# Photo of Chinese people running from wave: I don't get it

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 12, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150 "2002-09-12T19:50:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150/21 "2002-09-15T16:07:30Z")

</div>

Real photo. Saw the same thing on TV footage a few days ago.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Helm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Helm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helm)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150/22 "2002-09-16T03:05:44Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by World Eater \*  
> \*\*Yes the distortion at the bottom appears to be intended to hide a seam. \*\*

This is quite common on some cameras if you aren’t used to them.

This means the camera is a large-format news camera with a Veritcal-Plane shutter, that doesn’t close like an eye’s iris, but a metal plate with a horizontal slit that drops like a theater curtain.

The result is the tiniest time difference between the top and bottom of the image. The top is fine, but the bottom is jiggled, because the button was pushed instead of squeezed and there is a rebound when the button reaches the bottom of its grove.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150/23 "2002-09-23T15:42:34Z")

</div>

I really am enjoying the responses to my OP. Thanks everyone! 🙂

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-of-chinese-people-running-from-wave-i-dont-get-it/128150.md?page=1)