jacobG.net launches the all new perfectdaymassage.com

Recently I was asked for a few thoughts as to how to update perfectdaymassage.com, a few months later I'm happy to announce their brand new site. 

Syria, and the art of photoshop

Take a look at this article, it calls into question the legitimacy of this photo. I spent a little time examining the photo in question and have a few thoughts:

The eye line is off, the two gentleman don't appear to be looking at each other.






It has crazy, crazy shadows. Points 1 & 2, have lighting that appears to be of different origins, as if they were photographed on two (or more ) different places at different times of day.

Points 3 & 5 are short fuzzy shadows that don't seem to leave the body, while point 4, the table's shadow has a large, deep shadow, highly defined, except for the top left part which is oddly missing.

Point 6, the light source of the reflection is the window, traveling toward the camera. Point four shows the light source coming from the opposite direction. Nearly every point (1 through 6) seems to suggest a different source, type and intensity of light.

The carpet on the bottom middle, lunges left. The edges of most carpets I know tend to be straight, not wobbly. Also President Assad, does not seem to be standing on the carpet, rather floating right on top of it.

My conclusion, this is a minimum of five different photos that have been Photoshopped together. The two men, the carpet and marble sides of the room and the table all appear to have started out as separate photos. I suspect that the windows, and the trees have separate origins as well.




Tips on how to fake a photo:

- Decide where and what your light sources will originate from. This photo is all over the map, it has light coming from all kinds of places from around the room, at different angles and intensities.

- Use a single master shot, the room in this case. Having windows, chairs, trees, carpets that don't match seems an odd choice. I presume that they have an actual large room they could have used.

- Use stand-ins then blend the faces. When a person stands on a rug they place their weight on the rug, cast a shadow and in the process, alter the light of the room. By using models, all these things would be less evident.

- Only fake photos for fun. Photoshop leaves too many clues behind. Only a handful of people have the skill to truly pull something of this magnitude off and getting caught is very, very embarrassing.

insightful videos

Video is more and more becoming a must have for business. It conveys a large amount of information in a short time, when posted to YouTube it's easy to use on most any computer or mobile device and will liven up most any website, blog or other digital asset. Here are a handful of videos for a local insurance company, here, here, and here.

how to podcast, an ebook by jacobG.net

Some months back a professional acquaintance asked me what I knew about podcasting, as it turns out I had a few things to say. The result is "Podcasting: five easy steps", download your copy.

This is the first of three ebooks I plan to write and release this summer. The other two will be on the topics of design and social media respectively.

If you would like some help with a podcast, an ebook or some other project, please contact me today.

travel guides covers

I recently designed a colorful series of world city travel guides covers for a travel product.

set up video studio

Setting up a video studio from scratch has been a dream of mine for some time. I'm very please to have been able to have been abe to partner with a local publishing company and to have shot and edited a few videos for them. Please click on the below image for a brief photo essay and sample video.

Gus and the giant chicken

Video for a Natures Best of Petaluma, wet cleaning seminar. Gus gives tips to an assembled group of wet cleaners on how to clean a giant chicken.