This image, which is supposed to show snowflakes under a microscope, keeps spreading on social networks.
Enthusiastic users comment on the photo and share it.
But the impression is deceptive: the picture does not show any snowflakes.
The photo isn’t snow, it’s paper art.
A reverse search of the image leads to an article naming the British artist Rogan Brown as the author.
A look at the artist’s website shows that the supposed snowflake image is one of his works. The title of the photo: “Magic Circle Variation 5 Detail”.
Brown states that the fine contours and richness of detail in his works of art are due to the fact that he cut out the individual parts with a laser.
Although the picture is not snowflakes under the microscope, there are still plenty of pictures of it on the Internet.
The case makes it clear how much the headline can have on the perception of an image. In this way, a work of art on paper becomes an apparently extreme close-up of snow.
How do we examine videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to take a look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each picture and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or cutting errors. At stern, the general rule is: Seriousness over speed. We always double-check facts and material carefully before we publish them. To do this, we work with the cross-editorial “Verification Team” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, and Radio NRW.