by Brandi McMahan
Here's the thing. We are very proud and appreciative of where we live. We think the Outer Banks is a pretty spectacular place. We want to protect it. We want to share it. We want to boast about it.
I use the term "we" in describing my fellow co-workers and peers at Beach Realty, who share with me the honor of helping people visit and enjoy the place we love so dearly. As the social media manager, I often go live on Facebook or Instagram when I am awestruck and want to share the present moment with you. I regularly post photos on our website and on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, as well as videos on YouTube and TikTok. I wish that I had more time to do this. Heck, I would stand on the beach doing a live stream all day long if I could! With so much to capture on the Outer Banks, from the beach, sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, wildlife, historic landmarks, and, well, you name it, it's no surprise that the island has a plethora of photographers who want to share its beauty along with me.
Sometimes, I see a great photo or video from one of the local photographers and share it with our social media followers. But honestly, I could do that countless times a day! We have some pretty incredible photographers down here who can capture the beauty of the Outer Banks far better than myself.
We also have an individual here who likes to share the beauty of the Outer Banks but takes some artistic liberties when doing so. Some are very fond of his work, and others, well, not so much. Even offended by it. But most are fond, while seemingly also unaware of the fact that what they are calling a "photo," well, isn't. His posts have been shared thousands of times by his 153,000 (and growing) followers and their friends and family, and their friends and family. Yup, he's gone viral. You've probably seen a few originating from his popular Facebook page; Outer Banks Photography.
So why do some of his posts offend? Do they offend me? Maybe offended isn't the word.
One thing I can honestly say is that I feel a certain kind of way when followers of his are clearly unaware of the fact that what they are viewing is oftentimes not a photo at all. Instead, what they are viewing, liking, and sharing on social media is a digitally modified photo comprised of two or more photos with a bit of editing (sometimes at impressive levels) thrown in.
Not everyone is fooled every time. It seems amidst the many comments and praises; there will be at least one remark calling out the image as AI or "photoshopped," pointing out to their fellow commenters that they have been duped and what they are looking at isn't real at all, or not entirely.
Oddly, I feel relieved that someone is learning the truth while at the same time, I feel almost sad, like when I had to explain to my son that the Easter Bunny wasn't real, or Santa, or the Tooth Fairy.
Okay, so maybe offended is the word. As someone who dabbles in photography, and graphic design, I can appreciate the skill level it takes to create an image that appears to be real. His photo editing skills are on point. I would have more respect for his work, however, if it were presented in an honest way. I personally think he should show off his photo editing skills by posting the "before" photo in his comments so his followers can see just how much work went into manipulating the original. But it doesn't appear that he is interested in doing that, nor is he concerned that people are taking his digitally modified images as true photographs.
I can completely understand how someone who does not have experience taking or editing photographs could be easily deceived. I can also completely understand why photographers who earn a living taking photos of the Outer Banks would be offended by this deception.
One of my favorites, 'The OBX Beach Bum', said it best:
"I was asked this morning if my photos are AI.
At first, I thought it was funny. But there was a followup that made me realize they were serious.
I guess if I was a better man I could have been flattered knowing my photos look so good they must be computer generated.
But instead, my lesser man, was offended.
I've spent years learning how my camera works in different light, what aperture, shutter, and ISO settings to use to achieve the look I'm trying to create, where to position myself to shoot to capture the light I want, learning how to dodge and burn to highlight what I'm wanting to present in the final presentation, etc.
They are my art, and my corrections to what my camera captured are mine and not some computer-generated art.
Then my better man reminded me I do this for me, and if you happen to like them, that makes me happy.
And if you think my photos are unnatural and you don't like them, well, that's fine too.
Personally, I don't like fake photos presented as real, but then again, maybe the photos I present aren't real either.
You know like a painting isn't real."
The OBX Beach Bum is not the only local photographer to express his feelings on the subject. After all, learning the art of photography is not only an art but a science. Being at the right place at the right time and having the proper information, tools, patience, and talent to capture what you are seeing through the lens of a camera isn't easy. Sure, it may seem easy since most of us have smartphones with built-in cameras that make snapping photos pretty effortless these days. (Like mine up above, for example. Yup, I snapped that beauty with my iPhone because the days of hauling around my Nikon are behind me.) So, getting lucky sometimes and truly honing the art of photography is an entirely separate thing. Hauling expensive equipment to the beach to capture the early morning light while many of us are still in REM mode is honorable. So if photographers, true to their craft, take offense to the fact that thousands of people are being deceived by what they believe to be photos of the Outer Banks, I get it. I kind of am, also.
So when this particular post appeared in my Facebook feed a few days ago, I felt it was finally time to write this article.
This post, you can see it here, in less than one week, received over a thousand comments, likes, and shares. Here are a few of the comments it received:
- "Super wow, to get this shot!", "Incredible photo"
- "I need this photograph, two of my favorites in one picture; this is the best ever, so spectacular!!!"
- "What a wonderful photo, the very best!!"
- "You have to love that picture."
- "Most amazing horse photo ever!!!!"
- "This is such a cool picture! Makes me happy!"
- "Wow! Once in a lifetime shot!!!"
- "This is so awesome. Thanks for sharing this unique experience."
Perhaps it's the word "photo" that is the cause for offense. A "photo," or "photograph," by definition, is "a picture or likeness obtained by photography." Photography is the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor).
So when more than one photo is combined together through the art of digital manipulation and turned into something that appears that it could be a photo, is that wrong?
You can't deny that they entertain and bring joy to a great many people. We certainly don't need for there to be less joy in the world. So should he inform his audience when an image he posts is not a photo but a graphic comprised of several photos, manipulated to create the end result they are enjoying? Some say yes, he should. It is wrong to mislead people and allow them to believe that they are appreciating a photo taken by a photographer. One that captured a moment. Not one that maybe took a photo or two (or perhaps took the photo from another source) and then merged them together using computer software, removing backgrounds and other elements until it passed as a believable photograph.
Some are okay with it:
- "He is super talented at enhancing photos. Very cool, regardless!"
- "I Love this picture. No explanation needed; it’s a cute picture!"
- "Great edit!!!! Good editing, indeed!"
- "May be photoshopped, but it's still cute."
But others are not:
- "This pic is so fake. Y’all wild for believing it."
- "Ya'll really believe this tho.."
- "I hope this isn't photoshopped because it warms my heart so much. My 2 favorite things together."
So okay. Getting behind the truth. I'm all for it!
I also agree that entertaining people with a dolphin and a horse is not hurting anyone. But, sometimes, an unnecessary cause for alarm can go too far. As professionals in the vacation rental industry, when photos go viral depicting enormous waves crashing on the shore, horrifying and ominous storm clouds in the sky, and gigantic sharks washed up on the beach, it's not the message we want to send our guests, or concerned family and friends from afar.
But before we get into that, here's an example of a recent post that does everything right, in my opinion. It's clearly intended to be funny. It is funny. There's no doubt that it's fake. I mean, horses piled into a truck on a "Corolla Wild People Safari Tour." Now THAT'S funny!
Well done! Love it! Keep 'em coming!
Ok. This .... is not a "capture." Nothing was captured. To capture something, one must be present. No one was present, and the clouds were not doing this. But what do I know? I wasn't there. Also, if you google "Crazy animal cloud formations," I am going to guess that 95% of your search results will be fake, AI-generated "photos,"... give me a second... I'm going to make one now. What animal do you want? Ok...Turkey it is.
Actually nevermind... I'm not a Photoshop whiz like this guy is. So I fold.
So what's the big deal?
Well, for one, it's not nice to be deceptive. The last thing we need in the world is more fake news. So, posts like these below do two things:
One, they cause unnecessary widespread concern.
(These are not actual photos. I probably didn't need to say that at this point. But just in case.)
It's when posts like these circulate without explanation and sometimes cause unnecessary alarm that, quite frankly, gets annoying. Responding to loved ones, frantically forwarding posts to us warning us to EVACUATE NOW, or STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Or worse, knowing that visitors who want to swim with the dolphins in hopes of meeting the one that has a relationship with a wild horse are now terrified to go near the water.
Eventually, some of the posts, like the shark post above, are reported as "false information," and even some earn enough attention to warrant a news article.
So we explain to our concerned relatives, friends, and guests that getting bitten by a shark (odds are 1 in 11.5 million) and rogue waves of this size (https://www.tsunami.gov) are extremely rare, and then we wait for the next post. And get ready to explain that bears do not swim in the ocean or drive cars on the Outer Banks, nor do they wear bikinis, build sandcastles on the beach, or ride eBikes down the center lane of I-58. Those are all just suggestions, you know who, if you're reading.
Two, it's sending the message that the Outer Banks needs to be "touched up." No, it does not. It's pretty in its natural state.
Here, let me show you:
Professional photographers, like the legendary Ray Matthews (may he rest in peace) and his respected counterparts Wes Snyder, Roy Edmund (the OBX Beach Bum), Matt Lusk, Corey Godwin, and Eve Turek, to name a few, with only their cameras have captured the marvel of the Outer Banks. They have painstakingly mastered their craft, showing the balance and needed time, patience, and technical aptitude applied to settings that control how light is introduced onto the lens of the camera. Long shutter speeds and the motion of the earth under a star-filled sky allow us to appreciate the depth of the Milky Way or the star trails created from a series of exposures stitched together with the aid of a computer program. But not modified, just joined together, as explained by Ray along with his post. He tells us how he "got the shot" of what he captured of something we can recreate on the Outer Banks, away from noise pollution, under a clear and star-filled sky, with our naked eye if we look up while taking a spin or two. But I am dizzy just thinking about it. So I'll just enjoy the photos. I hope you will, too!