Question 9 .
Discuss the role of photography as a bearer of ‘Truth’. how has photography’s relationship to truth changed overtime, or in response to technological developments?
Photography was born in the critical age. A lot of the discussions of this medium concern its concrete definition, dynamics and a relative comparison with other practices. Liz Wells maintained that photography has never been a single object, practice or form instead photography has consisted of different work and types of image that served different material and social purposes. The discussion of the nature of photography is either in the light of reductionism while looking for ‘essence’ or highly-descriptive.[1] Amongst the most celebrated debates about photography, the ‘conjurer of fiction’ versus ‘bearer of truth’ concept stood out. The question is: Does photography is still doing what its supposed to do – document and reveal? On the one hand, critics believed that photography is progressively becoming more endangered considering its malleability in Photoshop. On the other hand, supporters claimed that photography is still on its element in capturing the unbiased truths. So therefore, let’s take into account the two indicators and demonstrate the reactions from the illustration industry.
“The status of photographic image as the bearer of truth is now truly compromised but it was always a status that it should never have possessed”, according to Nick Lacey. [2] The closest study of photographic drawing disclosed a more absolute truth and a more perfect identity the image represented. Photographs even expose the artistic, political and representational potential of photography while also creating realistic images. Simply, photography is both a fundamental part of the visual world and an important process of representing identities. Interpreting photography encompasses the acknowledgement of its representational power as bearer of meaning.[3]
Through photography, processes are sped up further. The ideology is the attainment of instantaneity or immediately happenings or occurrences. Seeing the world becomes not only a matter of spatial distances instead of the time-distance to be eliminated; a matter of speed that deals with acceleration or deceleration in a subjective model. In a much simpler sense, photography presents the world in ‘all its naked truth’; depicted from how our human eye sees it in a flash. The qualities we attribute to snapshots are reflections of indisputable proofs of existence of an objective world.[4]
The obligation of photography in transcending message to inform people is central to capturing the image within the spheres of truth and reality. Whatever meaning that exists in the image, its purpose is to make the people aware of point of view, ideology and anything else relevant to image-setting. Photography, in this sense, is teaching us how to be reflexive and developed our critical thinking basically because truth is already recognized and existing.[5] Images give us the notion that photography shows reality as it is as an expressive movement; where in images cannot add anything to itself and would not reproduce be reproduced in anyhow.[6]
Photography is conceived as technological innovation that demands our understanding of the social and ideological functions of art. Signs and symbol inherent to photography configures sustainable valuations of signs and symbols as the bearer of their own truth and goodness. [7] Photographs are accepted as unmediated image of actual events. Images naturalize making visible ‘what really happened’ from a neutral historically instantaneous record of reality. As bearers of neutral truths, photographic framing, composition, lighting, colour or even tone value will guide the translation of images. Picture, at this point, cannot lie or notice something.[8]
Questions whether photography can still be considered and treated as bearer of truth overindulge in the discussions of evidences. The option for treating of the image itself is inherent in photography. The point is photography as proofs manifest a limited, forensic meaning and that photography was never trustworthy in any absolute sense. With that, people had always judged photographic texts with more than half an eye to the credibility of such sources. [9]
Photographs fabrication had fractured the entire medium beyond all recognition. Digitalization made much of the context of photography in any variations possible. The medium gradually lost its soul and now contains a very small fragment of reality. The concept of fiction in photography had emerged as common people afford the awkward hobby. Photography had escaped dependence from shutters and on what is in front of the lens. They now lack the manual touch and surface variation that it once possessed because of giving in into digital temptation.[10]
The genuinely or truthfulness of pictures is ever more questionable because of the availability of the facilities of how people can customize their pictures. The mechanical capturing of light that creates an image that resembles reality is now rooted on doubt. Breaking the rules is easy; people can shrink or enlarge, sharpen or soften, crop, adjust brightness, overall colour and even add or remove an element. Images are not being truthful because of this.
From a subjective framework, images are heavily processed and interpreted. The premise is that people’s perception is an actual account why we cannot trust pictures. Our eyes do not see the colour of the things we are looking at and people are heavily influenced by lighting. The limitation of photography purports an artistic certifies that people can manipulate elements of pictures the way they want to see things or interpret things. The truth is that photographs are mans of transferring the ideas among people. However, capturing and depicting reality in pictures now depends on the photographers themselves and the technology they are using.[11]
Virtual photography has implicates the illustrators as well as their industry. Digital cameras and cyber-imaging served as an outlet for creative expressionism. Technology had provided illustrators the convenience, quality control and flexibility. With traditional film photos, illustrators have no input after the image-capturing and developing process or the photofinishers. Applications of a more personalized special effects and filters are now possible. With digital photography, they can use photo-editing to touch-up and enhance the pictures. While also, digital photos require the use of any person’s artistic side. Photo-sharing will become handy with digital photography. Sending an image or transporting it into another property or even place is now possible. The electronic distribution of images is quicker and more convenient. Another feature of technological photography is based on creation of interesting presentations in any audience the pictures are intended to. Household records and databases inclined for usefulness and also for businesses. For example, images are used to sell products even to remote areas through marketing programs.
However, high prices and images quality, dissident photographers and illustrators in technological-based photography. In fact, low-resolution digital cameras contain inadequate picture information and distort reality in the process. The quality of the printed image will be also uncertain. Digital cameras require a few seconds to record actual accounts based on memory and you cannot assure to shoot another picture. This lag times proved to be a problem for capturing action-oriented events. Digital the imaging requires new concept, skills and knowledge and, not to mention, costly.[12]
The digital deterioration of photography is consistent. For some, photography does not represent truth and fiction is not new in digital photography. The question purports a debate on many responses and reactions based on weighing the pros and cons of the photography as bearers of truth and portrayals of reality and as conjurers of fiction. The photography’s reputation is becoming more complicated.
The catch, after knowing the advantages and disadvantages and the grounds whether photography is a realistic or fictional element, depends on how people will going to see the purpose of photography in their individual lives. For formal systems such as forensics, crimes and investigations and other legal categories, photography was viewed as concrete evidences that could facilitate fact-finding. For informal users such as hobbyists, household users and other photo enthusiasts, photograph was seen as a form of art that could be distorted and thus depict fictional imaging.
From a personal standpoint, photography will remain to be depicters of truth. Reality is captured as it is and could live for eternity. Memories stay because of pictures. The nature and the dynamics of image-setting would not sacrifice the genuinely of actual events and occurrences.
Bibliography
Abbinnett, R. (2003). Culture and Identity: Critical Theories. Sage Publications, Inc.
Allan, S. (2004). News Culture. McGraw-Hill International.
Lacey, N. (1998). Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies. St. Martin’s Press.
Looking the Pros and Cons of Digital Photography. Retrieved 20 December 2007 from http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/looking-at-the-pros-and-cons-of-digital-photography/153040
Plagens, P. (2007). Is Photography Dead? Newsweek.
Reiter, F. I. (2007). Truth in Photography. Wonder and Light. Retrieved on 20 December 2007 from
http://www.wonderandlight.com/essays/truth_in_photography/
Ruby, J. (2000). Picturing Culture: Explorations of Film and Anthropology. University of Chicago Press.
Schroeder, J. E. (2002). Visual Consumption. Routledge.
Vaughan, D. (1999). For Documentary: Twelve Essays. University of California Press.
Vache, A. D. (2003). The Visual Turn: Classical Film Theory and Art History. Rutgers University Press.
Virilio, P. (1994). The Vision Machine. Indiana University Press.
Wells, L. (2000). Photography: A Critical introduction. Routledge.
[1] Wells, L . (2000). Photography: A critical Introduction. p. 18.
[2] Lacey, N. (1998). Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies. p. 224.
[3] Schroeder, J. E. (2002). Visual Consumption. p. 52.
[4] Virilio, P. (1994). The Vision Machine. p. 21.
[5] Ruby, J. (2000). Picturing Culture: Explorations of Film and Anthropology. p. 203.
[6] Vache, A. D. (2003). The Visual Turn: Classical Film Theory and Art History. p. 132.
[7] Abbinnett, R. (2003). Culture and Identity: Critical Theories. p. 97.
[8] Allan, S. (2004). News Culture. p. 1861.
[9] Vaughan, D. (1999). For Documentary: Twelve Essays. p. 187.
[10] Plagens, P. (2007). Newsweek.
[11] Reiter, F. I. (2007). Truth in Photography.
[12] Looking the Pros and Cons of Digital Photography
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