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Obama looking at girl photo is a lesson to all

The photo flashed around the world yesterday, causing quite a few laughs as it went. Why? Because it seemed to show President Obama being less than discreet in admiring a young woman at the G8 Summit. While the photo may have some dreading Bill Clinton-like behavior in another president, is the photo real? Cameras don't lie, do they?

The camera may not lie, but photographers, and in this case, photo editors, certainly can bend the truth a bit. The Obama “photo” is a case in point. This was not a still photograph captured by a press photographer using a still camera, but an individual frame from a video. Modern digital video cameras operate by taking still shots in extremely quick succession, then running the pictures together to create the illusion of motion. Editing software can allow people to disassemble a video clip frame by frame and then use individual shots from the video as photographs. This is exactly what was done with the Obama “photo.” While the individual frame itself can look awfully incriminating, the video reveals the whole story, somewhat absolving President Obama of any inappropriate behavior. However, for French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the story may not be so clear.

While the “photo” provided untold amusement to many, it goes to show that pictures are powerful. President Obama was lucky in that the full video showed the whole story. If viewers only had the “photo” to go on, perception of the president would undoubtedly be very different. And once something hits the Internet, there is going back as people download the image, pass it around, and post it to other Web Sites. Once something gets online, it stays there.

Moral of the story: pictures can make or break peoples' reputations and it is best to be very careful of what photos you are posting online, think Myspace, Facebook, ect.

For more info: 
The photo and full video
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By

Cleveland Photography Examiner

Dennis is a self taught photographer who seeks to pass along tips on photography itself and help photographers save money. He is also deeply...

Comments

  • Zeus_97 2 years ago
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    Even the video looks like he checked the girl out before lending the other lady a helping hand. I love how the press always defends obama. The guy walks on water to this reporter.

  • wildpokerman 2 years ago
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    I'm suprised this country is so full of prudes that anyone is bothered by this. The European papers are full of stories that basically say right on dude!

    Why would you want some puritanical monk as your president. We're Americans we check out hot women's bodies when they present themselves to us.

  • gloriamundi 2 years ago
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    Remember how the Republicans crucified Carter for admitting that he "lusts in [his] heart"?

    So apparently Obama directed a 2 second glance at a beautiful young woman's distractingly silky magenta butt as he was helping another woman down the steps. STOP THE PRESSES! Republicans really are desperate to find a way to smear him to distract people from how much they have smeared themselves!

  • gloriamundi 2 years ago
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    Since Jesus was half human, I bet even he had a few lingering glances at magenta silk clad beautiful butts. I'm female and strait and I have to say I checked out this distractingly lovely gal too.

  • JPHurley 2 years ago
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    And what if he did 'check her out'? Who cares? I challenge any married reader here to claim having never had their eye drawn to another man/woman in casual passing. Oftentimes we don't even realize we're doing it. It's not like he grabbed her bottom or was caught in a lurid affair. I wish people would focus on the real issues instead of trying to create a scandal where there is none.

  • JPHurley 2 years ago
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    The irony here is that he's not even checking her out and you can clearly see that by watching the full video. His eyes never raise from the spot he's looking at as the woman passes and he turns to offer a hand to the woman behind him. Watch the video.
    youtube.com/watch?v=SMmX72N6EtE

  • Panther 2 years ago
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    Zues your blind. In the vid he never even moves his eyes at the young woman.Looks like the whole video tells the truth about hose who will stop at nothing because they have nothing else to use.People who stoop to such levels are total losers and those losers put this country into the horrid mess it's in today.As blind as you are you probably cant see that either!

  • me 2 years ago
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    Just another topic for Obama bashers like Zeus to grab hold of. Pretty sad that this is all you can find. Untruths. Nice try though.

  • RThomas 2 years ago
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    <sarcasm>
    Let's not forget that Republicans are all born again, saved, perfectly moral beings who are all going to Heaven (unlike we left-wingers), and therefore they have a God-given right to "cast the first stone." </sarcasm>

    Seems more like clutching at straws to me!

  • steveneddy 2 years ago
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    Yeah! Out President is human! It's good to see that he looks at other women, that's OK, and that he offered his hand to the other woman. Get over it freaks and realize that EVERYONE LOOKS and if you say that you don't then you are lying.

    President Obama, although I don't support anything that he does or says, demonstrates that he is a perfectly normal human male. Nothing wrong here. Lets move on to more important news.

  • Banderman 2 years ago
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    Leave it to the media to once again play the role of Obama's stooge and apologist.

  • Linda Ingmanson 2 years ago
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    Wow, this is almost as exciting as when Obama swatted the fly (I'm sure you all remember Flygate!). I was just glued to the TV that day watching the clip over and over. It's so good to know our media are so on the ball and reporting on the really important stuff! I heard he's going to tie his shoelaces next -- but the exciting thing is, it's... (wait for it!) a double knot! I bet the media will call it...Lacegate! Yeah! Really! Wow! Scandalous! Hurray for our media. They sure are doing a terrific job. :-P

  • Erik the Happy Ex-Pat 2 years ago
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    Looks can be deceiving. Bush looked like a clean cut family man, and he was a total scum bag, like most Republicans and right-wingers...

  • whale vs. baby 2 years ago
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    He may not be watching the girl... but there are other bigger, much bigger, moral issues that are more concerning - Mr. Obama blatantly is in favor of the termination (killing) of the truly innocent, the unborn child (even if the mother's life is not in danger...). I hope and pray one day he and many in our country will acknowledge this as assault against the most innocent.

  • owlafaye 2 years ago
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    Typical Republican generated scandal? Certainly an anti-Obama media generated scandal. You have to take a large pinch of salt with every media criticism of Obama. He is doing a wonderful job under great duress.

  • owlafaye 2 years ago
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    whale vs. baby....put your mind at ease with one secret remedy: "Mind Your Own Business"

  • owlafaye 2 years ago
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    Zeus-97 ... No, it doesn't. and the press doesn't alwsys defend Obama. I am talking of the scandal mongering press of course. They hire people like you, ugly, hate mongering, small natured, narrow minded and bigoted to there and back.

  • Mack 2 years ago
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    I agree with Zeus. The video makes it even more obvious that Obama is staring at the child's rear end.

  • translink 2 years ago
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    Translation services, interpretation, localization, layout and DTP, found in www.translinkserivces.com

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