Presently, photography has transformed into a social rite that is widely practiced by masses as a part of their daily lives. People preserve their memories on a photosensitive film through their lens (images) and convert them subsequently into the form of images (camera). They credit these images as they do believe that the pictures will exist in immortality even though the event has ended, whereas the aging brains will drain their memories away. These pictures remember every single little thing, long after they have forgotten everything. Agreeing with Susan Sontag's idea in her essay entitled “On Photography,” “The omnipresence of cameras persuasively suggests that time consists of interesting events, events worth photographing” (311), N. Scott Momaday, Babbette Hines, and Jim Nachtwey say that people depend on cameras to chronicle the priceless moments occurring in their lives. The question is, do all photographic images always portray the truth?
Both the photographer and the subject have the ability to interfere with the result of the photography. The photographers, being able to either direct the subject or decide not to include certain distasteful things in their photographs, have no higher sovereignty than the subjects who are free to select their own poses and arrangements. In Picture Perfect, Hines acknowledges that we choose our truth, “You can even pretend to be happier than you really are...” (247). In fact, her idea not only applies to photo-booth pictures but also to photography in general. We decide our own facial expressions, behaviors, and attitudes that conform to what we want to be seen when a camera is forced upon us; they don't have to depict our sincere feeling.
But this is not the end of the story, how...
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...ulate the result of their photograph according to what they want it to be seen: diminish the unwanted acne, brighten the face, and make certain parts look slimmer. Remove all of the undesired objects and enhance it with extra adornments. Perfectly done.
But at last, how about the truth of the photograph? Is it okay to make it concealed?
The answer is so simple that many may have thought about it: they don't care. They are immersed in their own thought of overvaluing the role of photographs; the truth of the photographs is abandoned unrevealed as they are overwhelmed by the new look they created. Photography becomes their vital mask, and they won't let anybody to unveil it; they are disguising the truth. Dumbfounded by other obscure usages of photography, people unconsciously violate the main function itself: to capture and record the truth of their lives. Ironic.
In the essay “Why We Take Pictures” by Susan Sontag, she argues that taking photos can be a tool of power and sometimes even a defense against anxiety(353). Taking pictures can be a great source of power, according to Sontag. The photographer has the power to show what they want and people can choose whether or not to be in the photo. Sontag uses the example of a family photo; as some family photos portray the family being happy, many people cannot see that the family might not actually be as happy as they look. Sontag also uses examples like nuclear families and traveling in order to enforce her claims about picture taking. In a nuclear family, Sontag believes that taking a picture of that family can help relieve some anxiety because people
The world has many photographers that anyone can look at. You can call me an amateur or say I don’t really understand the art but when I look at most of the pictures available, and I have looked at thousands lately, I don’t see anything different in the style of photography. I just see pictures. I see pictures of beautiful subjects and pictures of ugly subjects. I never really thought about the difference being the photographer instead of the subject, until I saw Elliott Erwitt.
People can become quite envious and concerned looking through idealized photographs of the ‘perfect’ woman or man. As a result, the viewer could be deceived simply by the massive effect lighting, makeup, and sometimes the use of Photoshop has on a photo. These highly glamorized photos have been criticized “[…] sometimes through humor as in Reddit’s “Pretty Girls Ugly Faces” meme, in which users upload photos of themselves with disgusting faces next to the conventional shot” (Rutledge). To put it another way, those users are mocking the ‘perfect’ selfies and in turn appeasing their concerns of their own physical image. For instance, one user explained “that the ugly selfie challenges her own vanity and puts her personality back into the self-documentation” (Rutledge). Not only do selfies give an individual a perspective on their physical self, selfies can give way to one’s identity. Through taking a selfie one can “[…] show facets of [themselves], such as the artsy side, the silly side, or the glamorous side” (Rutledge). As a result, the selfie taker can reflect on what makes them unique while giving others a glimpse of
The modern world is full of photographs. They are used for ads, political campaigns, and magazines. However it can be hard to tell whether or not a photograph is real. Many are ‘doctored’ or altered in some way. These doctored photographs can be seemingly harmless, such as advertisements, but they can misrepresent a product or person. There is a fine line between what is ethical and what isn’t for doctored images. Photographs should never be altered in order to deceive individuals, damage someone’s reputation, or when they have a strong negative impact on self-esteem. However if doctored photographs are used for art or for minor touch-ups for advertisements that don’t misrepresent a product then
The camera is simply a portable extension of our eyes that captures images we may otherwise never see, and freezes them into eternity for our scrutiny. If photographs provide any true knowledge, it is that of a visual stimulus, a superficial comprehension that barely scratches the surfaces. What would photographs be without captions? Merely anonymous pictures of anonymous things, anonymous places, and anonymous people. Photography all...
Photography allows us to maintain memories and relish them whenever we desire. Although some advocates might argue that people are no longer enjoying experiences instead taking more pictures, in the essay, “Why We Take Pictures”, by Susan Sontag, she conflates that photography can be used as a defense against anxiety and a tool of empowerment. I agree with Sontag on the significance of photographs and how it allows us to store a part of our extended relatives so we are able to hold on the memories of family. Therefore, we must appreciate how photography allows us to manage anxiety, express feelings and remember our loved ones.
“Recently, photography has become almost as widely practiced an amusement as sex and dancing, which means that, like every mass art form, photography is not practiced by most people as an art. It is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power” (Sontag 8). After reading this quote in my head multiple times, I started to realize that people use it for different purposes. When I took a photography class in college, it was under the category “art.” Which made me think of it as a form of art, when there are so many other ways to view photography. Sontag changed my opinion about photography after further interpreting her quote because to have a camera in our hand, being able to capture the world through our lens is to have a tool of
A picture is more than just a piece of time captured within a light-sensitive emulsion, it is an experience one has whose story is told through an enchanting image. I photograph the world in the ways I see it. Every curious angle, vibrant color, and abnormal subject makes me think, and want to spark someone else’s thought process. The photographs in this work were not chosen by me, but by the reactions each image received when looked at. If a photo was merely glanced at or given a casual compliment, then I didn’t feel it was strong enough a work, but if one was to stop somebody, and be studied in curiosity, or question, then the picture was right to be chosen.
Photography was first utilized over 100 years ago in an attempt to preserve life as it existed before the industrial revolution. Over time photography has gradually corrupted memory in a variety of ways, despite its original intention to preserve it. From there, photography has evolved to become a pressing threat not only to memory, but also to consciousness.
Newton, Julianne H. The Burden of Visual Truth: The Role of Photojournalism in Mediating Reality. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.
Photography is a mindful medium of expression, perspective, interpretation and can sometimes be truth. The changes throughout the history of photography have changed how people see the image they're looking at. In the 19th century, they were no editing options or software of any kind. You just go through the process and take the photo and people could easily tell it was real. Of course it would a shock to see what was once a real life event in that time period, but then transferred on paper "capturing" the moment itself. The truth could easily been seen, now in the 21st century, most of that has changed. There are
Have you ever seen a painting or picture that captivates you and directly stirs up emotion within you? More than likely, you have. Usually, viewers merely observe the picture and enjoy the way it looks and how it makes them feel. But, have you ever asked yourself, “why?” What about the picture makes it pleasing to the viewer? With each strategy the photographer uses creates their own touch and passion that floods all over the picture. The emotional connection nearly goes unnoticed for when the picture is well photographed, the viewers experience the sensation in their subconscious. This is one of the most powerful tools that a photographer holds in their hands. If one can become a master of manipulating how the photo affects its viewers, the said photographer can potentially maneuver people’s minds and thoughts with one click of a button. The time spent with my mentor has opened up the door for me to tap into that power though the use of background, focus, shutter speed, angles, and most importantly, lighting. Even with all these techniques, the person behind the camera must remember that creativity must be at the forefront of all operations. Caleno (2014), when writing about the basics of capturing a beautiful moment in a picture commented, “If we want to be creative we must drop these pre-conceptions and start looking at things from a small child’s innocence.”
Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.
In Sontag’s On Photography, she claims photography limits our understanding of the world. Though Sontag acknowledges “photographs fill in blanks in our mental pictures”, she believes “the camera’s rendering of reality must always hide more than it discloses.” She argues photographs offer merely “a semblance of knowledge” on the real world.
Taking photographs and photography itself is a great tool of power in many different aspects of life that one might not realize day to day. Photography has the power to reveal things that if expressed in words, would cease to be as powerful a truth. It serves as evidence of something larger. Yes, photos can be manipulated- yet because they can it makes the viewer even more cautious and observant on the details of these photos. Taking pictures is so much more than what it is painted to be on the surface. It is not always superficial and inconsequential. If you look deeper into the photo meaning and the details about the photos’ source, you observe things you would have never seen otherwise, like the slight hint of sorrow on her face, the contradiction in human ability, and the subtle external truths about the reason we do things, such as take pictures.