*I* Found it Amusing

Our last class assignment was to replicate a photo we found. Could be a classic one, an ad, something off the web, whatever.

The teacher asked us to send him a copy of the image first, so he could make sure it was feasible - that it wasn't 90% digital manipulation, or involved impossible lighting/angles, etc..

So we all do our shots and bring them in.  One student puts hers up, the original being strawberry slices spread out in concentric circles, used as an ad by another photographer.  She replicated as best she could, the major difference being that her slices weren't as perfect as the ones in the original. The teacher pointed out that for a shoot like that, he'd probably buy boxes of strawberries in search of the perfect slices.  I imagine he'd use the leftovers to make various desserts.

Anyway, as the class is comparing the photos, someone asks, "isn't that slice there just the other slice rotated?"

The class draws closer, and we soon notice that ALL the slices are the same slice, scaled and rotated. The whole strawberries in the photo are the same strawberry, scaled and rotated. In short, the whole thing was Photoshopped.

One slice, one berry, a whole bunch of copy and paste onto a white background.

The teacher missed it. The student did a decent job of replicating it in the real world. The original photographer? Well, I'd guess that if your ad isn't a real photograph, it speaks to the quality of your work.