Techniques of Fakery
There are six basic techniques of faking a photo, none of which are mutually exclusive.

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, one can adjust the color, resize details, or rotate or move details.

4: falsifying the caption. (In a sense, every fake photo has been falsely captioned.)

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

6: Taking a photo at a trick angle. The most common example of this is the use of forced perspective.


Themes


Time Periods
hoax photo database


Vote for Dean Hrbacek
Fake (composite)
January 2008



Paper Tiger
Fake (staged with paper cut-out)
October 3, 2007



Sarkozy’s Disappearing Love Handles
Digitally altered
August 2007



The French Dinner
Fake (composite)
July 2007



Giant Tomatoes
Forced perspective
February 6, 2007



Suicidal Teens Welcome
Fake (composite)
Found on the internet, early 2007



Katie Couric Slimmed Down
Fake (digital plastic surgery)
September 2006



Fake Smoke Over Beirut
Fake (cloned-in details)
August 5, 2006



“Qinghai-Tibet railway opens green passage for wildlife”
Fake (composite)
Published in 2006. Debunked in 2008.



Holiday Greetings, from Spain’s Royal Family
Fake (composite)
December 2005



“I can promise, this will never get done”
Staged using lookalike
Created in 2005. Circulating online since 2008.



Migrant Mother Makeover
April Fool's Joke
April 2005 issue of Popular Photography



Martha’s Last Laugh
Fake (composite)
March 2005



Islamic Hostage Action-Figure Hoax
Fake (staged with a doll)
February 1, 2005



Tsunami Seen From a High-Rise
Fake (composite)
Appeared online in early January 2005


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