Task

1. Select two images that have manipulated truth, one historical using camera technology, one contemporary using AI technology as examples to use in your essay
2. Research history, theory and context of both images thoroughly and make notes.
3. Read several sources (both online and on paper) to acquire sufficient knowledge and understanding
4. Provide a critical perspective by referencing different points of view from sources.
5. Select at least 2 quotes per image from sources you have read that is relevant to your essay question.
6. Use Harvard System of Referencing and provide a bibliography
7. Use key terminology specific to art and photography from the matrix/ sheet below.

plan

Hypothesis: Photography and Truth: Can a photograph lie?

Opening quote: to set the scene choose an appropriate quote from key texts or source that you have read and understood. Or select something Will Lakeman said in class discussion around ethics using AI in photography.

Introduction (250 words): Describe how photography from its invention as a new technology in 1839 was viewed as a threat to traditional artforms such as painting and drawing. Provide an overview of why photography (like all other art forms) is an illusion and a representation of reality (reflect on your essay earlier on the Origin of Photography). Explain what AI is as a new technology, and how it is already part of lives, give examples (Google, speech recognition, generative AI etc). Discuss both human and societal benefits and potential dangers of AI, again use examples such as Geoffrey Linton resigning from Google to bring awareness, or Sam Altman’s (CEO of OpenAI) being questioned by USA congress. Select one quote by either Linton or Altman and comment (either for or against). Introduce the two images that you have chosen as examples of the above.

Paragraph 1 (250-500 words): Describe how photography in the past (before the digital age) could be manipulated, both in-camera and in the darkroom (eg. reflect on Pictorialism’s use of chemicals and scratching surfaces in distorting images and earlier masking/ collaging technique sin the darkroom.) Provide an example of an image (see case studies below) from history of photography where the truth was distorted. Describe circumstances, context, different points of view and new discoveries or theories around the origin or meaning of your chosen image. Use either direct quote, paraphrasing or summary from sources and comment (for or against). Make sure you provide your own interpretation of the image too.

Paragraph 2 (250 -500 words): Describe how photography now since the digital age has been altering the truth from faking images in-camera to using image manipulation software, such as Photoshop. Provide an example of an image (see case studies below) produced using artificial intelligence that looks ‘real’, but are in fact a digital construct. Provide analysis of how generative AI such as DreamStudio, Midjourney or DALL E 2 has increased our ability to create new images that has no relationship with either photography or the truth. Use same formula as above and use either direct quote, paraphrasing or summary from sources and comment (for or against). Make sure you provide your own interpretation of the image too.

Conclusion (250 words): Compare and contrast how historical images in the past and digital images made today, using new technology such as AI, have altered reality and distorted truth. Refer back to the essay question and write a conclusion where you summarise in your own words both similarities and differences between your two image examples. Conclude with a statement on how you envisage the future of photography and AI image-making might change our perception of reality, and attitude towards truth.

Bibliography: List all the sources that you have identified in alphabetical order. Apart from listing literature you must also list all other sources e.g. websites/online sources, Youtube/ DVD/TV.

Quotes and referencing: You MUST reference some of the sources that you have used either by incorporating direct quotes, paraphrasing or summarising of an idea, theory or concept, or historical fact.

Essay

Can a photograph lie?

From when photography was invented, around the time of 1839, it was seen as a threat to traditional art forms because it could capture the world with much greater accuracy as well as being quicker than traditional paintings or drawings could. Photography is also viewed as an illusion and or representation of reality due to it creating the impression of depth, texture and motion even though it’s a flat image. We as photographers also have the ability to alter and manipulate said images making them appear different to what the reality of the image would look like. Moving onto more modern implications to photography, artificial intelligence has begun to help us in the aspect of altering our images. A photographer by the name of Will Lakeman also manages to include AI in his projects, he does this by inputting his own photo into an AI altering software and then it manipulates his image based around the prompt he gives it. From the very first type of artificial intelligence being created in 1951, it has developed and changed so much that it has now become a regular feature in our everyday lives, from using Alexa in our homes to simply googling anything. While AI certainly brings around many positives for society, such as being able to have information or communicate with each other at the press of a button, it also brings around a possibility of danger. For example, with AI practically providing free labour, many people will be let out of jobs if AI can replace them since it would be more cost efficient for employers.  

In the past, photographs were usually altered using what is known as a dark room. This would be a dimly lit area that would be used to develop images. The photographer would take their photos using silver halide light sensitive film in their cameras and would then process the film and use a machine called the enlarger to project light through the negative onto light sensitive silver halide paper to then make the image into a print. This was a very fine process and had to be done extremely carefully, often taking around 3 to 7 days in total to complete. The image above was taken in 1983 by Steve McCurry, an American photographer. In his picture we are able to see the train and people as the focus point of the image while the Taj Mahal in the background acts as a background. We can also see the lighting of and how sharp the image is on the whole, even the movement and steam being emitted. It is likely that McCurry altered the image someway using a dark room in order to get the picture in focus and more saturated and likely used the method of using a dark room due to the time period the image was taken in. However, the picture itself has some good photographic techniques such as the use of having a focus point. The picture is currently selling for £8,800 and is being featured among his other work regarding ‘social issues’. Currently, there are 44 pieces of work up for sale ranging between £3,000 to £15,000. 

Photographs now days can be easily manipulated by multiple different software’s as well as by artificial intelligence, creating a problem for modern news outlooks since we can’t tell what’s true or what’s false. An example of how easily we can mistake fake images for real images would be in the photo shown above. This image was created by Boris Eldagsen using artificial intelligence. He entered the photo into the Sony world photography awards, a popular photography competition, and ended up winning first place. He declined the reward, however, admitting to having used an artificial intelligence software called DALL-E 2. Currently, there are many types of AI software’s which are used to either alter or create images, a few examples being dream studio, midjourney, etc. They work by you writing a descriptive prompt for the AI to follow, with it then searching through its database for any correlating images already there, then creating a new piece based around the images it found. The very fact that the images AI produces can be so realistic brings about more problems than benefits since you would now be able to forge fake images of anyone to ruin their reputation or even depict them doing something illegal. According to Will Lakeman, he said that ‘Artificial intelligence isn’t actually intelligent’, to which I have to agree. Since the software is only taking inspiration from the work of others and following the prompt you have put into it, it’s not thinking or acquiring knowledge which is needed in order for something to be deemed intelligent.  

In conclusion, historical images and editing processes in the past have changed drastically compared to modern day versions, specifically from the development of AI software’s and how easily they can distort the truth. Referring back to the question, ‘can a photograph lie?’, it is my firm belief that yes, a photograph can lie. We have seen countless times though social media of certain images distorting the truth, even being done by high-ranking people, for example Stalin who would edit out certain people from photos with him after he was no longer aligned or allied with them. While there are some similarities between the past and present on how we alter our images, such as what we choose to edit (a.k.a lighting, cropping, etc) the main difference in my opinion would be the time it takes to alter said images. Now days, editing a photo is very simple and can be done in a matter of minutes however, historically it would take days on end and was a very careful procedure. In the future, I believe AI will become even more advanced causing the AI we use for photography to advance as well. Currently, there is a device in the works that would be inputted into our brains, supposedly allowing us to do everything we can do on a phone but by simply using our minds. If this were to happen and work, it would most likely affect photography negatively since we would be able to ‘save and replay memories’ in our head, making photography somewhat irrelevant.  

Bibliography: 

https://www.tomorrowsworldtoday.com/2023/04/24/ai-generated-image-wins-world-renowned-photography-competition/#:~:text=Photographer%20Boris%20Eldagsen’s%20image%20titled,created%20using%20DALL%2DE%202.

https://narrato.io/blog/what-are-ai-image-generators-how-do-they-work/#:~:text=Switch%20camera-,How%20do%20AI%20image%20generators%20work%3F,number%20of%20image%2Dtext%20pairs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence

https://www.stevemccurry.com/

Steve McCurry

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/06/09/musk-neuralink-brain-chips-fda-human-trials/70299875007/#:~:text=During%20November%202022%20event%2C%20which,said%20at%20a%202020%20event.