Photography and the truth

Photographs can most certainly lie as people interpret  them differently due to the fact that a photograph can tell multiple stories within the single image. Whether the photographer has been manipulated when the photograph was original taken or on photoshop it can have a massive impact on how people look at the image, it can sometimes produce a bias approach. Furthermore, The photographers use of different angles can further change how the photograph is seen as it can change and sometimes remove important parts of the image which changes the story behind the image and how the viewer sees the image. Photographs can be used as a reliable source however can also be used as an unreliable source due to the point about viewers interpreting it differently due to the different angles and alterations made to the image. Furthermore, the photographer will have his own opinion on how he views the image had how he wants the viewer to see it. A photograph can be used as a certain delivery of facts due to how the photographer wants the viewers to interpret an image and whether he claims the photograph is truthful or not. The truth would be shown through different ways depending on the photographers agenda. This photograph above is a good example of how a photograph can lie due the fact this image was either a real life image or a tableau photograph. This could fully determine the images truth behind the image. For example Jeff Wall is able to capture an asian man being racial abused by a man walking alongside him whilst his girlfriend is unaware. Jeff Wall could say he witnessed this however, if the photograph had been set up it could create a different story. In addition, we are unaware for the reason that the white man is abusing the man walking alongside him as we are only able to view this scene from the one photograph which makes the view think more into the truth behind the image.

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