WWTBAM Bored

This is one of those things that make you go..."What the ?"

The picture is an official release from the Carter Library, but looks photoshopped because the Bidens look enormous next to the Carters. Joe is further back that Jimmy and still Jimmy looks too small, so it is not just a cheap lens distorting object size due to relative distance.

Do you think it is photoshopped, and if so, why would they do it? If not, are the Bidens really that large compared to the Carters (and the mini-child chairs they are sitting in)?

The second thing is the Bidens not wearing a mask, yet making sure they have one as they leave the building going outside. I do not have an issue with them not wearing masks as all four of them have been vaccinated, but then to put them on as they leave the building, well, that's as absurd as wearing a mask on a zoom call.

The no mask thing makes me think the picture is photoshopped, that all parties were masked during the visit but they wanted a "clean" photo to commemorate the event. If so....fail.

Definitely a weird photo. Biden truly looks 'shopped. Mr. Carter's feet look huge, that could be a weird camera angle thing. Mrs. Carter was always tiny, and surely has shrunk as she's aged. Also weird that Mrs. Biden looks far less 'shopped than the President. Prolly not the strangest thing we'll see in the next three years, 7 and a half months.

tlynn78 wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 9:09 am

Definitely a weird photo. Biden truly looks 'shopped. Mr. Carter's feet look huge, that could be a weird camera angle thing. Mrs. Carter was always tiny, and surely has shrunk as she's aged. Also weird that Mrs. Biden looks far less 'shopped than the President. Prolly not the strangest thing we'll see in the next three years, 7 and a half months.

I didn't notice Carter's feet, but you're right. This sort of confirms the cheap lens theory and the picture has not been modified.

I took thousands of photos in my younger years. I've never had one that looks that strange.

The only explanation I can think of is that a long lens was used.

Canon’s website offers an explanation:

On images shot with a wide-angle lens, perspective appears to be exaggerated: Nearby objects may look much bigger (and hence nearer) than they really are, and faraway objects look even smaller and further away. This effect also amplifies distances between objects, i.e., things look further away from each other. The shorter the focal length, the bigger the perspective exaggeration effect. The perspective exaggeration effect is why wide-angle lenses are not ideal for shooting portraits or any other subject where it is important for the shape of the subject to be faithfully captured.

What Vandal found, in addition to the use of a very bright flash. Shadows help the human brain establish perspective, and the lack of any shadows makes the forced perspective even worse. Very poor decisions by the photographer, and by the press office that released the photo. But no sinister plots, I"m afraid.

mrkelley23 wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 10:54 am

What Vandal found, in addition to the use of a very bright flash. Shadows help the human brain establish perspective, and the lack of any shadows makes the forced perspective even worse. Very poor decisions by the photographer, and by the press office that released the photo. But no sinister plots, I"m afraid.

All these things mentioned, plus being in close range to the subjects while using a wide-angle lens makes the distortion even worse.