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bethany-gallagher01-blog · 5 years ago

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The camera always lies

Photographers are always subjective to some extent. Even the viewpoint, camera angle or framing are chosen by our preference as we determine what we will include or exclude. In this essay I will investigate to what extent a camera can tell the truth. I will argue that the camera can never be truly objective. Therefore, I want to explore the different aspects which can make an image subjective. So, in this essay I will be visiting each of the main ways, pre and post production, that the camera can never be 100% truly objective. I will be using either artwork, artist photography or my own work to create evidence and to allow me to further explain my point.

Figure 1- Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, 1865. A camera is a device used for capturing a photographic image or recording a video, as it can capture single or multiple images. Johann Zahn designed the first camera in 1685, with the first photograph captured by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in the year 1814.[i] A photograph from this time was initially thought as documentary because the role of photography was to document surroundings or a moment in time. However, in this post-modernist era the new technical advances and use of cameras and editorial software causes the constant question of “is this picture real?” Most images today in some way thought to be manipulated. From airbrushing magazine covers, making every model flawless, to a montage of a shark eating a man, manipulations happen every day. With social media being the common method to share content between friends; a fake image can easily be shared and believed by millions. However, we wouldn’t think this subjectivity would begin as early as 1852. A photographer called Thomas Hicks, manipulated Abraham Lincoln’s head to be printed on the figure and background of an 1852 print of John C. Calhoun. To create this manipulated effect in the mid 1800’s, the images were either stitched or montaged. To create these techniques two separate images would have been stitched together to become one, or in the darkroom the two different negatives were exposed on the same sheet of photographic paper. The same aperture and exposure time would be needed to create the same depth in black and white colour. This allowed for the two negatives to become a montage. Once the image was found to be fake the artist justified the image manipulation as “not enough heroic-style” portraits of Lincoln were made during his life time.

Figure 2- Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels, 1937. Another example of an image being manipulated, is an image of Adolf Hitler in 1937, surrounded by his friends and associates. Hitler had Joseph Goebbels (second from the right) removed from the original photograph, when he fell out of favour with Joseph Goebbels at a later date. To make this removal it was documented that Goebbels was cut out and then the landscape behind was pasted on top. To create this cut and paste similarly to Abraham Lincoln image, two negatives must have been exposed onto one piece of photographic paper. Other than this, the only manipulation techniques which were used around this early time would be: chemical administration, over painting or multiple exposure. These techniques of course are not objective, as these techniques of taking a subject out of an image, changes and alters history in these cases.

Figure 4- Rut Blees “A modern project” 1996. Photography is not only altered in post-production, during production of an image, we can alter different aspects that can change the entirety of a photograph. For example, in settings we can change multiple features of our camera, for example iso sensitivity and white balance. Changing the iso is one way to control the exposure, for example a low iso of 100 will make the camera less sensitive to light. This means that a slower shutter speed 1/30 will be required or a bigger aperture f/8 to achieve correct exposure. Using a higher iso of 800 will create the opposite effect but the quality of the image will become grainy and the colours less saturated and contrasted. Within the settings you can also change the white balance which can change the hue and colour within the image. For example, changing the white balance to fluorescent or incandescent can create a magenta or blue hue/ tint to the images.

Rut Blees, is a photographer well known for her “London- A modern project” series, where she captured images in the urban areas of London at night time. She entered this series into the London Museum competition “Dark Corners- London at night.”[ii] Blees focused on capturing the altered spaces of the capital. From towering office blocks to abandoned buildings, her work captures the nocturnal landscape of the city from unusual perspectives. “The night is a space of freedom, where certain demands of the day are temporarily suspended,” reported Rut Blees Luxemburg. In this example of Blees photography, you can see the possible use of a fluorescent or daylight white balance, which created the magenta (yellow like) hue/tint to each photograph. Throughout her London series, as they where taken at night, I believe the shutter speed would need to be slow e.g 4-6 seconds or set to bulb. The aperture would have to be f/8 or f/11 so enough light would enter the camera at night, so the photo wouldn’t be underexposed. The use of a middle ranged aperture and long shutter speed created a large depth of field and a sharp, in focus foreground and background. The iso would be high as well most probably 400, so the brightness and sensitivity of the image would be high. The use of a slow shutter speed is indicated by the light trails on the road in Blees photo, as a long shutter speed and big aperture would be needed to create them. Blees must’ve used a tripod to stop any camera shake from occurring but other than this no other equipment would’ve been used.

Each of these aspects which Rut Blees has decided to use either equipment based, or by the settings chosen was subjective to her preference’s. Blees aim was to explore London after dark and look for modernism in the city. This created a dynamic presence throughout the photographs, especially in this image because of the use of background, midground and foreground. The different levels of roads, which hold the football pitch and basketball court creates a sense of depth and height in the image. This feeling is enhanced because of the viewpoint of the camera is looking down onto the modern transformations of today’s world. The image contains horizontal lines, these leading lines created from the road and light trails direct the audience’s eye through the roads and pathways. This reflects the very modern design because of the curves and there placement. With the use of these advanced settings, chosen by Rut it shows the subjectivity which Blees has towards her images. And specifically, the image above. As what we see is Blee’s interpretation of “London After Dark” and everything to the way in which Rut tilted the camera makes the image subjective.

Figure 5- Robert Doisneau “The Kiss,” 1950. Another aspect we can change within the camera is the aperture. The aperture is one of the main variables of the camera as it controls the amount of light which reaches the digital sensors. The bigger the aperture, for example f/4 the more light that will enter the camera. Whereas the smaller the aperture, for example f/22, the less light that will enter the camera. The aperture also controls the depth of field, the smaller the aperture the bigger the depth of field. Whereas the bigger the aperture, a shallower depth of field would be created. This is important as the depth of field can change the whole mood and feeling of the image. To create “The Kiss” Robert Doisneau would have set the aperture to f/5.6 or f/8 to create the shallow depth of field. I believe Doisneau used this aperture so the background would not be in focus, so he could reflect the importance of love and lead the viewer’s eye straight to the subject of the photo “The Kiss.” The shutter speed would have been slow, like 1/30, this is proven by the motion blur created by the people who are passing by the couple kissing. This slow shutter speed was needed so the image would be correctly exposed, Doisneau must have been holding the camera extremely still and close to his body, so no camera shake occurred. I believe the films iso was 400 to make the image highly sensitive to light and contrasted/saturated. When using all of these variable together, the intensity of the kiss, the couple and setting makes this one moment in time look perfect.

Robert Doisneau, is a black and white film photographer and is best known for his image “The Kiss.” Doisneau captured a moment in time where a couple is standing still kissing passionately, while the world around them and the people continue with their everyday life. The contrast between the stillness of the couple and the blurred figures, draws the audience’s attention to the couple because of the shallow depth of field. The use of the people and transportation moving, creating motion blur, without even giving the couple a glance, reflects the spontaneity of that moment. This image uses multiple compositional rules, including the rules of thirds. This composition is traditionally used and creates a balanced image, (their heads lie on a 1/3 down lie) which leads the viewer’s eyes to the central point of the photo. Which is straight to the kiss. I believe Doisneau did this purposely as he wants to show the importance of love and passion. This shot is framed casually, with the bottom third located in a café setting, with table and chairs reflecting the contemporary location in the foreground. I really like how this image become a symbol of Paris romance in 1986, when Doisneau published the image to American Life Magazine. Once the magazine published the poster in 1986, a massive 410,000 copies were sold in the first five years.

The integrity of “The Kiss” was questioned however as the claimed couple told the magazine L’Express in 1993, that they were posing for the image and wanted compensation.[iii] Doisneau was then forced to reveal that the picture was posed for and that he asked the young couple after seeing them kiss passionately in the same café.[iv] When Doisneau first published the image, he told the story behind the image was that he was documenting French couples around Paris. So when the truth came to light a huge controversy was created. As many fans, fell in love with the photo and the story behind it and because of the lie believed Doisneau ruined the spontaneity and meaning behind the image. As the thought of “Paris is the city of love,” was reflected throughout the magazine article and represented when looking at the photo. So Doisneau ruined the youthful feel of young love as having a couple pose reflects how real couples in everyday life aren’t actually like this.

This image therefore reflects that the camera can tell an untrue story, as the camera is not telling us the true backstory of the image. As there’s no way which the camera reflects that it’s a staged image. This in consequence reflects how the image was subjective to Dosineau opinions and wants for the image. As he wanted to reflect true love and passion in the city known for romance.

[i] Aman Abrol, Who invented the camera, Linked in, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-invented-camera-aman-abrol, date accessed 16/12/18

[ii] Hannah Abel-Hirsch, London: a visual love song, British Journal of Photography, https://www.bjp-online.com/2018/02/rut-blees-luxemburg-modern-project-liebeslied/, date accessed 02/01/19

[iii] Jon Henley, 55 years on the controversial kiss that could be worth £10,000, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/13/france.arts, date accessed 16/01/19

[iv] Peter Hamilton, Robert Doisneau A photographers life, 1995 by Abberville Press, p23-30

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