Wednesday, April 22, 2020

About Those Crowds On Florida Beaches

As they say about horse racing photo-finishes: "The angle fools you."

From News4, Jacksonville:
SLIDESHOW: Uproar reaction over social distancing at beaches a matter of perspective
Pictures of people on the sand at Jacksonville and St. Johns County beaches drew staunch criticism from people all over the world.
The beaches had been closed to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but Mayor Lenny Curry reopened the beaches for exercise after data showed the curve was flattening in the county.

Publications like The Washington Post, CBS News, The New York Times, CNN, Fox News and USA Today were critical of people flocking to the beaches, saying beach goers were ignoring social distancing guidelines and the restrictions Mayor Lenny Curry put in place for the beaches’ partial reopening.

Some photos appear to show the latter is true, but other images show sparse beaches with only groups not larger than 10 people breaking the 6 foot social distancing guideline.
In a social media post, WJXT Reporter and Anchor Vic Micolucci explained how camera lenses capture depth differently.





Eight photos taken during approximately the same time and near the same stretch of sand demonstrate how beaches can appear crowded in one image while a picture of the same scene, captured with a different camera, makes the crowds appear thinner and more spaced out....MORE
The side-by-side comparisons are pretty interesting.

On the other hand this photo from China: