Beneath the heavy black smoke epitomizing war, behind the cheerful college crowd highlighting diversity, and within the model body signifying perfection, lies the ever so subtle manipulative techniques used to convey slanted ideals. Photoshopping photos has for long been used as a way of promoting appeasing or often unappealing ideals that the public generally holds or dismisses. It has become common practice to accentuate the features of an individual to make the person in question look more appealing in a photo (a general technique used by fatigued actresses to ensure they look their best or even better). An equally common practice is highlighting or minimizing certain portions of a photo to convey a political message as seen with the notorious photo of the note inscribed by President George W. Bush.
The photo of the note with the text "I think I may need a bathroom break. Is this possible?" was magnified and used as a tool to defame the character of the President. The photo taken by Hany Farid of Dartmouth college was altered by Reuters. Although, the note was indeed real, its magnification was a manipulation that caused a harmless, general photo to become the image of defamation and controversy. This manipulation resulted in establishment of a false characterization, showing the President as imprudent or immature. The manipulation was significantly harmful as it not only negatively altered the context of the photo it also lead to the unjustified debasing of an autoritative figure. Often times photos are used to show the truth, but many times the truth seen is not true at all.
You make a really good point about how photographers sometimes alter pictures to defame the reputation of political figures. It's sad and unfair because the public usually is unaware of the alteration and believes the way the photographer portrays an individual. I also like your introduction paragraph; it's very vivid!
ReplyDeleteI had not seen this picture on the web site of photos that lie. I agree that this is very debasing. I like your conclusion sentence.
ReplyDelete