Photos that talk – and move
March 8, 2010Conversations in class about Things That Talk spurred Angela Speakman to pose a few questions about the objects that will – or won’t – speak to us in the future. Can photos speak to us from the computer screen? I think so. I think the photographer with a digital camera may have even more power in adjusting light, angles, depth and color to have an audience see what he or she sees or hopes the audience will see. The text discusses whether or not photographs can be used as reliable forms of evidence in court (p.216-217). Lawyers argue for and against the use of photos, explaining both their value in identifying witnesses and suspects, but also their ability to deceive the viewer of the exact location, time and condition of a scene.
In court, the following two photos could definitely be used to determine the location and objects captured, though there are a few distorted elements. But what about the video? The new, digital age has allowed even the amateur photographer to create not only deceiving images, but also videos. Take a look:
There are definitely two horses grazing in this field, but depth of the photo forces us to ask the question: "How big is the closer one's head?!"
Recognize the architecture? The location? You do? Great! Now, how did the builder get the blocks to bend like that?
Now, watch this YouTube video for a Dove campaign for the power of digital photo and video editing programs, such as Photoshop:
I love the Dove video, Aileen. I watch it when I’m feeling down about my appearance, haha. The repercussions of being able to distort picture/video in this way are far-reaching. Sometimes, I think that our society doesn’t pressure us to, well, build a society (buy a home, have a family, etc.), as much as it pressures us to look a certain way, above all else. Photo-shop contributes to the idea that to be physically flawless is an attainable goal. As a result, we’ve got a generation of young women running around with body-dismorphic disorder. In this way, I think, it isn’t just the photographs themselves that “talk,” but the photoshop tool itself that has lots to say about the condition and priorities of our society!! Nice post!