BBC News Heathrow photo - Photoshop or not?

[aspender]

Currently displaying on their lead story.

Anybody know the location (around LHR obviously) and if it is real?

[Piersman2]

Looks real to me, you should try sitting in that pub near the end of the runway when the planes are coming in from that direction. They are at least that low, if not lower!

[10 Pence Short]

I would imagine it's just a very wide angle lens making the plane seem closer to the houses.

[Landlord]

Having been born around a mile from the airport and I easily believe that photo to be genuine. Obviously taken with a very wide/fish-eye lens to exaggerate the effect but there are houses on the flight path where aircraft are that low. Don't forget 747s are HUGE - a flying building essentially! So it won't be that low.

[ytrebil]

Living near an airport myself there's definitely the possibility that's real. In some places, that's actually quite high for a plane to be passing over a house!

The worst is when the big Russian cargo planes come in, not only are they fooking loud but they tend to fly a lot lower than the normal passenger planes.

[Vee]

aspender said:

Currently displaying on their lead story.

Anybody know the location (around LHR obviously) and if it is real?

The house on the left looks very much like one which featured in an episode of Minder - an Irish guy faking his death to avoid people he owes money to.
Arthur and others attend the wake as they don't believe he's dead.
There were planes flying close overhead in the programme too.
I'd say it's real.

[Cap'n Custud]

Looks like either Colnbrook or Datchet.

I used to live in colnbrook in the old village, the noise wasn't that bad. in the newer prat it is bad as you are under the flight path.

[Neil_H]

I'd say it's definitely a real house.

[LukeBird]

Yeah definitely real.
As has been said, a really wide-angle lens adding to the 'closeness' effect.

[Johnny]

Yep, looks much like that when sat outside the Green Man as well.

[steve_amv8]

This house on Hatton Road? It is sat between the lights!

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.465006&lon=-...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&a...

[motco]

Surely a wide angle lens, which it obviously is, actually reduces the effect of closeness. You wouldn't use a wide angle to photograph the moon, would you? That plane is very low indeed if it looks that big through a <28mm (I guess) lens.

[scorp]

motco said:

Surely a wide angle lens, which it obviously is, actually reduces the effect of closeness. You wouldn't use a wide angle to photograph the moon, would you? That plane is very low indeed if it looks that big through a <28mm (I guess) lens.

It's a wide angle lense taken close up, which exaggerates the perspective effect (fish eye). A narrow angle lense would be taken from far away and would give a 'flatter' appearance.

[motco]

scorp said:

motco said:

Surely a wide angle lens, which it obviously is, actually reduces the effect of closeness. You wouldn't use a wide angle to photograph the moon, would you? That plane is very low indeed if it looks that big through a <28mm (I guess) lens.

It's a wide angle lense taken close up, which exaggerates the perspective effect (fish eye). A narrow angle lense would be taken from far away and would give a 'flatter' appearance.

Absolutely, but the longer the lens the bigger the more distant objects seem vis a vis closer ones - the so-called cricket pitch shortening effect - so the plane looks bigger if the shot is taken from a distance with a long lens than if shot close-up with a wide one? Hard to describe - examples taken from the same spot:-

Wide Angle



Long Focus



The castle looks smaller compared with closer objects in the WA shot.

Edited by motco on Thursday 15th January 10:44

[rabw]

motco said:

Surely a wide angle lens, which it obviously is, actually reduces the effect of closeness. You wouldn't use a wide angle to photograph the moon, would you? That plane is very low indeed if it looks that big through a <28mm (I guess) lens.

+1 Motco is right. To make it appear closer, you'd stand further away and zoom in.

[MrV]

aspender said:

Currently displaying on their lead story.

Anybody know the location (around LHR obviously) and if it is real?

That's nothing, my parents place (Stanwell Moor) you can see the pilot the planes are that low on landing ,will take a couple of pic's at the weekend if they are going over them.

[Captain Cadillac]

43 Propaganda Lane?

[Tony*T3]

motco said:

Long Focus



The castle looks smaller compared with closer objects in the WA shot.

They didnt hang around putting that new runway up did they? Brilliant location for it too and theres a hell of a view from the first class passenger lounge....

[motco]

thegavster said:

I love the view the other way, the statue of George III on horseback is fantastic:

Oh yes, I agree.

[TrevorH]

Captain Cadillac said:

43 Propaganda Lane?

Too subtle for some?