To not understand the fuss about this photo?

[beeonmybonnett]

Why is it all over the news about the Princess of Wales’ photograph being “manipulated “ (I assume that means it was photoshopped)

Am I missing something or have the media just lost the plot? It’s a photo? Who cares if she made some changes to it? I’m not sure how that makes our lives any different. Quite frankly, I find it absurd that this is even being given airtime when there’s much more important issues to be concerned about e.g. Gaza/Israel, Ukraine and cost of living!

@Talkwhilstyouwalk

I think the reaction is because this wasn’t the usual type of editing where the overall image is lightened, cropped, filtered, etc. There has been manipulation to separate parts within the image which is causing speculation that the photo was compiled from other images, faces or clothes changed, etc.

@FMLWTF

I think some are suggesting that the photo could have been compiled from other older photos, or that faces were changed, or that the colour of clothing was changed. This was done in photoshop which has tools for all of this.

Exactly. Very clearly put. I just don't believe that is her in the photo.

I don't feel particularly strongly either way about the royal family and I'm not all that interested in Kate/ Will and their children, other than to hope they are doing well as I would any other family.

However I can understand why this is in the news. It's more about the principle - it was presented as a truthful photo. People with such powerful positions in society manipulating information given to the general public can be a start of a very dark pathway.

It's not that anyone cares that those kids might not have been doing those exact facial expression - that's not the point.

The point is that if they can manipulate this and not declare it, then they can manipulate other information and imagery before it is shared with the public.

The point is that they should have declared that the image had beed edited, as part of a duty/ responsibility of providing true information to the public.

Media and information are powerful - especially in our current age - and it is important that people are able to trust what they are seeing. Things like this start to erode that trust.

Maybe my expectations are different, but I would assume every photo from the Palace is photoshopped just like it would for any other celebrity. I don’t get why it’s surprising.

In terms of it being “pulled” I suspect that is more the press wanting their pound of flesh than tabloids suddenly have a deep and abiding love of accuracy!

It's not different for the Palace.

Media outlets including tabloids can and do use images that have been manipulated.

AP and other press agencies have different standards, and don't. This media frenzy isn't from the people that put out the kill notification. Tabloids don't care.

I dont really understand either when surely all pictures celebrities release are heavily edited? I can’t believe I’ve ever seen a photo of Kim kardashian in the news (and that’s the only place I’ve ever seen one) that hasn’t been manipulated.

Very different to news photos of war zones etc.

It does make me laugh to hear the conspiracy theories though - as if a bunch of people who’ve just proven that with all the resources in the world they can’t photoshop with any degree
of skill would be able to pull off a major conspiracy.

I thought it was as people were talking about her missing wedding ring and then they said it had been manipulated and pulled it.

I think some people have missed that this is not a slightly edited - removing a spot or something - type edit. That is perfectly normal.

These news agencies have pulled the photo because it is heavily doctored in some way - e.g. they were not actually all together and Kate has been photoshopped in.

I am not a conspiracy theorist - I don't think she is in a coma or even that they are getting a divorce - but it is clear that William and Kate decided to try and lie to the public in some way and have been caught out.

Firstly you seem to be taking as read that she edited the picture. I’m not given to conspiracy theories but I think it’s quite likely she didn’t edit it but someone did it on her behalf.

Those people saying “what does it matter” are missing the context. The entire reason for releasing the photo in the first place was to try to stop wild speculation about what had happened to her. In those circumstances allowing the photo to be changed, whether by her or Palace spin doctors, was very silly.

The Royal Family is a taxpayer funded institution with a constitutional role. I have a great deal of sympathy for the individuals who live in this horrific gilded cage but the bottom line is they need to be honest and transparent when they put official material out for public consumption because people need to be able to trust them; this probably wasn’t the conspiracy people are implying but it was an astonishingly rash and stupid thing to do in the circumstances.

There’s a difference between sharing images to social media where they get picked up by the press and sharing them via press agencies. You can edit away on Instagram etc (to use your example google ‘Kim Kardashian papped’ and compare with photos released on her social media platforms) but by releasing them to a news agency means that they have to meet relevant standards. They’re strict on what you can/can’t edit to maintain the integrity of the organisation that the images they publish are legitimate.

Obviously this photo isn’t the same level as mocking up a war crime but if the agency can’t be trusted to publish legitimate nice fluffy pictures then how can they be trusted with the more serious stuff. If they’d just put the picture on social media they still would have been scrutinised (as let’s face it, the online interest in this is insane) but by giving it to news agencies as well they’ve opened it up to editorial scrutiny and it’s failed to meet guidelines - hence the highly unusual kill notice which has just made the situation a whole lot worse.

I don’t believe there’s anything more sinister occurring than she’s not feeling well/feels self conscious about how she looks (and who wouldn’t in her position) but they’ve managed to handle it so badly that it genuinely looks like they’re trying to hide something even when they probably aren’t (the takeaway message is now the picture released to show that she was alive and well was deliberately faked to some degree which is going to raise questions, taking aside the ethical implications of lying to the press/feeling above press standards).

But she didn’t send it to the world’s press. They posted it on instagram where it was picked up from.

I don’t care if it’s edited or not. What truth or untruth is it meant to be hiding?

The palace statement said she wouldn’t be resuming duties until Easter. If I had a sick note that said I wasn’t well enough to work I wouldn’t expect my employer to hound me whilst I was off work, which is what I feel this equates to.

All the fuss is ridiculous. Many celebs etc edit photos, I mean look at all the filters used. This photo will be used for years so of course she wanted it to look the best it could be. I feel for Kate trying to recover and all these ridiculous suggestions going on when they said ages ago she would be back to work after Easter

5 kill notices is a big deal

it means the photo wasn’t just photoshopped

it’s been falsified

It is unprecedented for all these picture agencies to reject the same image and do it publicly

Exactly.

It's really interesting that so many people clearly want to ignore this and keep repeating the idea that it was a filter or small touch ups.

@Iamnotapotato they did both. Several news agencies have said they used the image directly from Instagram but it was also provided to the photo agencies who then issued the kill notice (if they weren’t distributing it that wouldn’t have been necessary).

Absolutely agree op.
The fuss over this is crazy.
it’s a photo of a Mum & 3 kids that’s been slightly airbrushed. Big deal.
I didn’t notice anything wrong with it.

It's the unnecessary lying. The photo was not needed. Complete PR fail.

She’s not just a mum and three kids though, that’s the whole point. She’s the wife of the heir to the throne and her children are directly in line to the throne. They play a role in our constitution and she has been at the centre of a huge amount of speculation.

This isn’t Mrs Miggins at number 32 playing with Instagram filters.

I don’t disagree with the principle that the Royals privacy should be respected but in these circumstances putting out a doctored image was asking for trouble.

The photo was demanded by the baying mob seriously where have you been? because on all these threads running up to mothers day it was all speculating about if they release a photo and "we shall see what happens on mother's day" the whole want need and demand for her has been vicious and now people are turning against her because she didn't give them what they wanted they are bringing up affair allegations again abuse allegations even accusing her husband of beating her and killing his cousin (I think) its been appalling

It's not "just a mum and 3 kids". This is family of our future head of state. I think it's right that they be held to the very highest of standards.
I'm personally not of the opinion that there is some great conspiracy. But I do think it's a massive issue that they are editing photos to that extent. It's dishonest. They've all the time and money in the world to throw at taking a nice picture, it's just not necessary.

I just don’t think it’s been altered significantly enough to cause such fuss. I’d understand it if their faces had been altered ( Kate making herself look 21 or something ) but the alterations are minor. I feel sorry for Kate.

Once you let the royals away with faking a photo, freedom, democracy and the inalienable right to eating cupcakes all fall.

It is important because we need to trust our media and if they accept cobbled together photos to publish, we can't then trust other things they report.

Good grief, what a load of fuss over an edited mothers day pic.

Shes admitted to photoshopping it and has apologised.

All the comments about a huge conspiracy/cover up/face lift etc.
Maybe the poor woman had a complete hysterectomy (having had one at 26 due to cervical cancer, it's not something you snap back from really quickly), maybe she's had cancer surgery, whatever she's had done, it's her right to enjoy some privacy, I get the feeling it was to satisfy the twerps baying for info that the pic was released.
As a wedding photographer I'm often asked to tweak images, teeth, hair, sculpting etc, my clients don't tell the papers that their enfagement/wedding pics are tweaked (I appreciate that they are not public figures), the news agencies aren't bothered by photographic veracity when they're muckracking about celebrities are they.