Nikon apologizes for ‘oversight’ after awarding ‘Photoshopped’ picture

By: Yuji Vincent Gonzales - 9 years ago

Screengrab from Nikon Singapore’s Facebook page

Nikon Singapore on Saturday apologized after it awarded a prize to a “Photoshopped” picture in its online contest.

Last Friday, Nikon posted an announcement on its official Facebook page congratulating photographer Chay Yu Wei for his picture of an airplane supposedly flying above a ladder in Chinatown.

“Yu Wei chanced upon a set of ladders while on a [photo walk] with his friends in Chinatown, and thought the view above would make an interesting perspective. Little did he expect to catch an airplane in mid-air. We’ll try looking up too, Yu Wei; your shot has won you a Nikon trolley bag. Congratulations!” Nikon said.

Chay was awarded with a trolley bag for his photo, which Nikon claimed was taken using Nikon D90 with a shutter speed of 1/1600 and aperture of F2.8.

However, netizens were quick to notice that the image was “Photoshopped” and “badly edited,” noting the presence of a white box that surrounded the airplane that did not match the sky.

In a Facebook post, Nikon apologized for the “oversight” on its part.

“NikonCaptures is a casual photography contest that focuses not on the devices or props you use, but on the imagination and creativity that each photographer exudes while capturing and sharing their images,” Nikon said in a statement.

“We have taken in every feedback received, and we sincerely [apologize] for the oversight on our part. We are now in the process of carefully revisiting the contest’s rules and regulations, for the benefit of all our current NikonCaptures members. We will update everyone of the contest rules once we have revisited all of them,” it added.

The optics and imaging giant also welcomed the “witty” response of netizens, who edited their own photos of the ladder and replaced the aircraft with other objects, including a space satellite, roller coaster and Godzilla.

“We welcome the funny and witty entries being shared in response to our recently awarded image. It’s with joy that we acknowledge that the global photography and image community is alive and thriving. We thank you for the numerous spontaneous contributions and encourage everyone to keep the imagination alive,” Nikon said. RAM