Is Seeing Believing? (continued)Crafting Reality with a Computer As you have learned, computers offer a wide assortment of tools for manipulating both the tone and content of photographic images. Moreover, modern application programs have made many of the techniques of digital image processing accessible to even the most casual of users. It is a simple procedure to change the tone of an image by manipulating its intensity levels and color. Retouching or editing images is also a routine procedure with imaging applications. Likewise, you have seen that it is possible to create completely fictional images by image compositing. Yet, as we have seen in other instances, the advantageous use of technology can also foster its abuse as well. The photographer or photojournalist armed with a desktop computer and digital imaging software can ply his or her trade with added capabilities and efficiency. On the other hand, it is also possible to manipulate images or their subject matter in ways that would not have been possible in conventional settings. The O. J. Simpson cover from Time Magazine on June 27, 1994, is perhaps the most famous example of “massaging” an image to influence our perception of reality. Simpson had been arrested and charged with the violent murders of his estranged wife and a companion. The Time cover presented the L.A. police mug shot of Simpson. His face appeared dark, sinister, and brooding. Quite unexpectedly, though, Newsweek magazine published precisely the same source photo for their cover. The Newsweek version, however, showed a very different-looking Simpson—the same face and shot are evident, but the dark and brooding look is missing. Later, Time disclosed that their photograph had indeed been "enhanced" but did not admit to any wrongdoing in manipulating the image. This incident and others sparked a popular debate about the ethical standards of journalism in allowing photographs to be altered by artificial means. Several professional societies for photojournalists have since responded to this erosion of the public trust with codes of ethics intended to curb abuses. The National Press Photographers Association, for example, has adopted a Code of Ethics that expressly states
Many newspapers also expressly state their policies with respect to photos used reporting. The Washington Post states that
Clearly, photojournalists and other professionals are aware of the potential for abuse using the new digital technology. The apocryphal horse, however, may already be out of the barn. Once the public has lost faith in the accuracy of photographic reporting, the task of restoring its credibility is a difficult one. The evolution of the digital computer as a medium for capturing and processing images has posed challenges to our assumptions about the veracity of the photographic record. We have been conditioned to think of photographs as a special class of images. Unlike drawings and paintings, for example, photographs reveal reality and not just perceptions. It is often said that "pictures never lie." Whether this was ever true, the world of digital imaging strongly challenges such claims. As you have learned, a digital image can be processed in a variety of ways. Its content, tone, and composition can be altered quite easily using the powerful tools available in image processing software. For this reason, some courts no longer accept photographs as irrefutable evidence; we would be wise to follow suit. ©Abernethy and Allen, 2003. |