What's wrong with this picture?

txinvestigator · Post by **txinvestigator** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:18 am

That picture is a complete photoshop. It has been floating around and you can clearly see where the image was merged around the trigger guard and mag well.

You can also see that if that officer does not have 5 fingers AND a thumb on her right hand that it is a photoshop.

It is not a bad PS, but not great.

flintknapper · Post by **flintknapper** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:37 am

If that is not a "photo-chop" then it is most unfortunate.

It is possible to jam (some) AR magazines partially into the mag. well.

The AR mag. well is "keyed" to accept a magazine only one direction, so it could not be forced all way to the top. Even if it were, the mag. has a lip on both sides at the rear that prevent the cartridge from moving that direction, so you couldn't chamber a round for that reason alone.

Sure, stress does crazy things to a person, but I have my suspicions about this photo.

KinnyLee · Post by **KinnyLee** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:07 pm

Hehehe.
#1 thing to do when picking up a firearm that's out of your hands. Condition check it and check for source of ammunition. Maybe she didn't get that memo.

The power of Photoshop.

Thane · Post by **Thane** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:44 pm

I don't think the picture is photoshopped. This photo was posted on another forum I frequent, and they had a link to a blown-up version of the photo. (Wish I'd saved it, so I could point to what I'm talking about.)

I see rather clearly four fingers on the right hand. Presumably, the thumb is hidden from view behind the pistol grip.

I don't see any "shopped in" lines around the magazine or mag-well. What I DO see is the grainy texture of the photo, indicitave of a scan of a low-quality printed picture, carried through the magazine uninterrupted. That is, the "lines" of ink from the picture's printing are not interrupted through the magazine. It would take some creative photoshopping and a LOT of time to recreate that.

One last thing - photoshoppers are not sticklers for accuracy, in general. Most photoshoppers, not knowing about the "rib" on the back of the AR's magazines, would photoshop a magazine fully inserted, but backwards. This is not the case in this picture. While it's not possible to fully insert a magazine backwards, it IS possible to jam it in about 3/8 of an inch, up to where the rib actually starts. Looking at the picture, it's proportioned properly for a magazine "barely hanging in there."

I think it's real.

txinvestigator · Post by **txinvestigator** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:16 am

Thane wrote:I don't think the picture is photoshopped. This photo was posted on another forum I frequent, and they had a link to a blown-up version of the photo. (Wish I'd saved it, so I could point to what I'm talking about.)

I see rather clearly four fingers on the right hand. Presumably, the thumb is hidden from view behind the pistol grip.

I don't see any "shopped in" lines around the magazine or mag-well. What I DO see is the grainy texture of the photo, indicitave of a scan of a low-quality printed picture, carried through the magazine uninterrupted. That is, the "lines" of ink from the picture's printing are not interrupted through the magazine. It would take some creative photoshopping and a LOT of time to recreate that.

One last thing - photoshoppers are not sticklers for accuracy, in general. Most photoshoppers, not knowing about the "rib" on the back of the AR's magazines, would photoshop a magazine fully inserted, but backwards. This is not the case in this picture. While it's not possible to fully insert a magazine backwards, it IS possible to jam it in about 3/8 of an inch, up to where the rib actually starts. Looking at the picture, it's proportioned properly for a magazine "barely hanging in there."

I think it's real.

I saw it on AR15 too, and it is clearly a photoshop.

Any clown there with photoshop could have made that pic.

But believe what you wish, personally, I cannot wait for Santa next month.

kauboy · Post by **kauboy** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:30 am

I'm sticking with real as well. With a picture that grainy, it would have taken a photoshop master to recreate the "texture". And like Thane said, the mag look proportionate to only being shoved in a little. Anybody familiar enough with ARs to know that isn't going to spend the time necessary to piece this together in an attempt to make an officer seem irresponsible with her firearm.

Conclusion: Real

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:52 am

I'm not ready to say it's real, but I couldn't see any evidence of photoshopping.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:10 am

Paladin wrote:I'm not ready to say it's real, but I couldn't see any evidence of photoshopping.

I'd say that having four knuckles plus a fifth finger the size of E.T.'s, is pretty good evidence that something's not quite right about that picture.

Kevin

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:19 am

KBCraig wrote:
Paladin wrote:I'm not ready to say it's real, but I couldn't see any evidence of photoshopping.
I'd say that having four knuckles plus a fifth finger the size of E.T.'s, is pretty good evidence that something's not quite right about that picture.

Kevin

FWIW A guy over here said he called the PD and said that it's real:

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index ... ic=5014.25

280plus:
"Folks, I just talked to the watch captain down there and by God yes she has the mag in backwards! Please do not even begin to ask me how. He wouldn't discuss it either. I said, "Wow, I'm sorry to hear that, she must have been under some pressure right then." And he said, "Yes she was." He didn't want to go any further and I made it clear neither did I. Now THAT'S about an adrenaline rush right there. "

Some other info from Pat Rogers here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=2870574

"...i believe it is loaded, and i believe that friction combined with force will keep the mag in there for a while.
I have seen a civilian do this at a carbine class in AZ, and another former mil guy at a mil exercise once."

Post by **Crossfire** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:01 pm

txinvestigator wrote: But believe what you wish, personally, I cannot wait for Santa next month.

Running a little low on coal?

kauboy · Post by **kauboy** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:46 pm

llwatson wrote:
txinvestigator wrote: But believe what you wish, personally, I cannot wait for Santa next month.
Running a little low on coal?

Ouch... so cruel

stevie_d_64 · Post by **stevie_d_64** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:53 pm

Wait...

Somebody's got to call back and ask if shes got a finger as long as E.T.'s!

That will confirm it all!

And make me stay the heck out of Marble Falls for a very lonnnggg time!

kauboy · Post by **kauboy** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:58 pm

I just opened this up in GIMP and its very apparent that she has only four knuckles and the top one is part of the extended index finder. When you look at it up close, you can see that the shadows are messing with the perception a great deal. After looking at it, her finger looks well in proportion to me.

gigag04 · Post by **gigag04** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:24 pm

At the risk of taking this way too far:

The key place to look at it is the bottom right corner of the mag.

If this is a 'shopped img, then (hopefully, if they were smart) they would've only free selected the mag, and then inverted it horizontally, thus keeping all the texture and coloring.

What this would do, is leave a gaping hole in the img, just the right of the botom corner of the mag because of its curveature. The "artist" would have to create content there to flow with the rest of the background.

If you look at the referenced area (quick and dirty red line I drew) you can see an akward white line on the roof line of the car. When observed in the context of the full picture, it appears inconsistent with the existing shadows and line of the roof of vehicle.

I also find it hard to believe that a shift captain would comment to random public caller on an issue such as this.

I'm still not convinced it's an unaltered image. It could be a sad attempt to poke fun at female officers.

My thoughts.

-nick

And for the savy...yes I switched to a mac, and yes I love it.

casselthief · Post by **casselthief** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:16 pm

stevie_d_64 wrote:Wait...

Somebody's got to call back and ask if shes got a finger as long as E.T.'s!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!