Staged photos – what should we look out for?

Example 3: Did this meeting really take place?

1. Logic test (the most important step): Before we start looking for errors in the pixels, let’s ask: ‘Is this possible?’ We know from the news that these two men (the presidents of Ukraine and Russia) are at war. Would they be smiling and shaking hands in a cosy library? If the situation in the photo seems implausible, it is usually fake.
2. The ‘handshake’ trap (technical error): Artificial intelligence struggles greatly with hands that are touching or intertwined. Take a look at the hand on the left (Zelenskyy’s). The fingers wrapping around Putin’s hand look as though they are ‘melting’
3. Plastic-looking faces: Look at the face on the right (Putin’s). The skin is unnaturally smooth. It lacks the natural pores, fine lines or shadows that every person of that age has. This is known as the ‘wax mask’ effect.
4. Blurred background and details: The books on the shelves in the background are just coloured blobs. Artificial intelligence cannot ‘write’ real titles on the spines, so it creates something that merely resembles books.
   Also, take a look at the pin on the left lapel of the jacket – it’s not a real flag at all, just a smudged shape meant to imitate one.