>how in the hell do we get original photo before it was changed
We need a #releasethememo type tweet storm.
Points have to be that it's obvious photog erased those lines, but why? No other phones around her had erased lines.
Photog, who owns the file, even though another person may have done the pre-publication edits, is on the hook here.
If the photo was slated public domain, which it had to be if published, then the public has the right to see the original file, or get an explanation why they can't.
It's on the photog, here. He has to cough up a copy of the original photo, or an explanation why he can't release it.
As far as I know, you can't edit a RAW file then write over it to save as the original. You have to save it in another format.
Also, definitely wise to make copies of any photos as you import from camera into your image editor program. I think that should almost be SOP. Adobe Lightroom, for example, has an import setting to auto copy any imports into a 2nd location.
IOW, no excuse that the original has been 'written over', IMO.