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Photoshopped Rachel

Photoshopped Rachel

June 6th, 2010  · stk

In 2008, I entered a photo contest at Alberni Outpost, a Vancouver Island outdoor store. We didn't win, but I recently noticed the photo was used as the background for their new website design. Have a look.

Rachel's Photo Backdrop for Local Website

Rachel paddling a canoe on Isaac Lake, Bowron Lakes, B.C.

We are considering purchasing a used tandem kayak from Alberni Outpost, a Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Store, with locations in Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Courtney & Nanoose. The fibreglass kayak has been in their rental fleet for some number of years and yesterday, we took it on a "test paddle" around Newcastle Island and to Protection Island (where we had dinner at the Dinghy Dock Pub). It was an excellent afternoon and will be the focus of an article I'm currently researching and writing.

In doing that research, I made a surprising discovery. A photo we submitted the Alberni Outpost Photo Contest in 2008 is currently the background image for every page of their website.

That photo I submitted to their photo contest can be seen in our Bowron Lakes Slide Show. It's also on the Photo Contest page (2008) on the Alberni Outpost website (their site relies on JavaScript, so I can't link the picture directly. Just click on 2008 Photos and you'll see it.)

Despite the fact that the photo didn't win, it was chosen - over all the other photos submitted over the years and over all past winning submissions - as the backdrop for their new design.

We suspect the photo didn't win because it was a canoeing picture, not a kayaking picture. No worries! Just a Photoshop nip here and photoshop tuck there and suddenly, Rachel is paddling a kayak instead of a canoe! Amazing what can be accomplished with digital photos, eh?

So, do you think the owner, Richard Antonchuk, will give us a discount on the used kayak as consideration for using our photo in his website design? :D

alberni outpost background photo original bowron lake photo

Alberni Outpost used our photo submitted in 2008 for their website background image, after photoshopping it to put Rachel in a "kayak". Hover to compare before & after!

About the Photo

The picture shows Rachel paddling in the early morning light on the East arm of Lake Isaac, the big lake on the Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit.

I overlayed the photos in Photoshop, cropping them to their intersection. I also brightened the Alberni Outpost photo, to provide greater visual detail. (The actual background photo on the Alberni Outpost site is much darker.)

The presentational "image hover-overlay" technique was invented by me, utilizing cross-browser CSS opacity techniques (valid CSS Level 3 code) and is detailed in a 2008 article entitled, "Playing with Opacity" (includes cut'n-paste CSS & HTML code).

See the photo on the Alberni Outpost Website.

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Updated: 27-Jun-2010
Web View Count: 1413 viewsLast Web Update: 27-Jun-2010

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1.flag Sokobanja Comment
06/13/10
Shame. You really have to say something. You should sue them for copyright
2.flag Ann Comment
07/29/10
It clearly states that by entering the photo in the contest, the photo becomes the property of Alberni Outpost. Though I would think a credit somewhere would have been a nice thing for them to do. Either way, kudos to you for a great photo! :-)
3.flag stk Comment
07/30/10
Ann - You're absolutely correct about the "legal" issue. However, we believe there's often a difference between what's legal and what's ethical.

Notification on the usage would have been nice (they have our email and phone number). Proper photo credit would be nicer. Consideration (store credit or discount) would have been ideal - and help foster customer loyalty, eh?
4.flag Ann Comment
07/30/10
I most definitely agree with you! At the very least they should have contacted you! I was, however, just clarifying the rules for the previous poster "Sokobanja." ;-)