Article

2006-08-07 -Lurid Crime Tales-

Reuters drops freelance Lebanese photographer over image

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2006-08-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "Reuters drops freelance Lebanese photographer over image." Hires his cousins in his place.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-08-07 00:14|| www.sockpuppetofdoom.com]">[www.sockpuppetofdoom.com] 2006-08-07 00:14|| Front Page Top

#2 How do you get dust marks on digital images?

Dust gets on the lens.

What are the bad lighting conditions that effect Photoshop?

Over at Protein Wisdom they suggested that the power went out and his laptop battery drained, so he had to do his Photoshopping by candlelight. I buy it.

I got a theory: The original image was shot by an Associated Press photographer. Hajj was supposed to get a shot of the carnage, but he was hung over or had to go to a beheading or something, and never made it. So he figures that since these pictures all look alike anyway, he'll just alter a colleague's picture a bit, hand it in as his own, and no one will be the wiser.

OR, he and his colleague had a bet:

AP guy: My editors are the most clueless bastards the world has ever seen.
Hajj: No way, dude. Mine are barely sentient.
AP guy: Oh yeah? If you locked my editors in an airtight room, the CO content would go down, if you get my drift.
Hajj: Er, no. But I propose a contest. We'll take turns filing ludicrous fakes. First one to get fired wins.
AP guy: You're on, dude. You first.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-08-07 00:22|| 2006-08-07 00:22|| Front Page Top

#3 Wanted: Freelance photographer. Advanced Photoshop experience a must.

Posted by BH 2006-08-07 00:25|| 2006-08-07 00:25|| Front Page Top

#4 COMMENT KILL

The original image was shot by an Associated Press photographer.

Doh! That was speculation by Allah, which proved to be incorrect.

...the CO content would go down...

That should be CO₂ content.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-08-07 01:58|| 2006-08-07 01:58|| Front Page Top

#5 Day late? Dollar short?

Posted by gromgoru 2006-08-07 02:58|| 2006-08-07 02:58|| Front Page Top

#6 Dust gets on the lens.

Or sensor. Some newer Olympus models actually vibrate the sensor to knock dust off.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2006-08-07 05:29|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-08-07 05:29|| Front Page Top

#7 Translation: You caught our faker. Now we have to hire a better one.

Posted by mcsegeek1 2006-08-07 08:43|| 2006-08-07 08:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Anyone think this is the only photo he 'shopped? Anyone? Bueller?

If Roooters had any integrity (hah) they'd do an audit of each and every photo he's sent them. Better yet, they'd put each one on the net at one website and invite bloggers and photo experts to take a look.

The key problem: Roooters, Aaay-Peee, Agencie Frog Pressé, etc, are all relying on stringers to bring them news annd photos from war zones. It's not safe to venture from the hotel bar, so the stringers do their jobs. Think Hajj had an agenda? Think he saw this as a golden opportunity?

The problem won't get better until 'war correspondents' go to war.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2006-08-07 10:19|| 2006-08-07 10:19|| Front Page Top

#9 Anyone think this is the only photo he 'shopped? Anyone? Bueller?

No. Take a gander here. Try not to choke on your coffee as you read it.

There was another one, a photo of flames behind a row of buildings, but I can't find it now. It looked as if the buildings in the foreground were photoshopped in to make a very arty shot.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-08-07 10:52|| 2006-08-07 10:52|| Front Page Top

#10 The problem here is that they'll just hire better photoshoppers.

Posted by JSU 2006-08-07 11:05|| 2006-08-07 11:05|| Front Page Top

#11 Update: the whole Hajj ouvre is toast.

Posted by JSU 2006-08-07 11:23|| 2006-08-07 11:23|| Front Page Top

#12 Now Reuters has withdrawn all of Hajj's pictures from its database, after that jet picture was exposed. I did a google image search on his name earlier this morning, and what came up were mostly soccer pictures.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-08-07 11:24|| 2006-08-07 11:24|| Front Page Top

#13 Ze photoz?
As you Americans say, "zey are, fake but accurate"
- The European Union
- Jacques "The Weasel" Chriac
- Supreme Leader

Posted by BigEd 2006-08-07 15:12|| 2006-08-07 15:12|| Front Page Top

#14 Garsh, you'd think that Reuters would want to protect its credibility by prosecuting Hajj for fraud (selling falsified documents) and making sure his journalistic credentials were revoked. Anyone wanna bet that Hajj shows up on al-Jazeera's staff?

Posted by Zenster 2006-08-07 20:33|| 2006-08-07 20:33|| Front Page Top

#15 I hear that HDNet is looking for a creative photographer.

Posted by ryuge 2006-08-07 23:27|| 2006-08-07 23:27|| Front Page Top

23:49 gorb
23:47 trailing wife
23:27 ryuge
22:33 DMFD
22:22 tipper
22:18 Barbara Skolaut
22:12 SteveS
22:12 bombay
22:05 Alaska Paul
21:53 Alaska Paul
21:51 bombay
21:48 BA
21:48 gorb
21:46 Manolo
21:40 DarthVader
21:22 Nimble Spemble
21:20 Snease Shaiting3550
21:14 bombay
21:11 bombay
21:07 Inspector Clueso
21:04 BA
20:58 CrazyFool
20:57 Zenster
20:55 voter