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Quizzes > General Knowledge & Mixed

Fake Photo Quiz: Spot Real vs Edited Images

Quick, free true or false picture quiz to test your eye for edits. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Nicole ValmonteUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration with camera photo strips magnifying glass on coral background True or False quiz theme.

This fake photo quiz helps you spot edited images and tell real from fake in seconds, using simple clues anyone can learn. Then try spot the fake game, take the fake or real news quiz, or test your eye with the is it cake quiz.

In a genuine photo, objects' shadows will all align consistently with a single light source.
True
False
Real-world lighting produces shadows that all follow the same direction relative to the light source. If one shadow diverges in angle, it often indicates compositing. Checking shadow consistency is a quick forensic technique.
Pure white blooms (overexposed highlights) never occur naturally in digital photography.
True
False
Overexposure can occur naturally when bright light exceeds the sensor's dynamic range. White bloom is common in direct sunlight photos or reflective surfaces. It is not by itself proof of editing.
Mismatched perspective lines between objects in an image suggest tampering.
False
True
When elements are inserted from different source images, their vanishing points may not align. Perspective analysis often reveals these discrepancies. Tools like perspective grids help spot such issues.
All image editing history is retained in EXIF metadata by default.
False
True
Most editing tools do not automatically record every step in EXIF. Some applications strip or omit detailed edit history to save space. Absence of metadata fields doesn't prove authenticity or editing.
JPEG compression artifacts that vary significantly across regions can indicate manipulation.
False
True
When one part of an image has been recompressed or edited, its blocky artifacts often differ from the rest. Inconsistent compression reveals splicing. Forensics tools analyze block patterns to flag edits.
A perfectly smooth gradient in a sky always means the photo has been retouched.
True
False
Natural skies often have subtle noise or banding, but some cameras and high-quality sensors produce smooth gradients without editing. Smoothness alone isn't proof of manipulation.
An abrupt change in pixel noise levels between two adjacent areas suggests editing.
False
True
Editing often involves blending regions with different noise by copy-paste or masking. The border between them can show stark noise differences. Noise analysis tools can highlight these boundaries.
Insertions from different cameras always show identical lens distortion characteristics.
True
False
Different lenses have unique distortion profiles (barrel, pincushion). If you composite a subject from a different lens, the curvature of straight lines misaligns. Consistent distortion is key to authenticity.
Deepfake detection algorithms primarily rely on analyzing EXIF metadata for signs of editing.
True
False
Modern deepfake detection focuses on subtle facial artifacts, physiological signals, and inconsistencies in pixel patterns rather than metadata. Metadata is easy to strip or alter.
Edge halos or faint outlines around a subject may reveal a poor cutout from another image.
True
False
When masking tools aren't precisely applied, residual fringe or halo appears around the cut subject. Inspecting high-contrast edges often uncovers these artifacts.
Anomalies in subsurface scattering effects on skin can indicate CGI or compositing.
False
True
Subsurface scattering (light penetration beneath the skin) is complex to simulate perfectly in CGI. Inconsistent skin translucency or glow often flags computer-generated inserts.
Physical impossibilities, like a river flowing uphill, always confirm an image is fake.
True
False
Some optical illusions or lens effects can make scenes appear to defy physics even when real. Always verify camera angle and context before labeling a photo fake.
Fourier domain analysis can detect repeating frequency patterns from copy-paste manipulations.
True
False
By transforming an image to the frequency domain, one can identify periodic patterns left by cloning operations. Spliced areas show distinct frequency peaks. Research papers recommend FFT methods for advanced forensic analysis.
A single RAW exposure can fully replicate traditional multi-exposure HDR blending without any software tricks.
False
True
HDR blending relies on capturing multiple exposures to cover the full dynamic range. A single RAW file may reveal more detail than JPEG, but it still lacks the extended range achieved by true HDR bursts.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze Visual Cues -

    Develop the ability to detect inconsistencies in lighting, shadows, and textures that often indicate manipulated photos.

  2. Identify Digital Alterations -

    Gain practice spotting common editing techniques through our true or false images quiz, improving your ability to spot doctored pics.

  3. Distinguish Authentic from Fake Images -

    Learn to spot the fake images by evaluating patterns and anomalies that separate genuine photos from edited ones.

  4. Evaluate Image Authenticity -

    Master critical analysis using key indicators in this image authenticity test to confirm a photo's legitimacy.

  5. Enhance Observational Skills -

    Hone your eye for detail with the real or fake quiz, boosting focus on subtle elements that reveal a photo's truthfulness.

  6. Apply Critical Thinking -

    Use logical reasoning to consider context clues and metadata, strengthening your decision-making in any photo truth quiz.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Metadata Clues -

    Inspecting EXIF data reveals camera make, shutter speed, and GPS tags - use tools like ExifTool (exiftool.org) to spot discrepancies between a declared location and an image's context. If a "real or fake quiz" image claims to be shot at sunset but shows ISO 50 and 1/5000 s, that mismatch rings alarm bells. Remember: "Meta means more than meets the eye."

  2. Lighting and Shadows -

    Realistic lighting obeys physical laws: check that shadow directions match a single light source and that shading falls consistently (University of York graphics lab research). If one object casts a long shadow while a nearby one is nearly shadowless, you're likely looking at a doctored pic. A quick mnemonic: "Single sun, single shadow run."

  3. Error Level Analysis (ELA) -

    Error Level Analysis, detailed by the ForensicsWiki, highlights areas of varying compression artifacts - edited regions often re-compress differently than the rest of the photo. Upload an image to an ELA tool and watch for hot spots that glow unnaturally bright against darker, undisturbed areas. Think "bright edits, darker truths."

  4. Geometric Consistency -

    Solid geometry means all parallel lines in 3D scenes converge to consistent vanishing points in 2D; any mismatch suggests pasting or warping. The MIT OpenCourseWare on computer vision offers guidelines for running quick perspective checks. A handy phrase: "Parallel in reality, convergent in perspective."

  5. Noise and Compression Patterns -

    Genuine images from the same camera sensor have consistent noise levels and JPEG block patterns - spot the fake images by zooming into uniformity or abrupt changes. According to IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, a sudden noise shift often indicates splicing. Keep in mind: "Uniform noise noise brings honest choice."

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