Dear White House….
OK, so yesterday I heard from a friend that it was reported that the government spent an estimated $360,000 for that “Photo Op” debacle which had the President’s 747 flying low over New York City (good plan!), escorted by a fighter jet (luckily the President wasn’t on board).
I heard what they wanted was a shot of Air Force One (of course, it’s only called Air Force One if the President is actually on board, so we’ll just call it “Big Blue and White 747″) flying over the statue of Liberty with Manhattan in the background. There were probably more cost efficient ways getting that image, and so in literally less than two minutes I hacked together the composite you see above in Adobe Photoshop CS4, using a background from iStockPhoto.com and an official White House shot of “Big Blue and White 747″ from their web site.
Now, here’s my plea to the White House. Rather than spending $360,000 somewhat foolishly (wink, wink), whatdayasay we work out a deal?
I’m trying to raise money for furniture and household appliances for an orphange in Kenya (run by Americans), and I’d be happy to actually take 90 minutes (or more; whatever it takes), and really do the compositing job right, and all you have to do is buy a freezer for around, say $360. You can keep the other $359,640 or give it to GM.
Anyway, by next weekend my schedule will have freed up, so if you’re interested just drop me a line here or call my cell phone (you know the number).
Uh, Mr. Kelby, I just want to thank you for making suggestions for real change. And…you are an important part of what makes this country great…and…I just want to ask you one thing…and…that is, can you work on my official portrait to…um…make my ears a little smaller? And…while you’re at it…work on Joe’s teeth…so they aren’t so white…and… okay, where’s my teleprompter, guys?
(fist bump at ya!)
pwahahaha
Dear President Obama,
I suggest you send the whole NAPP staff to gitmo to capture “in the moment” shots. I would also suggest water boarding at least 300 times for all the NAPP staff so they can self actualize the moment.
The nerf ball torture club of KY
Ken in KY
roflmaobbqsos
OMG – that’s the best laugh I’ve had in a LONG time – thanks!
Oh Scott! You made my morning with this one!!!
Thanks for the laugh. I can always count on learning something when I read your books, and I can always count on laughing as well.
I’m wondering…..I laughed with this one….did I learn something too?
We LOVE you, Scott !
You know that, right ?
Great post !!!
Haha! This is hilarious and awesome.
Scott, it’s a great one! It’s really really funny. And you know what… this photo is probably better than the actual photo they took.
This photo will in fact be much better as the haze on the day that they flew over NY/NJ was really bad. Seeing a 747 making banked turns that low to the ground was an amazing site to see close up. I work in Lower Manhattan so I had a birds eye view that day!
haha That’s exactly what I thought when I saw it on the news – just photoshop it in!!
Um, maybe they wanted to do video as well?
Someone got video – of New Yorkers running for their lives!
Obama’s folks have a pre-9/11 mindset – which is REALLY SCARY…
Love it!
Does exist a website of this orphange in Kenya?
Or more information in an other way about this project.
Scott had a post earlier this week about the orphanage:
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/4483
Springs of Hope, Kenya orphanage website:
http://www.springsofhopekenya.org
Raphael,
See Scott’s post a couple days ago: http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/4483.
Cindy
Apparently they combine required training missions with these photo ops. They had anther one scheduled for this week in DC. *facepalm*
Scott,
Funny. Maybe you could apply for the job in the White House that is sure to open up.
Check out the John Stewart reply to this screw up. Even he knows you can use PhotoShop.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/how-much-did-th.html
Tom
Scott- all I can say is “Amen, brother”
Would’nt they actually use Marine 1 in that situation anyways?
You rock dude!!
SERIOUSLY!!!! You should be on the budget committee!
Scott, you stole my joke!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfletcher/3483872567/
Hey guys, the NYDN is requesting everyone participate in the PhotoShop fun!
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_createyourown_nyc_air_force_one_flyover_photo__we_did.html
That was awesome… truly awesome. I think you just made my whole day… even taking my 9 y/o daughter to a new doctor so he can order a MRI she would have had months ago if it weren’t for Florida’s rediculous medicare system doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
Scott, you stole my idea!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfletcher/3483872567/
A wise man once spoke…
“You cannot steal, what you do not know exists”
Excellent post! It is indeed ludicrous to have comissioned such a shot.
I’ve put a link on the UK Motley Fool site discussion boards.
Thanks for the opportunity to get some recs.
Nice one!
But none of these pictures — comments, links… flickr links.. are “REAL PHOTOS”… While your talents using Photoshop are spectacular – they’re not really the real mccoy… The White House likes to use the real mcCoy… Thing about the impacts to the economy if they weren’t using the real mccoy…
Scott would get 360$
GM would get 359,640$ to spend.
The pilot & air crew wouldn’t have been paid to keep the bird in the sky.
That includes the ground crew to maintain the plane, fuel it, move it to the runway.
The fuel, someone has to receive money for fueling it.
ATC’s for keeping in contact with both the Army fighter jet & the AF1/xx .
Think of all the media folks that managed to write an article or ten (Thank you CNN…)
about it…
I think this was a great publicity stunt to commemorate 100 days — and managed to keep MANY peoples employed, and working.
Wouldn’t YOU love to have been the guy in the fighter jet, using Pocket Wizards to light NEW YORK CITY & AF1? I know I would have been — sure beats putting PW in a helicopter eh?
Nice posting. But the White House military guy has already blown the money on the shoot. They don’t dare show the picture anywhere now.
Who was the photographer for the Air Force One shot?
Anyone know where Joe McNally was that day?
I’m not usually one to rain on the parade but…
This event really seems to be getting blown out of proportion. The dollar figure Scott quoted could possibly be accurate for an actual presidential airlift mission including fuel, maintenance, Secret Service, F-16 x2 fuel, maintenance, etc etc, but not for a “photo shoot”. These aircraft were going to fly anyway, whether it was moving the president, a photo shoot or anything else. All three aircrews require and fly training missions… which really means that they accumulate flying hours regardless of what the specific training is. The money to fly the aircraft has already been spent (and IS spent for the training that Air Force, Navy, Marines and Army do every day, from aircraft to tanks to rifle practice).
Secondly, by many reports, all of the local authorities, including 911 were notified of the event. The mayor’s office was notified but his subordinates didn’t pass the info up the chain. The public was not however, probably due to the fact that presidential aircraft are highly protected and their movements, regardless of who is on board, is not likely to be advertised. I’m not a New Yorker so I can’t say what my reaction would have been (as a non-New Yorker, my reaction would not have been one of panic though).
As for the photographer, it’s HIGHLY likely that the guy with the camera in the back of the F-16D was a military photographer from the Air Force (or Air National Guard). Although I’ve yet to see if they say who it was until reading the photo credit if/when the photos are released.
On the subject of Photoshop… is the collective answer from the masses REALLY “Why didn’t they Photoshop it?” Considering the outrage when a journalistic photo has any alteration (and DOD photographers are bound by journalistic rules) I find this slightly hypocritical. What if it turned out that many official photos WERE produced not with but BY Photoshop? I expect much of the same outrage.
Here endeth the counter-rant!
All very good points. A certain amount of training missions and successful test flights have to be accomplished with 0 error before a pilot is even considered for those duties.
It’s a toss up really, sure it’s been blown out of proportion. From the general public’s eye the government just spent $360,000 for a picture because in all actuality…they DID.
However, what the general public doesn’t realize (as you said) is that it happens everyday for training missions.
Well said, Jason P. And it’s only Air Force One if the President is actually on board.
I second the motion that the President and staff would get crap for making a fake photo. Others will certainly make sure he gets blamed for making a real photo.
While we’re on the subject, couldn’t you find a stock photo showing the face of the statue?
What’s the big fuss. Personally, I was “enchanted” by the photo opportunity. It employed a photographer, all those pilots and ground support people and it let the high strung people of NYC know that not every low flying plane is trying to wipe them out. Despite all the ruckus about the Car Executives using their planes to ask for bailout money, I think the president should crank up Air Force One, the security detail and plan more trips to Chicago for Valentine’s day to eat at his favorite restaurant. I love the scraps—although the food here at the White House is pretty good too. They have a really good cookˆ I mean chef. I think we’ll all look at this airplane photo thing in 30 days and say that it turned out much better than we hoped . . . just like the president said about the Chrysler bankruptcy today. I’m not being political, i just want transparency and a dog bone every once in a while. Bark.
Odd, must have been on the same page, I created this one [ http://johncarmichaels.typepad.com/carmichaels_position/2009/04/first-raw-photos-from-the-air-force-one-fly-by.html ] last night prior to you even slapping this one together. I even mentioned that if I could assemble mine (as rookie as I am with Photoshop imagine what Scott Kelby or other pros could come up with.
Heheh, even looks like we chopped the same VC-25A image.
-JC
Dear White House,
If you’re going to make a video of a New York flyby, please contact me first. I think I can save you some money.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36712951@N06/3485933650/
Scott check this out i think you have a winner
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/04/30/scare-force-one-the-joy-of-photoshop-edition.aspx
cooksfriend
though i would agree we should spend money on the orphanage in kenya, do you realize how little $360,000 is? about 2 trillion dollars is collected every year. 2 Trillion.
Yea when did WE THE PEOPLE get asked what we thought about it? That $400K is ours people…..and this administration is giving it away, to people that apparently can’t manage money…when will it end?
I apologize, when I said “Bark”, I meant “Woof.”
haha. they might end up spending just as much to come up with an idea closed to yours. btw, nice photo..
Oh yes. I found this to be the most entertaining thing you have EVER said.
p.s. people, go to http://www.gravatar.com and upload a gravatar so when you post on blogs you’re not a symmetrical, bald white man on a rather dull grey background.
As the Scarecrow sang in the Wizard of Oz: “If I only had a brain…”
Thanks, Scott, for the PS example. Did anyone consult a photographer or designer when planning their photo shoot? Pete Souza, the White House photog, would have known about Photoshop.
But then again, we’ve probably all met or heard about administrative bureaucrats who make decisions on creative marketing projects, then notify the creatives to “do it this way” without consulting them beforehand.
Usually we don’t have to pick up the bill for the gaffe.
Scott,
You made my morning with this one – thanks for the great laugh (I needed it)!
I think there is something being lost in all this budget / fly over / economy / where was Joe Mc? / Photoshop /authenticity / would they have flow anyway? ….. blah, blah, blah, ……talk.
The point here is that Scott Kelby entertains the hell out of me! Thanks Scott! Pure brilliance!
Smile kids let’s make some fun!
blessings!
Simon
Scott,
?
“You know the number.” Very funny line. I reckon they know a lot more about you. Chances are you’d also drop everything you were doing and not wait for ‘your schedule to clear’ if they called. You might even forget to post on this blog for a day or two – except of course that you’d want us all to see what you were doing (you know, for ‘educational purposes’). You wouldn’t brag about it now, would you
Scott, you’re on! I would be happy to donate the $360 to purchase a freezer for the orphanage and donate the commissioned work to the public domain for the White House or anyone else to use.
In addition, I will produce a run of 24 x 36” posters to be sold (along with the story) at my wife’s photography booth at an upcoming festival near D.C. and donate 100% of the proceeds to the orphanage. (Given the festival’s proximity to the nation’s capital, it could be a big seller.)
Serious offer.
“or give it to GM” – honestly, that put me on the floor. Great post. (and can I just say – duh!)
Hi Scott!
I’m Italian and I live in Italy but…your post is fantastic! You made me laugh a lot. So, really, even if I’m into PC’s I didn’t thinked about this possibility. You’r great.
Best wishes,
Davide
Scott, Love what you’ve done with your hair….just kidding. I mean, what you’ve done with PS throughout the many years I’ve read your books and been inspired by your knowledge of photography. Thanks.
Short note about Air Force One, great composite image over NYC and you know the flap caused by the ‘low flow’.
I’ve always been curious why the US flag is displayed ‘backwards’ on the right side of the tail and the opposite on the left side. This appears inconsistant with US flag display rules and regulations from what I can gather.
I know its not your call but thought you might have noticed. Anyone know why?
Great post Scott…
N.
Ha! Not a bad rendering. But charge more! For the way the government can redundantly piss away tax dollars, charge $200,000, at least. Still cheaper than filling up that 7-4, filling up the Falcon, putting dips**t pilots in both, and sending lower manhattan into a panic attack…
PS I wonder who snapped the actual photo…
Scott, the question is WHO was riding in the plane and WHAT were they celebrating?
Ok, so it would have been possible to Photoshop Air Force One onto the New York skyline, so here’s a question? Who was joyriding on that plane? Who wanted a closeup view of New York City? Close friends of the President, the 1st Lady, the President himself? Who?
Not to say that it was the most brilliant concept, you have to know the whole story and all of the conditions. For the military, Joe’s solution is a one way ticket to the brig. The Secretary of Defense has a very strict rule against photo manipulation. It is not good for the government to allow official records to be manipulated under any circumstances. As a twenty two year veteran of Navy photography (and a few Dinfos workshops) I spent a lot of time training juniors on military “ethics” and surprised that in his time working with Dinfos, Joe hadn’t come across that as well.