From Iranian missile tests to George W. Bush campaign ads, using Photoshop to make yourself look better is anything but innovative. Even more so because if you cut corners (literally and figuratively), you’ll probably get caught and wish you could photoshop yourself out of an awkward PR situation.

BP is already in a bad enough PR situation, so someone must have thought, Photoshop? Why the heck not?

Because this is a heckuva bad job at it:

BP HIVE command center in Houston photoshopped croppedHouston, we have a problem with your Photoshop skills.© BP p.l.c. / Red circles by John Aravosis, Americablog

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John Aravosis at Americablog pointed out the glaringly bad Photoshop job done on this photo of BP’s Houston cleanup response command center. Blank screens in a command center must make you look like you’re not doing anything, so it’s probably better to cut and paste something impressive into the picture. Right?

BP HIVE command center in Houston photoshoppedBotched offshore drilling, botched response, botched photoshopping.© BP p.l.c.

The photo was available for download in high-resolution until BP got wind of the tattle, blaming it on the professional photographer and replacing it with this original.

BP HIVE command center in Houston originalShakespeare has some advice for BP: To thine own photos be true.© BP p.l.c.

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Just a heads-up, BP. We can tell when you’re faking it. And it doesn’t make us feel any better about being in an oily seabed with you.

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