Help me analyze a textbook photo!

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

03/26/2010 09:06:27 AM · #1

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with this. I teach Physics and yesterday the students and I were looking at this photo that showed some warped railroad tracks. So after some discussion, we all decided that it has to be photoshopped.

I've been searching the net to try and find this photo but no luck so far. I was wondering if anyone here would be willing to look at the photo and give me their opinion? And maybe even help see if you could find it online?

I don't think I can post it here (I'm assuming there would be copyright issues), but I do have a file that I can send - although I'm not sure if that would be a copyright issue as well. (I have an image file that was provided to me as an instructor resource).

Anyone interested?

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

03/26/2010 09:16:05 AM · #2

I know someone on a work related forum that is heavily into railroads. I could show it to him and see if he knows anything.

paynekj

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

03/26/2010 09:19:08 AM · #3

Have you tried using TinEye to search for it?

03/26/2010 11:29:08 AM · #4

Thanks Steve - I sent you a PM.

paynekj - good idea. I did not think of that. Thanks!

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/26/2010 12:16:34 PM · #5

You can send me the image/link...

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

03/26/2010 12:18:40 PM · #6

I'd also be willing to take a look at it. You can send me a link or e-mail a file to the addy in my profile, and I will look at it this evening.

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

03/26/2010 12:33:02 PM · #7

I'm no expert, but I'm curious to see the photo too.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

03/26/2010 12:40:20 PM · #8

I will look.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/26/2010 12:53:55 PM · #9

Thanks for the offers to help - I appreciate it.

If your email is not in your profile, could you PM it to me?

I'll send the photo when I get home this afternoon.

Thanks!

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

03/26/2010 12:59:23 PM · #10

Originally posted by colorcarnival:

I don't think I can post it here (I'm assuming there would be copyright issues) ...

You should be able to post it legally here under the fair use doctrine -- you are posting it for educational, scientific, or critical review. The following has been slightly edited and exerpted:

Originally posted by US Copyright Office Fair Use Fact Sheet:

One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law (title 17, U. S. Code). One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of â��fair use.â�� The doctrine of fair use has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years and has been codified in section 107 of the copyright law.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
2. The nature of the copyrighted work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work

The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: â��quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the authorâ��s observations; use in a parody of some of the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported.â��

JokersSoul

Canon EOS-50D

Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Canon

03/26/2010 01:07:25 PM · #11

I agree that it can be posted here. As long as you are giving proper credit, and not using it for business purposes, then it should be legal to post.

We are all very curious!!

03/26/2010 01:14:43 PM · #12

Ok here it is:

Credit is given to "Wide World Photos"

This says that after the extreme heat of a July day in Asbury Park, NJ, the railroad tracks buckled.

I have issue with the double curves of the tracks in the foreground and the background. Also, the stones seem so nice and smoothed out, and the metal ties don't seem too disrupted. Pictures I have seen of buckled tracks usually have larger, smoother curves, not tight ones like these.

Also, this obviously wasn't "taken" in July if you look at how the people are dressed. Personally, I even wonder if this was taken in NJ :D

Thoughts? Opinions?

KarenNfld

03/26/2010 01:27:47 PM · #13

If you "straightened out" those curved tracks they'd be much longer and not fit. Also, none of the spikes appear to be moved or pulled out. The worker looks Asian (not that there aren't any Asian people in NJ).

03/26/2010 01:28:58 PM · #14

Google Images, "Buckled railway tracks" search, shows numerous examples of buckling similar to this; it seems to be a real-world problem, and there is a lot of information out there on "rail-neutral temperature" etc, technical papers about how to calculate for and avoid this problem.

That said, your particular example seems suspiciously symmetrical when compared to other images, so I am somewhat suspicious that it has, in fact, been warped via photoshop.

R.

03/26/2010 01:33:07 PM · #15

Originally posted by KarenNfld:

If you "straightened out" those curved tracks they'd be much longer and not fit.

No, the problem would be, you get buckling when tracks expand and *become* too long to fit. It's a real phenomenon for sure. Cool them down and they'd be short enough to fit.

R.

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

03/26/2010 01:33:57 PM · #16

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

The symmetry was a big flag for the students - that is what caught their eye first. And if you look at those photos you googled, I think you'll see that the curves are more stretched out than these are. Now I wish I could find the original photo - that would be something!

davesharman

Canon EOS-50D

03/26/2010 01:40:53 PM · #17

Hi,

I might expect some symmetry given the rails are "tied" together... but the lack of pushed up and disturbed ballast beside the shifted rails would make me tend to think of photoshopping.

Dave.

BeefnCheez

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

03/26/2010 01:41:52 PM · #18

So it is definitely not July, I would say October/November based on the kid with a backpack riding home/to school (possibly)

But I would most likely believe this to be true for a couple of reasons. The worker is clearly walking across tracks confident there are no trains running. There is a worker, what else would he be doing walking across tracks so casually.

The kid on the bike. He too is looking to his right, probably intrigued by the bending tracks as any person would be. This being one of a few reasons I wouldn't keep my eyes forward as he crosses a narrow path across tracks (the same goes for rubbernecking).

And finally, there is a picture being taken, what merit does this photo have if there are no bending tracks. You can also tell that the photographer appears to be standing along the track line.

Obviously this is based solely on the photo as I have not tried to discover what buckled tracks look like.

Message edited by author 2010-03-26 13:53:15.

glad2badad

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic

03/26/2010 01:51:40 PM · #19

Looks real to me too. The track warping is close, but not 100% symmetrical (assuming you're discussing the most foreground warped track). In the background there are more "warped" places and those are even less symmetrical.

UrfaK

Canon EOS-650/T4i Rebel

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/26/2010 02:06:15 PM · #20

I think due to the photographer's position the tracks look unnaturally symmetrical. I think if he was closer the affect wouldn't look this fake.

What annoys me is why are the people dressed up like that in July! That is the one thing that decreases credibility in my mind.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/26/2010 02:22:32 PM · #21

I'm in agreement about the clothing, both the bicyclist and the worker are wearing heavy outerwear. In particular, the bicyclist is wearing gloves and a hood, both indications that it it unpleasantly cold. July, my arse.
With regard to the shape of the buckling, keep in mind that this was taken with a long lens. The curves would appear artificially sharp because of that. Still, you can pretty accurately estimate the distance by counting the spike heads. Distance between ties is normally, what, 18 inches? By that measure, these curves are pretty sharp.
There is little or no disturbance of the stones around the ties. I would expect some disturbance if the ties had moved laterally by that amount.
Overall, I'm *very* suspicious of the photo, most especially because of the purported cause being "hot weather" and the obvious lack of same.

davidw

Canon EOS R6

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/26/2010 02:27:03 PM · #22

Just a thought...did they get the wrong picture and perhaps this one shows buckled tracks due to an earthquake? The problems with the smooth stones and all are still there, but it would explain the clothing...