Nikon has been forced to apologise after the winning entry in an amateur photography contest was revealed to be fake.
Photographer Chay Yu Wei, from Singapore, won the monthly contest with a perfectly composed photo of a plane flying above a building. The image was titled: "Look Up".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, photographers quickly pointed out that the image had clearly been doctored. By opening the image in Photoshop and tweaking the levels, they were able to prove the plane had been pasted in.
"It's so immensely clear that this photo isn't real," said one Instagram user. "It's unfair to the numerous other people enduring devastating conditions for a photo, whilst you sit there in the comfort of your bedroom photoshopping."
The row deepened when it emerged a similar image had been published a year ago by photographer Lee Yik Keat.
He told the BBC that he admitted the image had been edited at the time.
"I think this kind of editing is fine as long as it is declared, sometimes creative edits can spark other people's imagination so it can be useful," he said.
Nikon has since issued two separate apologies on social media, vowing not to "compromise standards" in the future.
"We have made an honest mistake and the rousing response from the community today is a reminder to us that the true spirit of photography is very much alive," it said.
-
Political cartoons for November 30Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Saudi-China relationship, MAGA spelled wrong, and more
-
Rothermere’s Telegraph takeover: ‘a right-leaning media powerhouse’Talking Point Deal gives Daily Mail and General Trust more than 50% of circulation in the UK newspaper market
-
The US-Saudi relationship: too big to fail?Talking Point With the Saudis investing $1 trillion into the US, and Trump granting them ‘major non-Nato ally’ status, for now the two countries need each other
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
