Photoshopped Image Wins Nikon Photography Contest With Hilarious Results

On Thursday, Nikon Singapore announced a winner of their NikonCaptures photography contest, Chay Yu Wei, whose winning entry was a shot of an aeroplane perfectly captured by a ladder in Chinatown. Or so they thought. As many photographers were quick to point out, Yu Wei’s image was quite clearly edited.

“Yu Wei chanced upon a set of ladders while on a photowalk with his friends in Chinatown, and thought the view above would make an interesting perspective,” Nikon’s post read. “Little did he expect to catch an airplane in mid-air. We’ll try looking up too, Yu Wei.” The winning entry, supposedly capured using a Nikon D90 at f/2.8 and 1/1600s won Chay Yu Wei a Nikon-branded trolley bag. Nikon have stood by the decision, posting a comment on Facebook, apologising for the oversight and planning to revise the rules following this, also stating “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.”

Inspection of the winning entry reveals a white box around the aeroplane in the image, easily visible without the use of any tools, although it was pointed out that adjusting the levels on the photograph causes it to obviously stand out. The internet was quick to their image editors after seeing this, posting a barrage of amusing takes on the image, including replacing the aeroplane with a TIE Fighter, the Death Star, Godzilla and many, some paired with comedic takes on Nikon’s original announcement.

He should have waited longer for the coaster to add a bit of drama. – Render Brant

I chanced upon a set of ladders while browsing the internet with my imaginary 501 legion and thought the “award winning” view would make an interesting perspective. Little did I expect to catch the Death Star from space. – Rogan Yeoh

Such a poor copy and paste by Yu Wei can win a Nikon trolley bag, my entry can win the new Nikon D5 with AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR. LOL !!! – Glenn Guan

Meanwhile, others took to point out the flaws in Yu Wei’s photoshopping of his photograph, explaining that use of the ‘multiply’ layer blending would have hidden the white box surrounding the plane. Yu Wei even responded to comments on Instagram regarding the photograph as if it were real after the photoshop ruse was already discovered. While it seems clear that Nikon has no intention of pulling the photograph or the contest as a result despite the hilarious and mocking responses it caused, it has definitely given Nikon more publicity and provideda entertainment for many.