Inspired by the numerous challenges from Gary Ruddell, Unlock Security introduced a very fun OSINT challenge that I managed to solve: no contextual information, just a single blurry photo with few visible details.
🔎 The Challenge: Can you determine the location where this photo was taken?
Step 1: Using Facial Recognition
To begin, I used facecheck.id, an online facial recognition tool, to check if the person in the photo appears on any public platform or social media.
The results returned several public profiles with similar facial features. Among them, one perfectly matches the original image.
This person appears to be the same one. I followed the link to the website where this photo was published, fapello.com, an adult content site.
Below the photo, two nicknames are listed: kat3martynova and katmartynova1. Searching on Instagram, I found her public profile: kat3martynova.
Step 2: Analyzing Instagram Stories
While reviewing the Instagram Stories collection titled Адам и Ева, I immediately recognized the blurry objects from the original photo that I couldn’t interpret before.
They turned out to be fake apple tree installations represented by bright red lights.
From the page source code, I copied the title “Адам и Ева” and translated it from Russian to English using deepl.com.
In one of the Instagram Stories, the person enters a venue clearly labeled Adam & Eve, as shown in a sign in the background.
Step 3: Identifying the Venue
Using Google Images, I found several photos of the venue. From the available links, it appears to be a nightclub inside an adults-only hotel: Adam & Eve Hotel.
Searching for Adam & Eve Hotel on Google Maps, I located the place.
Step 4: Identifying the Exact Spot
Going back to the original photo, I identified some key details that helped me determine the exact spot where the photo was taken:
- White speakers at the top (green arrows).
- One or more white columns in sequence on the left (yellow arrows).
- A mirrored wall starting on the right (blue arrows).
Examining the Adam & Eve Hotel website, in the Gallery section, I found several photos of the hotel’s bars. These images match the original photo with the same speakers, columns, and mirrored wall.
Finally, using wikimapia.org, I pinpointed the exact location on the map and identified the bar within the hotel complex.
It can now be stated with high certainty that the individual’s photo was taken inside the Bar of the Adam & Eve Hotel, precisely at:
R3X9+R2 Serik District, Antalya Province, Turkey.
Official Solution
For reference, here is the official solution from Unlock Security: