The Museum of Hoaxes
HOME   |   ABOUT   |   FORUM   |   CONTACT   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER   |   RSS
Register - Log-In - Password? - Contact
Techniques of
Photo Fakery
1: Inserting details. This includes placing an element from one photo into another to create a composite image, reproducing a detail of the photo by cloning it, superimposing an image onto another, or drawing-in details.

2: Deleting details. This is usually done by extending background elements over the unwanted detail. Or one can crop out the unwanted detail.

3: Manipulating elements within the photo. For instance, adjusting the color, resizing details, or rotating or moving details.

4: falsifying the caption.

5: Staging the scene. This is considered fakery particularly in photojournalism. Varieties of staging a scene include using models and cutouts and inserting a prop into the scene.

6: Trick angles. The most common example of this is the use of forced perspective.
Site Map
Photo Archive Categories
The Hoax Photo Archive
A gallery of photo fakery throughout history.

Years Archived:
1840-1900 | 1900-1919 | 1920-1939 | 1940-1959 | 1960-1979 | 1980-1999 | 2000-2004 | 2005-Present
Category: Politics
Petticoat Politics (May 1865)
A Northern photographer created this image of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in a dress. ...»
Lincoln’s Portrait (Late 1860s)
The head of Lincoln was pasted onto the body of Southern leader John Calhoun in order to create a heroic-style presidential portrait. ...»
The Martyr Lincoln (late 1860s)
One of many fake death photos of President Lincoln. ...»
Trotsky Vanishes (Taken in 1919; altered ca. 1967)
Once Leon Trotsky fell out of political favor, Soviet censors attempted to purge all evidence of his existence. This included removing him from photos such as this one. ...»
Soviet textbooks claimed this was a photo of 1905's Bloody Sunday massacre in St. Petersburg. It was actually a reenactment of that event. ...»
An April Fool's Day image of the Wisconsin state capitol collapsing due to an excess of gas generated by verbose debate. ...»
Baby Adolf (Late 1933)
This fake baby photo of Adolf Hitler circulated widely during the mid-1930s. ...»
Arthur Rothstein was accused of using a steer's skull as a movable prop in order to exaggerate drought conditions in the Great Plains. ...»
Soviet censors deleted the People's Commissar for Internal Affairs from this photo after he fell out of favor. ...»
This fake picture of Senator Tydings chatting with the head of the American Communist Party may have caused Tydings to lose his campaign for reelection. ...»
White Hot Mama (July 1992)
Texas Governor Ann Richards' head was pasted onto the body of a model to create this magazine cover. ...»
Bush Reads Book Upside-Down (Found online, September 2002.)
In the original version of this photo, President Bush's book was not upside-down. ...»
Leftist Patriot (Circulating online since 2002.)
Senator Daschle's hand was digitally flipped to make it appear he was repeating the Pledge of Allegiance incorrectly. ...»
Trophy Turkey (Thanksgiving 2003)
Newspaper captions failed to mention that the turkey Bush was holding was a decorative centerpiece not intended for consumption by the troops. ...»
Hanoi John (Circulating online since Feb 2004)
Not only had Fonda not shared the stage with Kerry, she hadn’t even attended the rally shown here. ...»
Page 1 of 2 pages  1 2 > 
All text Copyright © 2011 by Alex Boese, except where otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.