The word ‘photography’ means drawing with light. Which originates from the Greek word of photo. It was created in 1822 in which Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took the first image. I believe that photography can be viewed in two ways. Some people believe that photography should be considered as a threat to traditional artforms such as painting and drawing as photography takes away the human touch from each canvas. On the other hand, it can be viewed as a way to express the truth, as a raw image does not hide anything. The development of photography as we know it today started with the invention of camera obscura, this was a device which was able to project an image onto a surface. Camera obscura has been used as a tool for artists to use to allow them to trace images. However, this device does not permanently capture the image.
Artificial Intelligence, also known as Ai is the development of computer systems that can do things which would typically require human intelligence. Ai systems analyse large amounts of data and recognise patterns which enables them to make decisions or predictions based off of the data they have received. Ai has many benefits, and the main benefit is that it can help by advancing healthcare. This can be done as Ai can assist with disease protection, medical image analysis, drug discovery and many more. While artificial intelligence has many benefits, there are also many drawbacks, and challenges associated with its development, One of which being bias and discrimination. As Ai systems can become biased from the data they received while being trained. However, Ai is hugely used in photography to enhance and automate editing processes which is much faster and easier to do now compared to the times before the invention of artificial intelligence.
For example, In film photography, the darkroom was an essential part of the editing process. Photographers used various techniques to manipulate the exposure and contrast of prints. This involved adjusting the exposure time during the printing process, using dodging and burning techniques to selectively lighten or darken specific areas of the print, and applying filters to modify the color balance. And also, photographers or specialised retouchers would use pencils, brushes, and dyes to manually retouch and manipulate prints. This could involve removing imperfections, enhancing or softening details, or even adding or removing elements from the image. Making these types of processes take a long time, whereas now a days you are able to re touch an image in a matter of seconds using ai. in order to create multi exposure images photographers would expose the same film negative multiple times or combine different negatives which gives the effect or merged images together. The two images below are called “valley of the shadow of death” taken by Roger Fenton. Although both photos are very similar, there is one major difference and that being the cannon balls in the road. The area where the photo was taken was named valley of the shadow of death as it was well known for the continuous amount of bombing/ shelling which took place there. Film-maker Errol Morris went to Sevastopol in 2007 to identify the site of this “first iconic photograph of war”. He was investigating a second version of the photograph without cannonballs on the road and the question as to the authenticity of the picture. Hitherto opinions differed concerning which one was taken first, but Morris spotted evidence that the photo without the cannonballs was taken first. He remains uncertain about why balls were moved onto the road in the second picture.
The digital age has undoubtedly transformed the way photography is practiced and the potential for altering the truth within images. While traditional film photography also allowed for manipulation through darkroom techniques, the invention of digital technologies and software like Adobe Photoshop has made it easier to edit and manipulate images in more sophisticated ways. This has raised concerns about the authenticity and truthfulness of photographs. Programs like Adobe Photoshop provide powerful tools for editing and manipulating images. With these software tools photographers can adjust exposure, contrast, colours, and other things, as well as remove or add elements to an image. This has the potential for both subtle enhancements and more dramatic alterations that can significantly change the content and truth of an image. The image below is an Ai edited image of Donald Trump working in a fast food restaurant by Phillip Toledano. Toledano created this image using an Ai generated app, Midjourney. He believes that a photograph should be like an unfinished sentence. When creating these images Phillip Toledano focused on how Donald Trump portrays himself and generated the images to do the opposite. Trump has an obsession with showing off his his power and projecting his strength, however, the series of images which were made makes him look weak, and are degrading. This series of Donald Trump that Toledano created has no relation ship with either photography or the truth. However, it shows the creativity and skill that comes behind editing and the power that is held within Artificial intelligence.
In conclusion, I believe that photos can lie. This is due to the fact that as soon as camera is picked up you aren’t always getting the ‘full picture’ as the lens won’t be able to capture all 360 degrees of the frame, and that is before editing is even mentioned. It’s important to note that while digital manipulation raises concerns about truthfulness and authenticity, not all image editing is obvious and stand out. For example, ‘ Valley of the shadow of death’ looks as if the cannon balls were edited out. Many photographers use editing techniques to enhance the aesthetic quality of an image or to express their artistic vision. As viewers, it’s essential to approach photographs with critical thinking, considering the possibility of manipulation and understanding that images may not always represent objective truth.
Roger Fenton, Valley of the Shadow of Death, April 23, 1855Jeff Wall, Approach, 2014.
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.
“to collect photographs is to collect the world”, this quote references to collecting experiences and places in the world in a file as a whole, which in my interpretation is the internet, which gives access to almost everyone what is in this world, however it can be used to deceive people. Photography was a new invention founded in 1839 and was a celebration for some but a threat to others. Most people viewed photography as a break through, something that could be mastered as an art form, but it also threatened artists like painters, and peoples views on art. Although as time went on and photography became more popular, which could start making people money, it started to dive into negative areas of photography’s intention, for example “what made a good photography” which also means what photograph can make money became a strategy game for some photographers. People would stage certain photographs when good technology wasn’t round, and would create an image with those aspects in the way they wanted, and would make a “fake” photograph, so people who saw this would call this an illusion of reality because it wasn’t an image of what it was in the first instant, it was rather an image of how they wanted it to be. Now as technology grew so did photography and images ability to be completely altered. Artists had the ability to completely change what an image looked like, almost make up a whole new image, by removing and adding anything they wanted. This is completely altering reality now, by slightly manipulating an image, in context could put someone anyway for fake murder, or even create a perfect, beautiful image, the question of every image would start to be if it was real or not, or how real was the image. This became a bigger problem within the past 10 years now, such as photoshop and certain image editors, which with enough skill could create anything people wanted. But what is even worse is the invention of AI for photography, which could create any image in the world by using just text that you prompt the AI to do. This could be done even overlaying existing images or images you want the AI to edit. This invention created hands free photography, with no effort, its potential became scary for some people. Others like Geoffrey Linton who worked for google, who was a big part of AI and its ability’s had resigned in order to spread the awareness because of its creation, and that was for its creation in general, not just because of what it can do to photographs.
In the first image I have chosen “Roger Fenton, Valley of the Shadow of Death, April 23, 1855” it shows the aftermath of a war in Ukraine in 1855 at a deserted area of the battle field. in the image it seems to have used cannon balls and tracks used by vehicles. his image looks to be a landscape image to capture the hell of war, it uses techniques of lines and shapes and the placements of the materials work well. Although this image was a good representation of what the photographer was trying to capture, it was apparently said to be stages within some areas of the image. People had found an exact same image but except the cannon balls on the road where not along the road, some of them where in the ditches, and in the image shown at the top of this blog, there are cannon balls scattered all over the tracks. People say he done this to create more of an effect of what happened, and how he was capturing the violence of war. I find it interesting how there are no other figures in the image, and how it shows how docile death is.
In the second image I have chosen “Jeff Wall, Approach, 2014.“, this is because I like how it is something which you need to read about to fully understand its meaning behind it. This image shows a middle-ages black woman wrapped in a blanket , with an empty shopping trolley and some cardboard boxes. To any regular person seeing this image it shows an image of a dolcelatte person staring at a wall, with the image itself being in black and white. It is said (https://jeff-wall-contemporary-artist.tumblr.com/post/145276076751/approach-2014-this-a-piece-from-walls-latest) that this image depicts a variety of incidents revolving around themes of domesticity, property, separateness, territory and identity, which is interesting when u look at the image, as homelessness seems to be mainly between them through territory and who the owner’s of what areas. It also makes you think what made this person become homeless, drugs? Domesticity? Government? The image raises lots of questions but says a lot at the same time. (https://journals.openedition.org/ideas/5233?lang=en) It is said that “wall” (the photographer who took the image) took this image as a way for people to reflect on the world, like its politics, and what is has become, or for him to even spread the awareness of homelessness. He says that an image like this questions reality, mainly in photography to question what an authentic image is, and how real is it.
Photography, the first invention of its kind, served a purpose for this monumental invention that would later become so normalized that now billions of photographs are shared, produced, and reproduced all around the world. Its purpose was to capture precise details and the accuracy of what was seen by humans, offering a different means of capturing reality compared to existing methods such as drawing and painting. Louis Daguerre, who would later become known for developing the daguerreotype process, introduced a revolutionary method of photography. This groundbreaking technique was unveiled to the world in 1839, widely regarded as the inception of practical photography. However, Daguerre’s metal-based daguerreotype faced competition from William Henry Fox Talbot’s paper-based calotype negative and salt print processes, both of which were demonstrated in the same year, 1839.
From the text “The Pluto’s Cave,” I learned that the use of photography began in 1871 by the Paris police during the murderous roundup of communards. Since then, photographs have been regarded as the most realistic form of truth and evidence. In another article titled “The Pluto’s Cave,” I found an intriguing statement: “Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.” I agree with this statement because a photograph represents a specific moment and can never truly capture an absolute truth. Instead, it becomes an object that preserves that captured moment after it has passed.
Photography represented a significant advancement from drawing and other mediums. The fact that it was not created by a person’s brain and transferred onto paper, like drawing, but rather by a person clicking a button and the machine producing the image, made it more trustworthy and believable. People relied on the physical object and the technology behind it to produce the most accurate version of reality, unlike a person’s painting or other artwork, which could easily be altered. However, what many may be unaware of or tend to overlook when observing a photograph is that an image can also be manipulated. Even before the advent of modern technology, such as Photoshop or other digital photographic tools, manipulation occurred in the darkroom during the early days of film photography in the 19th century. Photographers would adjust lighting in specific areas, darken or lighten certain elements, and remove unwanted objects. Today, with widely used digital tools like Photoshop, the possibilities for alteration are even more extensive. In a text I have read, I learned that the process of manipulation begins as soon as we frame a person, landscape, object, or scene with our cameras. We make choices like selecting a portrait or landscape format, and then further manipulation can involve adding non-realistic filters, editing, altering, or cropping the image.
AI and modern image altering
However, in today’s world, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made a significant impact on society, including photography and image-making. AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. It is crucial to recognize the influence of AI on photography, as it not only changes how people perceive photography but also challenges the authenticity of the images encountered.
AI systems rely on algorithms and computational models to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, make decisions, and solve complex problems. However, it is important to note that AI can both assist and distract. It can expedite the editing process of images, such as color correction and enhancements. AI can also categorize images through image recognition and restore images by improving the quality of blurry or old photographs. However, the most astonishing aspect of AI is content creation. AI-generated images are based on pre-programmed instructions and blending millions of photographs within the system to create entirely new and fictional compositions.
It is important to understand that while AI brings numerous advancements, it will not replace the creativity and vision of photographers. Instead, AI serves as a powerful tool to augment and enhance their abilities, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in photography.
In the early stages of AI becoming prominent, the authenticity of images begins to lose its meaning. Particularly concerning is the potential for AI to create false images. Although AI requires human input to generate images, it can quickly produce images that never existed before with just a few minutes of input. This poses a significant risk, as anyone, regardless of their artistic abilities, can create an image that represents events that never took place. Such images can have a profound impact on viewers, especially when they portray important people or topics. They can cause confusion and harm to various groups, while also being used as supporting evidence for a story. When such images are printed in reliable sources like newspapers, many individuals may unquestioningly accept their authenticity based on the trust they place in the source. Consequently, it becomes crucial to trace the origin of an image to understand its reality. However, in today’s modern world, with the abundance of altered, subjectively taken, and AI-generated images, discerning the authenticity behind them becomes increasingly challenging.
AI-generated images of Trump being arrested. Source: @EliotHiggins via Twitter
Many argue that documentary photography is the most realistic form of photography. This perception stems from the association of documentary photographs with capturing the truth. When these photographs appear in well-known media sources like the Discovery Channel or National Geographic, which have a reputation for “telling the truth,” people are more inclined to believe them. Individuals are more likely to trust photographs and videos depicting unfamiliar places or things they have not encountered before. For example, an American who has never traveled outside their country may have a limited perspective of what reality looks like based on their everyday experiences. Thus, they find photographs of an unseen area more believable. In the absence of personal visits, photographs and stories serve as evidence of the existence of those places. However, this is where questions arise, such as “Can we truly trust photographs?”
The truthfulness of a documentary photograph is not guaranteed solely because the photographer identifies as a documentary photographer. Multiple factors come into play when capturing photographs in a documentary context, and many people fail to realize that photographers, especially those working for prominent media companies, often focus on specific topics that are interesting and eye-catching. For instance, in an urban area of a foreign country, a documentary photographer may choose to photograph homeless or economically disadvantaged individuals. This does not imply that the entire area is exclusively populated by such individuals. However, due to the selective nature of documenting, we are led to believe a particular version of the truth—a representation of how a certain place appears without actually experiencing it. This does not mean the photographer is intentionally presenting a false view of the area, but the limited focus and selective approach can lead to misinterpretations.
Regarding the photographs themselves, although some documentary photographs are un-staged and capture spontaneous moments, providing a sense of authenticity, it is essential to acknowledge that purposefully staged photographs can also be included in documentary photography. How a photographer frames a shot, how they choose to edit the photographs by cropping, altering, or adding filters, contradicts the notion of complete authenticity. On the other hand, unedited or raw photographs may not grab viewers’ attention as much as edited ones. One might be perceived as more realistic than the other, although both depict the same subject. The intentional alterations made during editing aim to create a certain mood and elicit specific emotional responses from viewers, something that an unedited photograph may not achieve to the same extent.
Past Image altering
Robert Capa, Death of a Loyalist Soldier, 1936
Above is an image by Robert Capa, depicting a Spanish soldier on the front lines of the Spanish Civil War. This photograph is Capa’s most famous work, gaining popularity due to allegations that it was “faked” or staged. The story goes that Capa was tasked with photographing soldiers during the civil war. However, since there was little action at the time, Capa allegedly asked the soldiers to simulate being shot. Unfortunately, as the soldiers emerged from their hiding spot to act out Capa’s request, they were spotted by the attackers and the soldier in the photograph was actually shot. This event highlights that as early as 1936 (and even earlier), photographs were not always true representations of reality. While photographers were limited in their ability to alter images, they could still manipulate the actual events captured. This manipulation could involve asking subjects to act or pretend in certain ways. Although the truth behind the image raises questions about the authenticity and harshness of war, the photograph remains impactful in delivering its message. Without knowledge of the story behind it, viewers will see what is presented to them. However, understanding the meaning behind the image can change a viewer’s response. Nevertheless, the initial emotional response a person experiences when looking at a photograph remains valuable.
Pablo Picasso Famously said “art is a lie that makes us realize truth” my interpretation of this quote is that art being created by a human, and being created by another person, whatever it is they create, photographs or paintings, that will be a representation of that persons reality. However, usually why artists do that is to make more people feel what they have felt, representing their own reality. These feeling are potential triggers to another persons truth and are truthful to them.
In the texts I have read, I found myself intrigued by several questions. One of them is whether manipulation is the first association that comes to mind when people think of photography, and what implications this has for the value of a photograph as a reflection of reality. Additionally, there is the question of what an authentic photograph really looks like.
Defining a “real” photograph proves to be a challenge because, on one hand, an image can become a physical object once it is printed. However, when it is viewed, it is displayed on various devices, which introduces another layer of transformation and interpretation. This ambiguity arises from the subjectivity of what the image represents. There is no definitive way to determine what a real photograph is in absolute terms.
While a photograph may strive to capture the essence of reality, it is ultimately influenced by the photographer’s vision. The photographer’s interpretation and creative choices play a vital role in shaping their version of reality within the image. Therefore, an authentic photograph can be seen as a representation of the photographer’s perspective and their unique interpretation of the world.
Influence of images
In today’s world, the problem of images representing a false reality and being perceived as the truth is becoming increasingly common. For example, when planning vacations, people often come across edited photographs that misrepresent the actual appearance of destinations. This creates a disconnect when they visit these places and find that the reality doesn’t match what was presented in the photographs. Alterations in colors, timing, and mood can change the perception of a place in images, but the place itself remains unchanged.
The widespread dissemination of non-truthful images across media is a growing concern, particularly for younger generations. Altered images of celebrities and models create unrealistic beauty standards, impacting individuals’ self-perception. For example, in magazines like Vogue, significant alterations are made to photoshoot images. This manipulation leads viewers to believe the edited version represents reality, unaware of the original photograph’s appearance. While cameras capture reality, photographs can be altered, highlighting the need for critical media literacy.
In the case of photographs from the same shoot featuring Lady Gaga, there is a noticeable difference between the image on the left and the image on the right. While lighting and angles play a role, the significant alteration occurs through editing and other forms of manipulation. Many individuals, without seeing the original unedited image, might assume that the edited image on the right is unaltered, as they are unaware of how the original photograph appeared. Thus, while a camera can capture reality, the reality portrayed in a photograph can be altered through manipulation.
According to the website https://movableink.com/blog/29-incredible-stats-that-prove-the-power-of-visual-marketing, our brains are naturally inclined towards visual information, with 90% of the information processed by the brain being visual. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, taking only 13 milliseconds to process an image. This explains why incorporating images into different platforms, including newspapers, can enhance storytelling and aid in better comprehension. Due to the brain’s quick processing of images, people tend to accept them without much questioning. As a result, social media platforms, in particular, often see the circulation of false images due to the tendency to accept visuals without scrutinizing their authenticity.
Hypothesis:Photography and Truth: Can a photograph lie?
“Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.” (Sontag, 1977)
Photography is a way to demonstrate how people view the world. It started off with the camera obscura and making images in dark rooms. Photography has now advanced to taking photos on digital cameras and even being able to crate mages with Artificial Intelligence (A.I). When we were first introduced to photography, artists saw it as a threat as they thought that photography removed the personal touch from making images. Photography is an illusion and a representation of reality just like all other forms of art. Images can be manipulated to hide the truth from the audience there have been many cases of this seen through the years. One of the most well-known examples is the ‘The Struggling Girl’ by Kevin Carter. This image didn’t show the full scene and caused controversy when the world found out. It mislead people in to thinking that the girl was going to be taken by the vulture and that Carter just took the image and didn’t help. In reality, out of the frame there was a feeding centre that the girl was making her way to. Photography now has a new technology called Artificial Intelligence which is rapidly making advances for example, Siri on iPhones and chat GPT, where you can get an instant response. There are many benefits of using A.I such as it gives you an immediate response, there’s a reduction in human error, decisions are unbiased, and they can perform repetitive jobs that people don’t want to do. However, as A.I advances it is becoming more dangerous to society for example, Geoffrey Linton who was known as the ‘Godfather of A.I’ resigning from Google. When speaking to the BBC he stated that AI chatbots were “quite scary” as he expresses his concerns about the “existential risk of what happens when these things get more intelligent than us” (Taylor & Hern, 2023).The thought of AI becoming more intelligent than us is a scary thought as there is a possible risk to humanity. The two images that I have chosen to demonstrate how images can be manipulated are “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” by Roger Fenton and Taj Mahal and train in Agra by Steve McCurry
‘The Valley of the Shadow of Death’ Roger Fenton
Photographers have been manipulating their images before the digital age. There were very basic methods such as using scissors and knifes to cut negatives out of the image and then reproducing it or using opaque watercolours to go over the image. Images could also be manipulated in dark rooms by using methods such as dodging and burning and masking. Photographers also used double exposure techniques where they would place two or more exposures on top of each other to create a single image.
A case that I have studied to demonstrate how photographer hide the truth is ‘The Valley of the Shadow of Death’ taken by Roger Fenton in 1855, which is possibly one of the oldest staged images. The image displays the Valley with cannon balls rolling down the path/road this left people questioning did Fenton place the cannonball in the road? There are two images one with cannon balls on the road and one without. to create the final image Fenton made two exposures from the same tripod position. The first exposure was taken with the cannonballs to the left of the road but before taking the second photo, he oversaw the scattering of the cannonballs on the road. The image intrigued documentary film maker Errol Morris as he went on to further investigate the image, publishing a section in the ‘New York Times’ called “Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg”. Morris interviewed many historians who had different views on whether the image was staged or not. This left Morris unsatisfied by his findings so travelled to Ukraine where Fenton took the image. When at the location, Morris and Dennis Purcell (an optical engineer) noticed a group of five small rocks that were positioned lower than they were in the photo with the cannonball is the road. This led Morris to come to the conclusion that the photo was staged as the rocks had moved by gravity. (Zhang, 2012)
The investigation carried out by Morris shows the length that Fenton and other photographers are willing to go to get to his final image and conceal the truth. Overall, I think that the image has been manipulated in some way as the placement of the cannonballs on the road look ‘too good to be true.’ Whether Roger Fenton moved the cannonballs himself or used multi exposer to fake the placement of cannonballs in the road.
‘Taj Mahal and train in Agra’ Steve McCurry
As technology has advanced it has become easier for photographers to stage their images and conceal the truth, by using many apps, eg. photoshop, AI tools eg. ‘Dreamstudio’ and using actors in their images, to create a perfectly timed final image. In a case that I have studied ‘Taj Mahal and train in Agra’ by Steve McCurry it depicts a steam train with two men on it, with smoke coming out from the under the train as it goes past the Taj Mahal in the background. Teju Cole states in an article from The New York Times Magazine McCurry’s images are “astonishingly boring” (Cole, 2016) because of how staged they are and look. It is clear when looking at the image that McCurry has staged the image as the timing of the image creates ‘a too perfect picture’ (Cole, 2016). A lot of McCurry’s work has been taken in India, Cole argues that McCurry is portraying India as a country that hasn’t moved on with the modern times whereas, people can argue that McCurry wants to explore vanishing cultures. When I first saw the ‘Taj Mahal and train in Agra’ it drew me in as I wondered how McCurry had timed taking the image so perfectly however, after some further research into the work of Steve McCurry I found that most of his work has the same persona and are staged in some way.
In conclusion, I think it is evident that photographs can lie as both of my case studies demonstrate how photographers manipulate their images in various ways to conceal the truth. We as viewers don’t get to see what is happening outside of the frame – we only see what the photographer wants to show us and so we are left to interpret the image individually.
Bibliography
Cole, T., 2016. A Too-Perfect Picture. The New York Times Magazine, 30 March.
Sontag, S., 1977. On Photography. 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Taylor, J. & Hern, A., 2023. ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton quits Google and warns over dangers of misinformation. The Guardian, 2 May.
Zhang, M., 2012. PetaPixel. [Online] Available at: https://petapixel.com/2012/10/01/famous-valley-of-the-shadow-of-death-photo-was-most-likely-staged/#:~:text=After%20reaching%20the%20much%20shelled%20valley%20approaching%20Sebastopol,scattering%20of%20the%20cannonballs%20on%20the%20road%20itself. [Accessed 5 July 2023].
