Fan Picture Detective Idea...
Added 2021-02-10 18:34:55 +0000 UTCOn the back of the interest in that post I did the other week in which I located the picture of the Instagram model in Bali, I've decided to try something. Now this might sound slightly creepy, but what if you, my trusty Patreons, send me a picture of yourself via email, and I were to try and figure out exactly where you are, down to the specific metre. You could be on holiday, or in your hometown, or anywhere. I'll make a video showing the entire process of me finding out where you are, and if it's a success it could go on the YouTube channel. If it's not, maybe it could remain on Patreon.
If you want to be involved, read carefully:
- The photo would need to strike a good balance of findable, but hard to find. For instance, you standing in front of the Eiffel tower won't take me too long, but equally you standing in front of a wall, a bush, a field, or even a non descript street with no particular landmark or geographical features in sight will also be impossible for me to guess too. Remember I have to pinpoint your exact location - it needs to be doable! Mountains, rivers, sun position, railway tracks, hotels, shops, certain signs etc, will all help make it interesting and doable.
*EDIT* I will be using Google images, Google Earth, and anything else in my power to find your exact location, so bare that in mind.
- Try not to give me your name in your email, as it could give away the country. For example if your name was Anders Lundqvist, or Niall O'Conner, it might give me a hunch that you're from Sweden or Ireland, respectively. If your email has your name in it, you'd have to use another one that doesn't somehow.
- Your face could potentially be on YouTube, unless you blur it out. Your hometown will be on there too obviously (if that's where you are). When I get confirmation from you on whether I'm correct, I could always get your name then and say it on YouTube if you gave me permission. That's up to you.
My email is tomdavies2286@gmail.com. Please don't be offended if I don't reply to your email, as I won't have time to reply to each one. The only reply you would get is if you're chosen.
Please make the subject of your email "DETECTIVE PHOTO" so that I can organise it into a folder easily.
Depending on how long these take, I might do 3 for the first video, and then see where we go from there. If it's a success, I'll keep digging into the archives.
So, best of luck finding a suitable photo as I'm sure I'll have lots to choose from!
Also feel free to suggest a name for this idea, and to let me know if you think this is a good idea or a terrible one in the comments below. I have been known to not fully think things through..
Comments
Yes, tackling this this week :)
tom davies
2021-03-15 15:05:24 +0000 UTCIs this still going on?
2021-03-14 21:17:47 +0000 UTCOh crap you're right, I was so gonna make a picture for Tom and then I read your comment and remembered Germany is rather suboptimal :( I'll submit one once I'm back in Switzerland
2021-02-12 13:32:05 +0000 UTCin germany they drove through the big cities and then stopped after too much backlash (although we have a law to film everything that is viewable from the street)
2021-02-11 16:27:06 +0000 UTCgoogle abandoned?
rxuz
2021-02-11 16:24:07 +0000 UTCThis is an amazing idea I’ll defo submit a photo !
2021-02-11 16:16:07 +0000 UTCI think it would be generally unwise to send photos of you near your home. Just take a vacation picture or of some place large enough so nobody can track you down.
Jonas
2021-02-11 16:14:22 +0000 UTCUnfortunately, google abandoned my country and my hometown doesn't have streetview. I only have images with myself from holidays
2021-02-11 08:30:00 +0000 UTCThat would be significantly easier!
2021-02-10 23:30:29 +0000 UTCI think it’s probably safest if they just sent their photo with the face blurred. After all the video would be more about the detective skills than the person so it wouldn’t hinder the quality.
2021-02-10 23:29:23 +0000 UTCI like it in theory but I would be careful how you go about it. If you have a face and pinpoint their location, someone could use that information to do the person harm if the photo was taken near where they live. Even worse if you give their name as well. I think you would want to consider some sort of liability release form, I believe there are "photo release form" templates online that you could use. I could easily imagine someone misunderstanding the consequences of allowing you to release this information about them and it coming back to bite you later. You want to trust that people aren't going to do bad things but you have to protect yourself and others just in case.
2021-02-10 23:11:37 +0000 UTCFans could also send you the photo location as a separate attachment that you would not open until you have tried your skill. Should we remove the exif data from our photos, or will you be on your honor not to look at it?
Nicholas Van Buer
2021-02-10 23:06:03 +0000 UTCGreat idea! But how will you know if you're right or not? Would I need to know the exact location the pic was taken?
2021-02-10 22:38:41 +0000 UTCPerhaps them holding up a piece of paper that says "GeoWizard", or something on it. (Obviously that means you can't use old photos - or maybe send a new photo of your face holding a bit of paper so it can be cross referenced)
Joseph B
2021-02-10 22:28:20 +0000 UTCDo you want us to be on the picture? I'd have trouble fitting both a proper glimpse of my surroundings and myself on a picture... I could even send you a panorama, but that would completely rule out me being in it 😄
2021-02-10 20:39:19 +0000 UTCAwesome idea! I'll figure out a way to make it doable but difficult for you
Sebastian
2021-02-10 20:19:40 +0000 UTCSent! Let's go! Will upgrade tiers if you get it right. ;)
2021-02-10 20:11:08 +0000 UTC2 Videos in 30 minutes, your having a good day😄
2021-02-10 20:03:46 +0000 UTCThis is a great idea. I’ll see how you do it in the first video then I’ll consider submitting my photo
Connor Wilkinson
2021-02-10 19:45:18 +0000 UTCThis is a cool idea. Just a suggestion, we could also send you a video instead of a photo where we film a 360 degree panorama so you have a little more info to go on. I've emailed you one as an example. Feel free to ignore it if it is a dumb idea.
Domain of Science
2021-02-10 19:36:20 +0000 UTCThis is gonna be awesome. I don't often take pictures of myself so I have basically none in the archives. I do, however, have a few photos that don't include me, but I think could make an interesting challenge. Do I have to be in the photo? It's no problem if I do.
Ethan Brier
2021-02-10 19:15:36 +0000 UTCI like it! How about calling it 'Place my Face' ?
2021-02-10 19:00:40 +0000 UTClove this idea, cant wait to send my picture in
Weston Titus
2021-02-10 18:54:24 +0000 UTCI really like the idea. However, it could be abused, and people could in theory send pictures of other people (edit: without their consent). I think the risk is a bit less on Patreon, but it's still a risk. So you might want to include some way to make sure the person sending in the picture is actually the person in the picture.
Cord M.
2021-02-10 18:52:56 +0000 UTCI think it's a great way to involve viewers in content! That said, you may have trouble with any photo I submit; I live in the middle of pretty much nowhere.
James Detmer
2021-02-10 18:46:37 +0000 UTCChallenge accepted (;
ZackC__
2021-02-10 18:43:51 +0000 UTChahaha he'll have a fit!
tom davies
2021-02-10 18:43:10 +0000 UTCTime to do some detective work from Tom's videos, find his house, and submit a photo of a group of us standing outside it.
Stuart Gilbert
2021-02-10 18:41:51 +0000 UTCAfter the way Ludwig reacted to Tom hiding in a hedge in Norway, I can't wait to see the reactions to "I doxxed my fans and tried to find out exactly where they live and then shared it with the internet!" - just joking though, I think it's a class idea
ZackC__
2021-02-10 18:41:19 +0000 UTCReal OGs remember hometown roulette
William
2021-02-10 18:37:33 +0000 UTCThis is a great idea, can't wait to see if people send in some interesting new places!
Nathan Hayes
2021-02-10 18:37:00 +0000 UTC
