Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - So-called 'fake' cows: are they fake?

oliver9184 · 10-07-2008, 02:56 PM

There's a picture of some cows on an island here http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/7437264.jpg

I found the picture on Google Earth at these coordinates: 37° 48' 31.30"S 77° 32' 29.35"E. The cows are, according to wikipedia, "the only existing herd of completely wild cattle". The island is Île Amsterdam, a French island in the Indian Ocean.

I showed the picture to my friends saying they were wild cows on a remote island. They said the picture is clearly a fake: the cows are obviously superimposed over the landscape.

I can see why they think that. The picture looks strange but I'm convinced that it's only because it's quite an old picture which has perhaps had its colours adjusted in some way. There are some scratches and blurs on it and it doesn't help that the cows don't have shadows and some are standing on rocks. They don't have shadows because it was an overcast day; but I don't know why they some are on rocks.

I am sure the picture is real. It is not some sort of Bigfoot style hoax. There could be no motive for that. Why would someone take the trouble to pretend there are cows on an island?!

What I'm looking for is some sort of validation that the picture is a real photograph. Perhaps someone who knows a lot about photography can say why it looks dodgy. Maybe there's a way to illustrate this using other photographs whose authenticity would not be in denial. Any help will be much appreciated.

10-07-2008, 02:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
oliver9184 Psycho	So-called 'fake' cows: are they fake? There's a picture of some cows on an island here http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/7437264.jpg I found the picture on Google Earth at these coordinates: 37° 48' 31.30"S 77° 32' 29.35"E. The cows are, according to wikipedia, "the only existing herd of completely wild cattle". The island is Île Amsterdam, a French island in the Indian Ocean. I showed the picture to my friends saying they were wild cows on a remote island. They said the picture is clearly a fake: the cows are obviously superimposed over the landscape. I can see why they think that. The picture looks strange but I'm convinced that it's only because it's quite an old picture which has perhaps had its colours adjusted in some way. There are some scratches and blurs on it and it doesn't help that the cows don't have shadows and some are standing on rocks. They don't have shadows because it was an overcast day; but I don't know why they some are on rocks. I am sure the picture is real. It is not some sort of Bigfoot style hoax. There could be no motive for that. Why would someone take the trouble to pretend there are cows on an island?! What I'm looking for is some sort of validation that the picture is a real photograph. Perhaps someone who knows a lot about photography can say why it looks dodgy. Maybe there's a way to illustrate this using other photographs whose authenticity would not be in denial. Any help will be much appreciated.