Technological advances in electronic imaging and the proliferation of digital photography have greatly reduced the validity of the belief “the proof is in the picture.” Photojournalists depend greatly on this belief of the integrity of a picture, but in the age of today’s technology, there is a lot of debate about the validity of most pictures because of the ability to digitally enhance and even alter pictures.
There is a saying that seeing is believing, but given the technological advances in the imaging field, and the scope for false or engineered photographs, one should be careful about what one sees in photographs these days. As noted by Kenneth Brower, “digital imaging technology has been evolving by leaps and bounds, as many companies are rushing to develop the best printers” (Brower, K. 1998). It is wrong to alter a picture to deceive the public. In 1991, the board of directors of NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) condemned the manipulation of image content in such a way that the modification is virtually undetectable. The trust that the public places in photography should not be abused. It is generally believed that the camera does not lie. “This is a proposition that is known to be false nowadays, yet a lot of people believe in it anyway. This is a dynamic unique in the arts.” (Brower, K. 1998)
In conclusion, people should be skeptical about pictures that seem too good to be true these days, as they might be true, untrue. It should also be noted that photographs are supposed to be straightforward records of what the photographer has witnessed.
References
Brower, K. (1998) Photography in the age of falsification.