Blogger responds to claims that her travel photos are ‘fake’

We all edit our images these days.

Whether it's a filter, a crop, or a little bit of Facetune, most of us usually doctor our photos somewhat before we post them online. With many celebrities recently facing criticism for supposedly photoshopping their own photos, it was only a matter of time before the bloggers came under fire too. Fashion, beauty and travel blogger Amelia Liana is the latest to face the backlash for photos on her Instagram account.

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on Jul 8, 2017 at 3:02am PDT

Liana regularly posts pictures of herself at stunning locations around the world. So far, she has visited cities like Marrakesh, London, Florence, and New York - to name but a few. But there's something about Liana's photos that, according to some, seems a little off.

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on Jun 27, 2017 at 9:49am PDT

Photo experts at The Times have claimed that Liana has photoshopped herself in front of many of the skylines and cities that appear on her Instagram feed. According to them, a lot of the photos are missing certain buildings, not reflective of the number of other tourists who would have been at the location at the time, or simply impossible.

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on Apr 27, 2017 at 10:43am PDT

One of the photos that The Times singled out showed the travel blogger standing with her back to the camera in front of the New York skyline. However, One World Trade Centre (or the Freedom Tower) did not make an appearance in the photo. The post in question has since been deleted from Liana's feed, but other photos flagged as suspicious included one of her in front of the Brooklyn Bridge, and one where she was exploring the Taj Mahal.

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on May 28, 2017 at 5:42am PDT

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on Apr 10, 2017 at 8:46am PDT

The paper claimed that the mausoleum would have been covered in scaffolding around the time that the picture was taken. Liana was quick to try and set the record straight. She took to her blog to explain that she is striving to give her images "...authenticity, as well as giving you imagery that is stylish, progressive and inspiring." The blogger also shared her list of 'Image principals', which included providing unique and inspiring images, shooting all images at the location specified, and ensuring that natural light is used where possible.

A post shared by Amelia Liana (@amelialiana) on May 10, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

However, Liana also admitted that she likes to 'tidy' up the backgrounds of some of her images too.

"I like to develop my skills and may use all available techniques to enhance, sharpen or smarten my images. This may include improving the light, tidying the background and other enrichments, but always in a way that is representative to the true setting and always in a way that reflects my aesthetic."

To explain the lack of other people in her photos, Liana said that she likes to get up early to take her shots and that there doesn't tend to be a lot of people around at those times.