Obama "Hope" source.

Obama "Hope" source. by MikeWebkist.

I think I found the (previously unknown, apparently) source for the Shepard Fairey "Hope" poster. I stretched the original a bit (really, a tiny amount) and flipped it horizontally, but didn't need to rotate it at all.

~~A few minutes of Google image searching (for obama 2007) after reading this is all it took.~~

It looks like my match, while close enough to fool me & tons of other people, was actually the wrong image. A better match is linked to in stevesimula's comment, below.

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Comments

Lost in New York? says:

I think you also found the newest cast member of Phantom of the Opera, the one on the right is uncanny. ;-)
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

scz says:

That's cool!

It's kind of crazy reading an article from two years ago about Obama. I'd love to read a collection of quotes and opinions about Obama that proved to be colossally wrong.

Writers like TIME and New Republic columnist Peter Beinart have argued that Obama is seen as a "good black," and thus has less of following among black people. ... Obama's trouble, asserted Beinart, is that he will have to prove his loyalty to The People in a way that "bad blacks" never have to. Oops!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

twoeightnine says:

i think you got it.
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Miss Plum says:

you're the man!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

Catznbirdz says:

Great job, Mike!!!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

ParkerParkerParkerParker says:

Thanks! I had no idea this was a mystery since the artist is still alive. Did he never attribute it to the photographer? That really hurts the image!
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

ajh400 says:

Well done on researching the connection. At least this photographer won't be forgotten like the iconic image of Che Guvara.
America (and the world) can expect many more iconic moments from tomorrow!!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Lost in Transit collective says:

I doubt Shepard Fairey will pay royalties or even attribute the original picture. He's notorious for ripping off artists & photographers with no regards for copyrights--until someone uses his images, then a storm of lawyers descend.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

stevesimula says:

Nope, I don't think so. Check out the image on this page and tell me it's not the correct photograph: intrepidliberaljournal.blogspot.com/2006/10/r eminiscing-a...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

twoeightnine says:

fraud!!!! haha. i think steve's right. they line up almost perfectly when you tilt shepard's design including the tie and shadowing.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

anatayw says:

they're VERY similar, i think the second pic at the link is a better match, after you rotate it about 5 degrees and stretch it a little. takes a little away from the argument that since "flipping and re-orienting it, adding jacket, tie", it falls squarely within fair use parameters (the pic already contained a jacket and tie and didn't need to be flipped).

still love the print!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

tweenina says:

Good work, Cramer!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

stevesimula says:

For my photo analysis of this mystery, check this out: www.flickr.com/photos/25105505@N07/3212113517 /

By the way, I still love the print as well.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

[ PROCESS ] says:

Actually, I think this is the real photo: i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/trebor007/ima ge_3655004.jpg

The one above looks really close, but the rotation of the head is just slightly off, which may be why you had to stretch it just that little bit. Looking at the image in this comment alongside the HOPE poster the features match up almost seemelessly. Look closely at the shape of his tie, collar, where the shadows lie, etc.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

[ PROCESS ] says:

this pretty much sums it up:
www.flickr.com/photos/25105505@N07/3212113517 /
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

richeee313 says:

Very cool and good job!

www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009- 01-19/who-to...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Lost in Transit collective says:

@ anatayw:
Shepard Fairey's poster doesn't fall under fair use practice ascribed to Jim Young's photo.
He refuses to attribute his source, saying only that he found it on Google. He is profitting from the image and also has put a differing copyright on his version nullifying the 'share alike' use license.

"Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work)."

Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

stefyania says:

scandal
www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009- 01-19/who-to...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

anatayw says:

@lost: i was quoting what is in the dailybeast story as to why it's believed Fairey's poster WOULD fall under fair use, not stating my opinion on the matter. i'm not familiar enough with fair use and its practices to say either way.

and yes, i'm positive he could've put more effort into finding the source.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Never Original says:

Please be original....

www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/01/20/photograph-ob ama-hope-pos...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

gschmidt21 says:

i think many are forgetting that there are probably thousands of photos of Obama just like the images mentioned above. it has to be said that anyone taking an image of Obama at that angle would get the same result. though the appropriate acknowledgments should be made by fairey, who is to say that the image is particular to a photographer's style or technique? in my opinion, the photographer did not influence the image of Obama. it is merely his face, which is not "copywriteable"

i suppose if the original photograph itself was so memorable, we'd be making IT the face of the campaign - instead of fairey's illustration.

interesting, nonetheless!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Contrabass says:

In today's Boston Globe, some controversy about this image:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_o pinion/outofline/2009/02/how_phony_is_shepard _fairey.html
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

gschmidt21 says:

thanks for the link - interesting article..with more interesting comments.
i think its noted to say that all artists have influences..be it obvious or not. what about Warhol or Lichtenstein? Even better are the statements that reference the software: "It's not even difficult to do with all of the software out there that makes even the artistically challenged look good" -haha, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!!!!!
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

twoeightnine says:

and the best article on it.
www.supertouchart.com/2009/02/02/editorial-th e-medium-is-...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

gschmidt21 says:

wow. what about fonts? and illustration or photography that we use from stock sites? that is someone else's work. should we cease all use of helvetica because Max Miedinger developed it first? i find it hard to believe that people don't see that all art or design is, in some way, a derivative of others people's work. i suppose it depends on what kind of "art" it is...and if people are making a living from it...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Lost in Transit collective says:

the use of a font, like helvetica, isn't infringement on any rights or properties. Merely because acknowledging that it is helvetica you're using, you have referenced your source. Whereas, Fairey refuses to so with this and many other prints he's leached from other people.

Personally, I think copyright law is a sham and creative commons is highly superior, but Fairey is notorious for crying infringement when someone uses his images for profit. Images he "borrowed" and derived from other artists, as highlighted in this interview: www.motherjones.com/interview/2008/03/intervi ew-shepard-f...
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

IMPEACH OBAMA says:

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don’t understand it at its core..

You scare me because you lack humility and ‘class’, always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the ‘blame America’ crowd.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer ‘wind mills’ to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use ‘extortion’ tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O’Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
Posted 1 week ago. ( permalink )

twoeightnine says:

you scare me.
Posted 10 days ago. ( permalink )

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