"How does a toy end up in that spot after a bombing and building collapse with no dust on it without having been placed there after the fact?"
He might have been looking around for things, picked them out of the rubble -- knocked the dust off and sat it down, and moved on.
Then came back to collect what he had found.
Again, I'm not saying it wasn't staged. But there could be a more sensible answer than that somebody went to the trouble to bring a suitcase full of toys to a photo shoot and didn't think to "age them" down as we say in the biz.
And I still don't think they would photo the guy taking the toys out of the suitcase, if that was the situation.
And to my eyes it looks like he is putting things in it. But that is just my subjective opinion, of course.
Mind you, I was one of the first to suggest that photo faking has been going on:
Was The “Qana Massacre” Staged By Hezbollah? | Sweetness & Light
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/was-the-qana-massacre-staged-by-hezbollah
More Media Overkill - From The AP In Baalbek | Sweetness & Light
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/more-media-overkill-in-baalbek
Media Claimed “White T-Shirt Guy” Was Girl’s Father | Sweetness & Light
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/media-claimed-white-t-shirt-guy-was-girls-father
I just think we should try to be objective and keep some perspective.
I think it is a fairly common trick among photojournalists to drop a doll into a bombed out environment. (this guy works for neither news agency, however, he's a separate participant).
I do not recall if the specific example I would like to cite was from a fictional film (like a Good Morning Vietnam) or a documentary on a particular photographer. I know there was a doll (that was boobytrapped) in Full Metal Jacket but that is not what I am recalling. This was someone discussing the craft.
Right, I got you. Tons of concrete, household items, bleeding humans, pets, food etc, etc collapse down in an explosion...but presto chango, Ahkmed shows up and happens to find overwhelmingly, exceptionally, inexplicably, impossibly pristine toys that only require a light dusting to be recovered and recycled for some other needy future terrorist.
I feel that.
/Am I talking to a DUmmy?
Sam,
You are grasping at straws. The evidence speaks for itself, and if AP wanted to examine the entire sequence, they would have conclusive proof that these "toy shots" from Reuters are staged.
Now, put yourself in AP's position: Are they going to start a war by outing Reuters? Of course, I'm assuming that AP is not complicit.