John Freeman, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Journalism associate professor, was quoted in “Posts on Social Media Use Different Photos of Fetterman to Boost Bogus Claim” published on FactCheck.org on March 30.

The article focuses on Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s hospitalization for treatment of depression after he suffered a stroke. Social media posts used two photos of Fetterman — taken years apart — to falsely claim the Democrats are using a body double for Fetterman. According to experts, the differences in the photos are due to camera focal lengths and lenses.

“The focal length of a camera lens, expressed in millimeters (mm), can make people look different,” Freeman explained. “In the professional world, 50mm captures the same view that our eyes see. Everything is the same size and nothing is distorted. But if using a lens less than 50mm, such as 35mm or 24mm, the results will show a bowing or stretching of the face top and bottom.

He adds, “Also, the nose may look bigger than reality, and the ears will look smaller and farther back. Conversely, using a lens ‘longer’ than the normal 50mm will result in a flattening of the face, so that the eyes and nose both appear closer together than they really are.”

Posted: April 3, 2023
Category: College News
Tagged as: John Freeman