My colleague Warner Todd Huston was first to report the wire service Reuters publishing a picture of a saintly Barack Obama surrounded by a halo.
Now, the Associated Press has gotten into the act (h/t NBer Roger the Shrubber):
Is this an accident? Have you seen any pictures of St. McCain?
If you think so, I've got bridges I'm interested in selling.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Halo
July 8, 2008 - 20:31 ET by BarrackEither it's a halo or an astronaut's helmet.
www.benbarrack.com
Oh, please. They have
July 8, 2008 - 20:34 ET by motherbeltOh, please. They have become so shameless it's impossible to parody them.
How long do you think the photographer stood there waiting for just that shot?
Why don't they just start referring to him as "Saint Barack" or "The Chosen One"?
Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson
You are so right mother,
July 8, 2008 - 23:17 ET by DEVILDOCMOMeverytime I think it cannot become worse, the media does it. Do they have meetings and plan these things? Truly, can you imagine if he is elected? It will never end.
CNN
July 8, 2008 - 20:41 ET by 10ksnookerHad the same shot of the Moo-saih up this afternoon.
Oh give me a freakin'
July 8, 2008 - 20:44 ET by bigtimerOh give me a freakin' break!
This is lol funny anymore...
Only idiots would fall for this BS...
Period.
Enough is enough...
...the msm needs to get a clue...they are really going to over do it for anyone with more than one brain cell that works...(well, they already have over-done it as far as that goes anyway)
I know that leaves them out...but please...I am laughing so hard...
MSM...GET A GRIP!
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
America has way too many
July 8, 2008 - 21:25 ET by TruthMongerAmerica has way too many idiots who vote, unfortunately:(
look how close the Dems got to stealing the last two prez elections!
His thoughts
July 8, 2008 - 20:47 ET by BarrackOnly thing missing is a visual of his thinking about the Holy Grail.
www.benbarrack.com
Obama thinking, "With this
July 8, 2008 - 20:48 ET by SemperrightObama thinking, "With this responsability deflecting force field the MSM gave me set at max power, I'm ready for the debates"
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
The MARINES don't have that problem."
President Ronald Reagan - 1985
mistaking a photographer's composition
July 8, 2008 - 20:49 ET by abeautifulpersoncome on guys, stop seeing things where they ain't. as a photographer who shoots people at events, its obvious that they were making the most lighter part of the mostly dark background.
you're right. its not an accident. but had they shot it against that dark background, he would have disappeared into it.
file this one next to the potato chip resembling jesus.
Photographer...
July 8, 2008 - 20:52 ET by BarrackC'mon, bro...
Do you know how many snapshots were taken of "O"bama? They chose to publish that one for a reason. If they were unbiased, they would have left it out for the same reason biased people used it.
www.benbarrack.com
i think of it like i was the photographer with the assignment
July 8, 2008 - 21:05 ET by abeautifulpersonmy job is to track him on the night and get a good, distinct, well composed shot. that's all there is to it.
why should an unbiased person leave it out? i guess, cuz i'm not the religious type. but if i knew it would rankle a segment of the population, i suppose i would want to use it just for that reason.
i do recall chavez getting mickey mouse ears, recently. funny or annoying depending on who you were.
Oh Narcissistic one!
July 8, 2008 - 21:38 ET by MightyMouthYou MUST be joking! Where are the halos around George Bush or <gag> McCain? This site is about liberal media bias and THAT is exactly what you are seeing here!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
google is a handy tool
July 8, 2008 - 21:48 ET by abeautifulpersonsimply type "bush halo photo"
then type "mccain halo photo".
the funny part is, lefties wank about media bias on the right http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Photographic_manipulation and this crew wanks about lefties for the exact same stuff. nuff said on this non-issue. later.
Well I did your silly exercise...
July 8, 2008 - 21:53 ET by MightyMouth... and the top links were...guess what?.. McCains own website! Wow who would have thunk? Now link to all the flattering photos of McCain from the AP & Reuters and maybe I will shut up on this issue, sooner.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Mistake?
July 8, 2008 - 20:58 ET by ReaverI could buy a photographer doing this once, maybe twice but this has happened too often to be dismissed as artful composition. It’s not just the halo, all these photos feature the chosen one in the same arrogant head raised and looking down his nose at you and me pose. It amuses me that they think this will make him more appealing.
abp....and how about the
July 8, 2008 - 21:16 ET by motherbeltabp....and how about the rest of the nearly two dozen shots of him with some kind of a halo, or a shining aura around him, or a beam of light shining down on him.....there's no particular reason that they like that? It's just an interesting photographic effect?
Start here Then go here
There are more too.
This is a LOOOONG way from someone imagining a likeness of Jesus or anyone else in a potato chip, or a cinnamon bun, or anything else. This requires no imagination.
Nice try. Ain't buyin' it.
From the second site I linked to:
Paraphrasing the fictional Auric Goldfinger, “Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, dozens of times is media bias.” Professional photographers know exactly what they are doing when they take such pictures and editors know exactly what they are doing when they choose to run with one picture over the other. Some of it may be unconscious bias on their part, with some being deliberate. But no matter what, it is there, as clear as the halo that surrounds The Obamamessiah!
Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson
hold the phone here
July 8, 2008 - 21:31 ET by abeautifulpersonthere's a huge difference between promotional campaign posters and dissing news media bias. promotional posters are always biased. you're not allowed to fault bias in a promo poster... which is what many of those examples are of.
OK, eliminate the
July 8, 2008 - 21:50 ET by motherbeltOK, eliminate the posters..
The ones on the second site that are not magazine covers are news photos, not campaign posters.
Again...nice try. Ain't buyin' it.
Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson
i appreciate your admission...
July 8, 2008 - 21:54 ET by abeautifulpersonyou don't have to buy, but i still say backlighting is regularly used to make a photo more interesting, artistic and functional. with exception to a couple photos (which are indeed prophetic), these are simply photographers' means to come up with a shot that isn't dull, flat and boring. you can't rely only on the shoe mounted flash for a magazine cover shot.
"beautiful"?
July 8, 2008 - 23:36 ET by MightyMouthstreach much? overreach...much? grasp at straws much?
"you can't rely only on the shoe mounted flash for a magazine cover shot". (duh, that's the point)
Are you kidding us? "photographers' means to come up with a shot that isn't dull, flat and boring."
You mean unless it's a republican candidate right?
<super big roll of eyes> & <hand jesters> &<raspberries>
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
this is too much
July 8, 2008 - 21:11 ET by candancebut had they shot it against that dark background, he would have disappeared into it.
Right, because black people always disappear when you photograph them against navy blue.
*rolls eyes*
That's one of your most absurd explanations yet.
Hey, candance, where ya
July 8, 2008 - 21:20 ET by motherbeltHey, candance, where ya been? Nice to see you again!
Thanks for saying that, I was thinking it.
I keep waiting for someone to say they have to shoot him with light in the background because he is black (to account for all the other photos, like the ones I linked to.)
Of course, an entire light-colored background won't do.....
Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson
people with dark suits and dark hair...
July 8, 2008 - 21:37 ET by abeautifulperson... do disappear into the background.
and since my subjects are black about 50% of the time, YES! because he's black, against a dark background he does NOT stand out like say... a white haired, old white man.
its about composition. not about racism. and since my family are mainly black, using different lighting to shoot them isn't racist its doing my job properly. >chuckle<
wow beautiful
July 8, 2008 - 21:58 ET by candanceThanks for the photography tip....
when taking pictures of black people, make sure to pose them against light walls.
Got halo shots of Condi Rice, Clarence Thomas, or Michael Keyes that regularly appear in the media?
or use backlighting
July 8, 2008 - 22:00 ET by abeautifulpersonduh.
so...
July 8, 2008 - 22:12 ET by candanceDo you have an answer for me or what?
no.
July 8, 2008 - 22:16 ET by abeautifulpersonthen they would only be a silhouette.
here's mccain. is this a halo?
http://www.latimes.c...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080225/mccain/images/7e218de1-1460-47e1-adb3-6c6c7041e87f.jpg
and my personal fave.
http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A1977/197727/300_197727.jpg
but i can see why backlighting doesn't work on this guy.
dr rice backlit
http://images.google...
this is the last lesson to teach ya'll amateur photographers out there.
look at this shot. which person stands out more, is better defined and has more contrast against the background.
http://sanityisland....
i won't tell you how to do your job. don't think you're better at mine.
if you say so
July 8, 2008 - 22:25 ET by candanceThe last example of Condi and Bush - Condi was not hard to see against that navy blue background.
The one of her backlit was way too small and impossible to enlarge.
The halo of McCain....eh...I'll give you that I guess.
i won't tell you how to do your job. don't think you're better at mine.
Wow, did you hear that Noel? Beauty here promises to stop pretending to know more about media bias than you.
If you think
July 8, 2008 - 23:22 ET by DEVILDOCMOMthat is a flattering shot of McCain, there is still that bridge for sale.
abp, you must be sporting a dark suit and dark hair...
July 8, 2008 - 22:34 ET by R D Helm...as you have pretty much now disappeared into the background yourself.
LOL-And that is a good thing. :-)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
I can't wait to see him
July 8, 2008 - 20:57 ET by Delsain his flack jacket and Dukakis helmet.
I wonder if he is aware because he looks too posed
Is the C in the photo
July 8, 2008 - 21:00 ET by Delsashort for Counterfeit?
Or crooked, cheap, charade,
July 8, 2008 - 21:08 ET by SemperrightOr crooked, cheap, charade, chump, charlitan,che is my copilot
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
The MARINES don't have that problem."
President Ronald Reagan - 1985
This photo is pure
July 8, 2008 - 21:10 ET by DaBirdThis photo is pure propaganda. Obama isn't even centered in the picture because the photographer wanted to get the word "we" in the shot. They're not even trying to hide it anymore. Pathetic louts.
it took me 30 seconds...
July 8, 2008 - 21:25 ET by abeautifulperson...to find a halo shot of mccain.
go ahead, type: "john mccain halo photo". so ummm... i did find a decent crop of those supposed halo photos of obama. a couple were definitely religiously suggestive. and a bunch were again, just great portraits. good shots by great photographers. backlighting is a must; especially when someone is against a dark background. i do it all the time.
but seeing the reaction on the thread, i realize there's some truth to what you say. BUT, its not so much about making him look like a religious icon (cuz lord knows liberals are mostly heathen atheists). they're doing it to piss off the religious right.
hey guys. go on the hunt and see how many dubya halo shots are out these. they're really easy to find, too. seems like a bit of a double standard. that is of course, unless newsbusters.org previously published outrage over the bush halo shots, as well.
Got any McCain "Halo" photos...
July 8, 2008 - 21:49 ET by MightyMouth... or links from the AP or Reuters? You aren't gettin the picture here are ya cupcake?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
ABP
July 8, 2008 - 21:49 ET by Noel SheppardABP,
Since you're a professional photographer, and a world-class Googler, could you provide my readers with links to the many "john mccain halo photo[s]" you've found? Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top?
I await your next utterance with great eagerness. ns
see above. all in about ...
July 8, 2008 - 22:18 ET by abeautifulperson... 2 minutes
but i realize now, it makes no sense to backlight the man from glad. or the great grandfather of the man from glad.
NBers
July 8, 2008 - 22:23 ET by Noel SheppardNBers,
This is what ABP equates to McCain in a halo:
And:
Forgive me, but this miscreant is not worth another minute of my time, and advise I all to ignore it as I will from this point forward. ns
Nice shooting, Noel.
July 8, 2008 - 22:27 ET by R D HelmAs per usual. :-)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
Thanks Noel. Picture
July 8, 2008 - 22:34 ET by bigtimerThanks Noel.
Picture perfect....a picture is worth a thousand words....on and on...
Made a perfect fool of another troll here...who most times I do try to ignore..glad you didn't...
Delicious indeed.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
BT
July 8, 2008 - 22:40 ET by Noel SheppardBT,
These people are beginning to tire me, and I refuse to play nice anymore if they're going to be so obviously dishonest.
If that's what they want, they should stick to DU, HP, and DKos, but don't litter NB! ns
Tire you...they tire all of
July 8, 2008 - 22:47 ET by bigtimerTire you...they tire all of us...
I try my best at times to ignore the BS they intentionally spew...
I really think it is time to use some bug spray...they tire all of us...and to think the worst is yet to come before the election.
Just expressing my sentiments too Noel...I agree with you...
Ignoring them seems to do absolutely zilch of good at times.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Noel, LOL-That second pic
July 8, 2008 - 23:04 ET by R D HelmNoel, LOL-That second pic of McCain should be Friday's first Captionfest photo. :-)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
RD
July 8, 2008 - 23:24 ET by Noel SheppardRD,
Definitive answer: "Can you freakin' believe that a quote "professional photographer" thinks the sun coming through the window just over my left shoulder looks like a halo around my head?" :-) ns
you beat me to it
July 8, 2008 - 23:26 ET by candanceI would have put "He he, obnoxious beautiful people will think it's a halo for sure.."
Noel, not in my experience.
July 8, 2008 - 23:46 ET by R D HelmThey are either spotlight-enhanced (meaning "artificial light"), or doctored photos, or a combination of both.
I once worked for a person who did auto accident investigations. I did many clandestine photo shoots, in which I had no real choice as to the angle of my shots.
The sun was often a factor, as I had to take 'em from where I could get 'em, but I recall no halos as a result.
And I am talking literally thousands of photos.
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
1). the wind mills of my mind....
July 8, 2008 - 23:20 ET by upcountrywater2). Get out of my mind h/t movie DUNE
Liberals62%
IranianUranium
Could not
July 8, 2008 - 23:24 ET by DEVILDOCMOMagree more; as I posted above it sure is NOT a flattering shot. ALL of the ones of bho certainly are posed to make him look great.
one more thing before i call it a night
July 8, 2008 - 22:21 ET by abeautifulpersoncatching a shot at an event; on the fly is far different from shooting a magazine cover.
photography lesson is over. another time...
ABP
July 8, 2008 - 22:42 ET by Noel SheppardABP,
Another time? Please spare us, for it's clear you have nothing to teach. Adieu. ns
abp try running your very own business like that
July 8, 2008 - 23:50 ET by upcountrywaterwedding shots,, whatever.. do you think you would , gain customers that way...
of course it don't matter BAILouter.. tax payers owe you.. KUZ
YOU ARE A Liberal entitlement vacuum
IranianUranium is the science to FOLLOW now CORRECT abp
You should have spent more
July 8, 2008 - 21:59 ET by Ruths husband BenYou should have spent more time than 30 seconds. Of course you already had your opinion. I followed your lead though and Googled "John McCain halo photo" and on Yahoo! too. Found one. Found one George Bush one too (this after being in the White House for 8 years).
I also found this little jewel of a thread. It's a discussion of the media's obsession with Obama and how many halo shots they've published of him. Go ahead, spend 20 or 30 minutes and read the thread. If that doesn't convince you that we are seeing a hard sell by the media, well I guess you are in the tank for him too. And that's okay, just don't come around here pissing on our shoes and tell us its raining.
“it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.” - Justice Antonin Scalia
And that's okay, just don't
July 8, 2008 - 22:21 ET by bigtimerAnd that's okay, just don't come around here pissing on our shoes and tell us its raining.
ROFLMAO!
Now that was as succinct as you can get!
Btw...I have never heard that phrase before....I'm not going to forget it either.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Bigtimer, I think that must
July 8, 2008 - 22:29 ET by Ruths husband BenBigtimer, I think that must be a Missouri colloquialism. I have heard it all my life. But you are right, it is succinct and quite a mental image.
“it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.” - Justice Antonin Scalia
Obama - 596 photos vs McCain - 136 photos
July 8, 2008 - 22:15 ET by Gary HallI noticed, in following the links, Noel, that in the Yahoo photo shots, here was the count for the respective presidential candidates. I've noticed on several occassions in recent weeks in various locations Each is linked:
Obama - 596 photos vs McCain - 136 photos
Color me surprised. (:~> gary
PS. I noticed that several of the pictures in the McCain link are actually pictures of Obama. I do not see that the same honor was given to Sen. McCain in the Obama link. Color me surprised.
I'm not too sure that many
July 8, 2008 - 23:48 ET by suzycreamcheeseI'm not too sure that many political points are scored off the halo effect. It offends the religious right who won't vote for him anyway, and confuses the irreligious left. It just makes me dislike him more, which isn't even his fault as he has no control over the composition of the photo.
Oh I can't wait to see how
July 9, 2008 - 02:35 ET by GameGridOh I can't wait to see how many of these kinds of pictures Comrade Obama will be in before the election as it will just help whither away any chance he hopes to have of winning over religious people. Of course his extreme positions and votes on abortion did a great deal on that already, along with his thoughts on how religious people cling to things when Big Brother isn't there for them or when it comes to his 20-year pal Rev. Wright. I just find it funny that these photographers probably think that they are helping his chances.
If Barack is the Messiah and
July 9, 2008 - 07:30 ET by athoughtor2If Barack is the Messiah and he wins, then how can we have seperation of church and state? That should put the ACLU in a complete tizzy to say the least.
McCain Devil Horns Photos soon to be released
July 9, 2008 - 09:21 ET by kdizzydazehttp://i11.tinypic.com/4r1o0gy.jpg
Be on the lookout for a similar photo starring John McCain.
For a bunch of
July 9, 2008 - 11:23 ET by mattmFor a bunch of anti-religious, God-hating leftists, they certainly seem to like to deify certain people....
One person's halo is
July 9, 2008 - 14:51 ET by ladyrvtOne person's halo is another person's target practice.
Think about it.