people would see what we are trying to say.

take for example an image in TODAY's CONTEST. (notice how I AM NOT waiting till the end because of how disgusted I am of the votes this image is getting.

Take a look at this sham, amine has tried to pass this off as his own entry. HUH? you mean this really happens? not only does it happen, but people fall for it. 24 people as of this poste.

http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/72719/display.html

now look at this one
http://creative.gettyimages.com/source/classes/FrameSet.aspx?&UQR=htqxfd&pk=4&
source=front&lightboxView=1&txtSearch=straight%20jacket&chkLicensed=on&chkRoyaltyFree=on&selImageType=7

you'll have to cut an paste both peices of that in a new window to see it.
I can't find a better example of what I've been trying to show.

How do we train people to see posts like this for what they are???

I think they were all voting for the nice job anime did of removing Getty's watermark, maybe?

oh, and if you can't get the link to work for getty, just go to getty images and search the creative section for "straight jacket" and its the first one in the results.

Lets all comment on his image and make fun of the voters and Amine, shall we!

So, Let's talk about it. How can you tell an image like this is a fraud??
How can we explain what to look for?

I knew instantly that it was "STOLEN". It was too detailed, too perfect.

Other people don't see this?

yes, well, that's a point I hadn't thought of. thanks Nancers

Scion, I saw the comments you made the other night. It's ok that Cynn thinks I'm a nasty asshole. I could care less what she thinks of me as long as she gets what I'm saying. I'm not in this business to make voting friends or prove anything but my point.

I do agree with you that she gets special treatment but what can us little guys do about it?

I hope she calls Amine some sort of nasty name

You know what else? I hope the mods leave it up to make an example for people and of Amine. If he's smart, he'll change it but who knows.

Excellent spotting.

In a case like this, would a person contact a moderator and ask that the entry be deleted? It seems warranted.

Your criteria of being suspicious of an image because it's "too perfect" worries me a lot. Some of our choppers are quite gifted, and I dislike the idea of casting suspicion on entries because the chopper's done a good job. I have a pretty good eye, but I don't think it's good enough to tell, with confidence, the difference between a perfect chop and a forgery.

Do you trust the average PSC-er to do so?

*Edit--ooh, a request!

My fellow PSC peoples,


You worry too much!




Love
Chad

Cynn, I am not questioning the ability of the gifted chopper but lets look a little closer at this particular example.



This is what I see.
First of all, the detail. WOW!! the amount of detail is amazing. The way the peg board perspective is perfect all the way around. Have you ever tried to change perspective like this and then add copies of a particular element such as more peg board with just the right match. It's tough to get it to look "photograph" perfect as this is. The holes are all perfectly lined up and all the perfect size.

Second, look at the detail of the light streaming through the peg board where it hits the subject. The face especially. I hate to say it again but do you have any idea how much effort it would take to get those light spots just so with the right elongation? I don't other than real light and captured with a camera. Maybe our gifted choppers here can do this sort of thing but do they attempt something like this for a fun PSC contest? nope.

Third, and most obvious to me was the hair. Take a good look at the lighting an how it all looks absolutely perfect. I hate to keep saying that but, in this example, it was key to spotting it as being a fraud.

No matter how good the winning image is, you can almost always find some flaw, sometimes the tiniest thing that proves it's a manipulated image.

I would just like people to take the contests a bit more serious and consider them a manipulation challenge where we reward a contestant for their work. Take a little longer look at some of the images is all I'm asking.

On the other side, I took a long look at Anfa's image from today, the maze. I was skeptical of even his sources but if you look closely, as good as it looks, the grain of the wood in some spots can be seen to just be an overlay. The grain does not break at the top of one of the walls and then continue at a different spot on the other side of the wall. (I don't know if that's clear or not. I will try to make an example image of it to show my point.

There is always something that can be spotted that is a flaw in the whole composition. always. you just have to look.

Dearest Chad,

You do not worry enough.

Love,
Me.

yeha, well getting it pulled really isn't the answer- I mean look at the images
that some special folks are getting away with that have zero pixels from
the source. I couldn't care to much about that either, since it is up to
the viewers to decide whats worth a vote or not, I am just
very curious as to why images containing nothing from the source
are always pulled unless they are someone that also happens
to be getting special treatment on other matters too.
I can't wait to find out that jmh has finally brought in
such a flamboyant alias of his own. Of course ya gotta let me in on the secret
one day-- cause I am gonna laugh till I'm coughing
up my Cheerios and ya don't wanna miss THAT!


QUOTE SCION SAID: "since it is up to
the viewers to decide whats worth a vote or not, "--
I had to make that clear-- SOMEONE has a way of editing shit as he reads it--
so you can see what I said SOMEONE-- please don't transform that in your
mind into something crazy and start PM'ing me again OK?
SOT, I'm glad that YOU at least saw the fun I had with Alan last night.
The truth can be funny .

***edit***

Ok I voted for the lighting, and said so. Im just a very trusting sorta guy I guess, any way I just bougth this bridge from this guy in Sydney and wanna go check it out, it crosses the harbour you know....

Wow, not a single pixel has been altered from the Getty pic. What can I say, except.... wow.

I wonder what Getty would say about this, BTW?

Don't sweat it there Blue Lurker. You were amongst good company with some of those other voters.

I hope, at the very least, you will take a closer look at the next few contest an not just at the pleasant feel of the image but what was done with the daily image with the intent of competing for pats on the back (ie votes).

Sadly, however, you are on your own with the bridge

.

SOT, great work on bringing that to everyone's attention.

I'm hopeful that one day you will reveal to us all that you are, in fact, Amine.

So many levels of hoaxes and aliases...

Almost too good to be true