Sinkhole: Real or bad Photoshop?

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It's in the top 10 of most-Twittered subjects this morning and has editors talking here at the Free Press.

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Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/06/2010 (5746 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s in the top 10 of most-Twittered subjects this morning and has editors talking here at the Free Press.

The photos of a sinkhole in Guatemala City that appeared Sunday after tropical storms blew through the area look remarkably fake.

In fact, at first glance it appears like something out of Photoshop Disasters. It says something about our culture when a photo that moves on our wire service is questioned by editors in the newsroom.

Luis Echeverria / Guatemala's Presidency / AP Photo
In this photo released by Guatemala's Presidency on Monday May 31, 2010, a  sinkhole covers a street intersection in downtown Guatemala City, Monday May 31, 2010.
Luis Echeverria / Guatemala's Presidency / AP Photo In this photo released by Guatemala's Presidency on Monday May 31, 2010, a sinkhole covers a street intersection in downtown Guatemala City, Monday May 31, 2010.

But media sites around the world are posting it straight up.

If you zoom in on the main photo you can see debris at the bottom of the hole.

Do you think it’s legit? We’ve actually asked our wire service to verifiy the photos… stay tuned.

UPDATE: We’ve heard back from Canadian Press and they confirm that it’s a legitimate shot verified by The Associated Press. I guess we’re just too skeptical here…

Luis Echeverria / Guatemala's Presidency / AP Photo
A sinkhole covers a street intersection in downtown Guatemala City, Monday May 31, 2010.
Luis Echeverria / Guatemala's Presidency / AP Photo A sinkhole covers a street intersection in downtown Guatemala City, Monday May 31, 2010.
Nick Martin

Nick Martin

Former Free Press reporter Nick Martin, who wrote the monthly suspense column in the books section and was prolific in his standalone reviews of mystery/thriller novels, died Oct. 15 at age 77 while on holiday in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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