With the advent of digital photography, it is easier than ever to combine or alt

Question

With the advent of digital photography, it is easier than ever to combine or alter images with a simple click of the mouse. It does begin to bring up the question; can we really believe what we see?

Considering that photography is a medium that can convey a million emotions in one single image, is it ethical for a photographer to draw more emotional response by digitally altering an image? Is this any different than using different lighting in a studio to create an effect?

With the advent of digital photography, it is easier than ever to combine or alter images with a simple click of the mouse. It does begin to bring up the question; can we really believe what we see?

Considering that photography is a medium that can convey a million emotions in one single image, is it ethical for a photographer to draw more emotional response by digitally altering an image? Is this any different than using different lighting in a studio to create an effect?

Explanation / Answer

Answer:

With the advent of digital photography, boundary lines of what is ethical and what is not have clearly blurred. With the explosion of cameras everywhere, everybody wants to look glamorous and flawless in their images. What makes the matter worse is that there are no clear guidelines to direct what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Digitally altering the image while keeping the basics intact so as to final image represents the original in the true sense is acceptable. Or digitally added elements which are clearly distinguishable from original images are still acceptable to use as the user of the image can clearly distinguish between the original and added elements.

However altering the image to distort facts like face lines, body shape, making composites using different faces and bodies, enhancing certain physical characteristics etc. are not acceptable as the difference in messages communicated by two images would be totally different. Images should not be just altered because the end purpose is to make money out of it. As Mahatma Gandhi once said that the ends should not justify the means. Similarly by simply stating that the purpose of photography is to make money and every move which helps achieve this end is justified is like the half-truth. An image communicates a message and has a meaning. An alteration which keeps the message intact is allowed. Alteration to distort the message or communicate a very different one is not an ethical decision.

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