Every day we are faced with photographs on the headlines of the news. A photograph in its medium is able to capture a specific moment in time and make it last forever. One feature documentary photography has over written journalism is this universal element. Anyone who has the ability to see, is able comprehend this form of expression. Due to the truthful nature of photography, we instinctively believe what we see in photographs. Though, this perhaps should not always be the case.
One must be wary of this, as documentary photography is deceptive. The first way it is deceptive is that when the photographer captures his picture, he is selecting a frame of what he would like to represent. This can already be deceiving as only a selection of truth is represented. For instance, when Kevin Carter photographed “the Vulture and Child” in 1994, he clearly framed his photographed making it much more impactful. When we see the child with this vulture stood behind him, we feel empathy. This photograph depicts extreme hunger and poverty. However, what this photograph does not show and tell is that the mother left her child to collect food from the charity aid which had just flown in. This photograph does not capture the aid and the airplanes filled with food and aid workers, it does not portray the full story. A photograph without its context is therefor much more impactful, but perhaps less accurate in telling the truth.
Some artists have realised this and have intertwined words and photography to portray a perhaps more wholesome picture. An example of this is Facebook’s well known “Humans of New York” page. Brandon Stanton, the photographer, photographs individuals he meets on the streets of New York city, speaks to them and publishes a short description of them alongside a portrait of them. What is interesting about his work, is often that the stories add a lot and say more than the photograph, and vice versa – they both complement each other. From his works we can conclude that photography and language both help in an accurate representation of the truth. This is also what we see on headline news. We are shown a dramatic photograph which immediately captures our attention and then we may delve into the story by reading what the author has written. It is a combination of language and photography. What photography has over other mediums is its scientific nature, a photographer is able to duplicate a framed moment, whereas a sculptor or an artist must translate this moment with their artistic medium such as clay or paint. Although photography is more ‘believable’, it may not be able to convey as much expression and emotion as other mediums. This arises one question, how to we distinguish when documentary photography is considered a form of journalism or a form of art?
Secondly, another way photography can deceive is through alterations and distortions which can be made with many different technologies. This is very evident in today’s present society. Often people place filters on their photographs, altering tones. We must ask ourselves to what extent are we allowed to alter photographs, and at what stage do we start hindering the truth? Although this is a subtle alteration, it is still hindering the original representation. Even though one may not think this affects the truth, it may still affect the mood of the photograph. Technology has been used to alter photographs to make them more aesthetically pleasing. The images we sometimes are shown online, in magazines, on TV are often distorted physically, marks are covered, cellulite is removed, all to represent a more “beautiful” and aesthetically pleasing picture. The evolution of technology and the capacity to alter photographs has definitely impacted what we consider beautiful today compared to what was considered beautiful 50 years ago. Therefore, when one looks at photographs one must be cautious of this and keep that in mind.
In conclusion there is an ethical issue which photographers and especially documentary photographers must consider and remember. The issue relates to the beauty and truth. Although documentary photographers must sell their photographs to make a living and to an extent they must be aesthetically pleasing. They must also remember that their medium is trusting of their audience and they should use it with caution. Capturing a moment and selling it as truthful therefor brings up ethical issues. It seems as though today photographers are photographing what society would like to see rather than what they would like to photograph. Looking for what will sell and make the news which will likely affect the quality of the reporting.
Leave a Reply