Bob W wrote:
Adding or removing elements breaks the causal relation between the picture and the subject and adds an entirely different dimension to the truth-value of the picture,
What about choosing which elements to include by a simple step to the left or right before tripping the shutter?
I can make (former) President Bush look like a total ass (literally) be framing his head just right with a background element (as was done in a certain image where he appeared to have long donkey-ears due to a certain background feature). Or I can make one step to the left and not include that element. The inclusion of the element was a conscious decision.
There are a lot of people that get all high-and-mighty about removing or adding an element in post-production (photoshopping) but say nothing of the above example when both are deliberate acts of manipulation. One is "ethical" becuase there was no pixel-moving, the other unethical because it isn't "true." To me, neither is the truth. If you want truth you need to witness every event first-hand and draw your own conclusions.
Me? I trust no one in the media. Least of all photographers because I know their tricks...
"It depends on what the photographer is claiming about the image.
Exactly. But even then I don't trust them to show me "truth" There is no truth in photography. However "In vino veritas" -- Christian http://404mohawknotfound.blogspot.com/ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
