Fancy Figuring Ferrets Out Fake Photos
New software identifies doctored images by finding inconsistent shadows, even with complex shapes and uneven surfaces. Larry Greenemeier reports.
SUBSCRIBE TO 60-Second Tech
Marilyn Monroe riding a T. rex on the moon? Sure. All it takes is a little photo editing software.
One of the most effective ways to spot less obvious fakes is to look at the shadows cast by objects in the picture. If they’re pointing in different directions, chances are the image you’re looking at isn’t real. But the analysis can be challenging when the objects have complex shapes and the shadows are cast on uneven surfaces.
That’s why Dartmouth and U.C. Berkeley researchers have developed software that analyzes images on two fronts. The program tracks the shapes and angles of different shadows for inconsistencies. It also uses geometric algorithms to determine the angle of illumination on each object, which should match up if there’s a single light source. This research appears in the journal ACM Transactions on Graphics. [Eric Kee, James O’Brien and Hany Farid, Exposing Photo Manipulation with Inconsistent Shadows]
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The researchers tested their software on a 1969 moon-landing photo. Conspiracy theorists often point to the complex orientation of shadows in the picture as evidence it was doctored. But the computer analysis says it’s kosher. Looks like we might have made it to the moon after all.
—Larry Greenemeier
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
