IS THIS TENNIS PHOTO REAL ...OR COULD IT BE FAKE...

[jassi]

That is very logical.

The photograph was taken in Praia da Luz.  So what?

The photograph was taken elsewhere.  So what?

There is absolutely no question that wherever it was taken ... it is a photograph of Madeleine McCann ... and therefore it cannot possibly be a fake.

In that case it would be the event attributed to it that would be fake - i.e. the date and time.

[Lace]

It is getting very silly in my opinion to say that this photo was taken before the holiday or on another day of the holiday.

It can be easily checked out by asking the nanny and the instructor.   Why would they lie?

[Brietta]

In that case it would be the event attributed to it that would be fake - i.e. the date and time.

Exact knowledge of that information would in my opinion be required to enable meaningful discussion ... do you possess it?  I would tend to start with the person who actually took the photograph having more information regarding that than internet sleuths.
Corroborated of course with the information retained in respective cameras recording the occasion: the police were given that information and not all of what they were given appeared in the files.
In my opinion without access to that information ... all is guesswork and innuendo ... but in the terms of the thread and the OP, the photograph of Madeleine is not a fake.

[G-Unit]

I don't think the photo is a fake, but I also don't think it was taken in Luz. My reasons are that the balls are adult balls which children wouldn't have been using, and I don't think a tennis coach would allow sandals to be worn. I'm also surprised at the speed with which the photo was shared with friends.

So what?

We were told it was taken in Luz.

[Lace]

I don't think the photo is a fake, but I also don't think it was taken in Luz. My reasons are that the balls are adult balls which children wouldn't have been using, and I don't think a tennis coach would allow sandals to be worn. I'm also surprised at the speed with which the photo was shared with friends.

So what?

We were told it was taken in Luz.

They were very young children,  there wasn't a serious game of tennis going on was there?

It is likely that one of the adults gently tossed the ball to the child and the other adult held the child's arm to help hit it.  Or they had them bounce a ball and try to hit it.

As for the sandals not allowed,  again they were small children,  not playing a serious game of tennis.

If you are correct,  then why hasn't anyone come forward and said 'No we wouldn't have done that with them'.

[Benice]

I don't think the photo is a fake, but I also don't think it was taken in Luz. My reasons are that the balls are adult balls which children wouldn't have been using, and I don't think a tennis coach would allow sandals to be worn. I'm also surprised at the speed with which the photo was shared with friends.

So what?

We were told it was taken in Luz.

With respect G - they were on holiday - not training for Wimbledon.    I doubt if such meticulous rules would have been applied to children simply having fun.  It would seem that it was Cat and not a tennis coach who supervised the children's tennis session.

Quote from Kate's book

During Gerry's tennis lesson, Madeleine and Ella came to the adjoining court with their Mini Club for a mini-tennis session.  Jane and I stayed to watch them.  It chokes me remembering how my heart soared with pride in Madeleine that morning.   She was so happy and obviously enjoying herself. Standing there listening intently to Cat's instructions.........snip
End quote

I'm struggling to understand what 'cunning plan' could possibly have been devised which required Kate to make up an untrue account of what happened.  What would the purpose of that 'plan' be?   It makes no sense to me.

I see nothing odd in a very recent photograph of Madeleine being sent to one of their friends  who had offered to help back in the UK .    They were frantic to get the news of her disappearance out into the public domain at the time - but had been told by the PJ that there could be no publicity in Portugal.  It was left to them to appeal to the the public for help via their friends.       They chose to send the tennis ball piccie.   For the life of me I can't see anything sinister in any of that.

AIMHO

[pathfinder73]

Georgina Jackson was the tennis instructor not Cat LOL.

She relates it was one of the preferred activities of the McCann couple in that they had several lessons throughout the days and up to the date of the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine, it being that the child also had a class, on Tuesday, 1 May (10-11h00), that class [in which] she was among a group of children was conducted by the deponent. http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Georgina_Jackson.htm
Date of activity: 2007/05/08 Hour: 16H20 Locale: Praia da Luz
Profession: Tennis instructor
Work location: Mark Warner The Ocean Club Praia da Luz

[G-Unit]

I have searched the internet and can't find one example of small children playing tennis at Mark Warner with adult balls.

Georgina took the lesson;

Madeleine, it being that the child also had a class, on Tuesday, 1 May (10-11h00), that class [in which] she was among a group of children was conducted by the deponent.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Georgina_Jackson.htm



https://www.aol.co.uk/travel/photos/top-ten-family-holiday-companies/98987/

[Carana]

I have searched the internet and can't find one example of small children playing tennis at Mark Warner with adult balls.

Georgina took the lesson;

Madeleine, it being that the child also had a class, on Tuesday, 1 May (10-11h00), that class [in which] she was among a group of children was conducted by the deponent.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Georgina_Jackson.htm




https://www.aol.co.uk/travel/photos/top-ten-family-holiday-companies/98987/

The only person I can discern wearing white sneakers is the coach...

Re the balls, what is normally used, and what size are they?

[Lace]

Georgina Jackson was the tennis instructor not Cat LOL.

She relates it was one of the preferred activities of the McCann couple in that they had several lessons throughout the days and up to the date of the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine, it being that the child also had a class, on Tuesday, 1 May (10-11h00), that class [in which] she was among a group of children was conducted by the deponent. http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Georgina_Jackson.htm
Date of activity: 2007/05/08 Hour: 16H20 Locale: Praia da Luz
Profession: Tennis instructor
Work location: Mark Warner The Ocean Club Praia da Luz

So there we have it then,  the tennis instructor confirming that Madeleine played mini tennis,  so why are some saying it didn't happen?

[G-Unit]

So there we have it then,  the tennis instructor confirming that Madeleine played mini tennis,  so why are some saying it didn't happen?

Are they? I thought we were discussing the provenance of the photograph, not the tennis lesson.

[ShiningInLuz]

The large photo is real and is consistent with 1 May 2007 around 11 am.

The large photo is in the LINK in the OP.

The photo fits the date/time given by the tennis instructor - Georgina whoever.

The photo fits the description of the event given by Kate on p57 (hardback).

The photo fits the description of the weather at lunchtime on 1 May 2007.  Trip to the beach for ice cream - rained (p57).

The photo fits the layout of the OC tennis courts and the position of the sun on 1 May 2007 at around 11 am.

The next bit I did on my blog in March 2016, but for those who missed it ....

The large photo colour spectrum is bunched below the centre, which is why it looks dull and lifeless.

The small photo colour spectrum is shunted way over to the white end.  That is why the colours and brightness are so distorted.  It is a very poor quality edit.

The photo was taken from the north end of one of the two tennis pitches.  I cannot tell which, nor do I care.

The large photo is real.

[sadie]

I don't think the photo is a fake, but I also don't think it was taken in Luz. My reasons are that the balls are adult balls which children wouldn't have been using, and I don't think a tennis coach would allow sandals to be worn. I'm also surprised at the speed with which the photo was shared with friends.

So what?

We were told it was taken in Luz.

Didn't it say somewhere (Gawd knows where, but someone may be able to confirm this) that Madeleine was running around picking up the balls in an adult game of tennis ?

[sadie]

I have searched the internet and can't find one example of small children playing tennis at Mark Warner with adult balls.

Georgina took the lesson;

Madeleine, it being that the child also had a class, on Tuesday, 1 May (10-11h00), that class [in which] she was among a group of children was conducted by the deponent.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/Georgina_Jackson.htm



https://www.aol.co.uk/travel/photos/top-ten-family-holiday-companies/98987/

As discussed before, Gunit, that IS NOT an OC tennis lesson in the Tapas area anyway.  Dont you remember it ?
I am not aware of any other OC tennis Courts.

Wrong coloured Court.  Should be green, surrounded by a shaley orange colored Area.  No shaley orange on that photo of the court.  Suggest any disbelievers check colours on GE.


So what has this piccie got to do with Madeleine ?

[John]

As discussed before, Gunit, that IS NOT an OC tennis lesson in the Tapas area anyway.  Dont you remember it ?
I am not aware of any other OC tennis Courts.

Wrong coloured Court.  Should be green, surrounded by a shaley orange colored Area.  No shaley orange on that photo of the court.  Suggest any disbelievers check colours on GE.


So what has this piccie got to do with Madeleine ?

I think Gunit was trying to show that children's tennis should if possible be undertaken with slower balls which bounce lower.  These balls are coloured or multicoloured as depicted in the photo in order to distinguish them from normal tennis balls.



The original unedited photo of Madeleine above would appear to show her after collecting tennis balls from an adult game rather than taking part in a game herself.

For the record, I seem to recall creating the overexposed edited image so no mystery.