Mitch McConnell Hospital Bed Photo - Is It Authentic?

[Z.W. Wolf]

Two photos taken from this primer on the effects of perspective distortion and portrait photography.
https://learn.zoner.com/why-should-i-zoom-in-for-portraits/

Shortest possible lesson. Entirely visual. Why you don't get up close to your subject with a wide angle lens. Why you get a good distance away from your subject with a telephoto lens.

Wide angle lens up close

Telephoto lens at good distance

Same model. Hard to believe, isn't it? It's not the lens that causes the distortion, it's the distance. It's a matter of proportional distances.

And these were taken with the camera at the same level. Camera angle also can add to perspective distortion. A wacky camera angle looking down at the model would make her image look even wackier.

Believe it or not it takes training to be a photographer. You've got to develop an eye the way a musician develops an ear.

And people with no eye don't understand what they're looking at... they just think they do. Dunning-Kruger effect.

 

[MyMatesBrainwashed]

And people with no eye don't understand what they're looking at...

Sorry, but I just had to capture this (assumed) typo cos it's brilliant.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Joseph II was deaf because he had no ears, according to Salieri.

Ear: In music, having "an ear" refers to the capacity to perceive, analyze, and recreate auditory elements like pitch, rhythm, harmony, timbre, and tonal relationships accurately.

A musician with "a good ear" can identify intervals or chord progressions by sound alone (aural skills), play or transcribe music without reading written scores, sing or play precisely in tune, and subtlety adjust their dynamics and timing to harmonize with other musicians in real time.



Eye: In visual art and photography, having "an eye" refers to an intuitive ability to perceive and recognize visual composition, form, lighting, color and perspective.

 

[Ann K]

Believe it or not it takes training to be a photographer. You've got to develop an eye the way a musician develops an ear.

You've given us a primer on professional portrait photography. Does that have anything to do with a rehab photo of McConnell? Or was it just an informal picture quickly taken with a phone (by a reporter, perhaps, not a professional photographer) with no fussy setup to tire a recuperating patient?

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

You've given us a primer on professional portrait photography. Does that have anything to do with a rehab photo of McConnell?

So far it seems that people, for the most part, are accepting this as a genuine photo. I briefly touched on that in post #33.

The new conspiracy theory that I'm attempting to debunk is the idea that this new proof of life photo shows that McConnell is so out of it, (or completely brain dead?), that his eyes are wandering randomly.

But people are misperceiving. It's a complicated subject and I've been building a case as to why people are misperceiving the direction of McConnell's gaze.

The problems with the snapshot are at the very heart of the matter.

In post #40 I go into...

Why and how perspective distortion has fooled people into misperceiving the direction of McConnell's gaze.

Post #41 is a follow up on the subject of perspective distortion. It's a brief discussion and visual. That post also touches on the subject of people, who are pushing conspiracies, being instant experts in photography without recognizing the mistakes they're making. In the manner of Flat Earthers. They know so little about the subject that they don't even think they need to know anything about it. (And will probably also react with patronizing hostility to the idea that they're not getting things right. "It's so obvious!")

Just like people with no ear sing loudly in public... off key. They have no ear so they sing off key. They don't know they're singing off key because they have no ear.

And they'll loudly tell you you're wrong. They sing byu-tiff-ul.




That was a popular plot point in '60s sitcoms. They used it twice in The
Andy Griffith Show (Barney) and once in Gomer Pyle USMC (Sergeant Carter). It seems to me they might have used it in I Dream of Jeannie too.

 

[FatPhil]

And these were taken with the camera at the same level. Camera angle also can add to perspective distortion. A wacky camera angle looking down at the model would make her image look even wackier.

A classic effect to exploit in cinematography - the "Vertigo" zoom:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5JBlwlnJX0

Lots of examples within, the most famous ones such as Vertigo, and Jaws, but plenty of others from more modern genres (less heavy dramas) and contexts (CGI, where you don't need a dolly to perform it).

It misses my favourite, which blends into a really visceral composited effect, at 4:17 here - warning, strong language before that point, but you will want at least ~20s of context earlier in the scene, the whole of which is positively peppered with deliberate uses of close up distortion of faces and limbs.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2cAJe6JOHk

 

[JMartJr]

A classic effect to exploit in cinematography - the "Vertigo" zoom

Seeing that shot in Jaws as a High School student was the first time I realized how the director and cinematographer were doing more than just pointing the camera and recording what the actors did... that the use of the camera was art in its own right, and upon reflection the editing was as well!

 

[Dave51c]

Or was it just an informal picture quickly taken with a phone

Yes IMHO. Nothing leaps out to me as being anything other than that. At this point the whole farce just reminds me of the Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch.

famous ones such as Vertigo, and Jaws

Classic.

Can also happen 'accidentally' by walking backwards trying to keep a moving subject the same size in the frame as they approach head on whilst on the end of a long zoom. "Nice shot Dave!" "oh..wait, what..err..thanks. Yes, totally worked out as I'd planned."

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Yes IMHO. Nothing leaps out to me as being anything other than that. At this point the whole farce just reminds me of the Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch.

But the old AI generated image conspiracy is dead. The New Conspiracy is that this is a real photo but it proves Mitch McConnell is brain dead and Chao is just propping up a living corpse.

I'm only addressing the random eye gaze bit, as that is entirely a visual issue, which can be disproven by analyzing the image and educating folks about perspective and relevant issues in photography.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I know there's a problem...

There won't be any education going on. The only people who will agree with my argument are people who already understand perspective and the relevant issues in photography.

The people who don't will just *bleep* over what I've said and put no effort into understanding it.

 

[Dave51c]

The New Conspiracy is that this is a real photo but it proves Mitch McConnell is brain dead and Chao is just propping up a living corpse.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue Senator...What's,uh...What's wrong with it him?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it him, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it him!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot Senator when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird bloke, the Norwegian Blue Senator, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don't enter into it. It's He's stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage McConnell ) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot Mitch! ...

Stills are not going to cut it - if his wife/staff want to really to be honest with the electorate then a (sensitive) video is needed. I don't like his politics but he, as everyone, in a medical situation like this deserves privacy. That they are potentially spinning this situation for politics is wild to me.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Stills are not going to cut it - if his wife/staff want to really to be honest with the electorate then a (sensitive) video is needed. I don't like his politics but he, as everyone, in a medical situation like this deserves privacy. That they are potentially spinning this situation for politics is wild to me.

Yeah okay, but that's a political discussion. This thread is about photo analysis only.

 

[Dave51c]

Yeah okay, but that's a political discussion. This thread is about photo analysis only.

Yeah, I get it, sorry wasn't trying to derail your thread.