An “odd” official photo of President Barack Obama shooting clay pigeons during a visit to Camp David has finally been published by the White House, but it comes with the administration’s typical copyright caveat: Don’t Photoshop it.
The photo, posted to the White House’s official Flickr page on Saturday, is a response to growing skepticism about Obama’s recent claim in an interview with The New Republic that he shoots clay pigeons “all the time.” (RELATED: Obama talks up gun cred in softball interview)
The caption underneath the photo says it was taken on August 4, 2012 at Camp David. A lengthy disclaimer follows, warning viewers against tampering with the image.
“This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph,” reads the disclaimer, which appears underneath all original photos on the White House’s Flickr account. “The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.”
The White House has been dogged by the president’s statement that he regularly skeet shoots ever since The New Republic posted its sit-down interview in late January.
In an apparent attempt to address critics, The New Republic even tweeted out on Tuesday what was later determined to be a fake photo of the president holding a gun.
And on Wednesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney refused to respond to a challenge by Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who offered to take the president on in a skeet shooting contest. (RELATED: White House backs out of one-on-one skeet shoot challenge)
But even the polished photo released on Saturday has been met with some skepticism. Emily Miller, senior editor of the Washington Times opinion page, wrote on her Facebook profile that the photo looked “odd.”
“The Obama skeet shooting photo looks odd to me because the clays come high or low, not straight,” wrote Miller.