Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The camara never lies - or does it




Why on earth would a Tory Assembly candidate put his opponent's leading campaign photograph on his blog. But it is such an interesting photograph. And the big question concerning our office in Welshpool is "What on earth has happened to our candidate's head". Candidates sometimes do lose their heads - but not usually literally.

The photograph was taken at a cross-party march through Llanidloes, as part of the campaign to stop the local hospital from closure. Our man, Dan Munford was there as were the splendid fellows from Plaid Cymru, David Senior and David Thomas. To begin with I thought, "lucky Lib Dems" - finding a photograph with only their answer to Morecambe and Wise leading the match, and none of the others in sight.

And then we noticed Dan's legs. He had been decapitated - but his legs were still there. His wife recognised his shoes. His head (or at least 6/7ths of it) should have been between the heads of Morecambe and Wise. I'm told that there is some 'blue pixel residue' where the head should be. And some yellow 'bleed' into Mick's collar which could have come from a campaign T-shirt. Well, if you are going to be decapitated, it might as well be on a 'Save our Hospital' march with some doctors close at hand who could stick it back on again.

Poor old David Senior happened to be behind a UNISON poster, which is so much brighter and sharper than all the others that a suspicious mind might think it had been added on later. And he is generally thought to be such a good looking boy.

I think David Thomas, Plaid's very good candidate for Montgomeryshire was just unlucky. I hope he won't mind me noting that his weakest point (from a photogenic point of view) is that he is what we might call follically challenged - and that is the only bit we can see behind 'Earnie's head ! But then this could all be a mirage. Elections do funny things to people.

UPDATE - The Lib Dem rebuttal unit's been on to deny absolutely that the photo has been 'doctored'. According to them, Dan's head is directly behind 'Earnie's'. Well there is a fair bit of room there for sure. I only report what I see.

6 comments:

Deleted said...

lol. Shame you haven't got the original. You could have had a spot the difference, like in Take-a-Break, that I'm always solving for Mrs Field.

Perhaps you can have a competition for the best manipulation of the photo. It reminds me of the famous doctored Anne Widdecombe and Ed Matts photograph from 2005, and the subsequent readers' variations sent in to the Guardian.

Anonymous said...

left field has a point Glyn. MB and LO will need to keep checking your blog. There's got to be scope in the next week or two for some equally imaginative work on our side!

Peter Black said...

It is a nice try Glyn but I can see Dan Mumford's head to the right of Mick Bates as we look at them. This photograph has not been modified.

The Daily Pundit said...

I've heard of 'all mouth and no trousers' but never 'all trousers and no mouth'.

Anonymous said...

If the Lib Dems have doctored their photo the guys who made the Llanidloes Hospital calendar, that’s hanging up in my kitchen, doctored there’s to. Me thinks you are just stirring Glyn

David Thomas said...

Shared the same suspicions when I first saw it Glyn but it's on the official UNISON/Hospital Calendar so I'll accept that it's not been doctored but it is very,very odd. I have a clear recollection of MB and LO both saying "Kids to the front" so Dan, David S and I dropped back as it was a Save Llanidloes Hospital Campaign Rally not a party rally. Very soon though you know who had positioned themselves at the head of the march and the rest has been captured on camera for posterity. You're right - my shiny head's immediately behind MB's.